These Caramel Apple Crumb Bars are absolutely addicting, on their own or served with a little extra paleo caramel sauce! They are gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and vegan.
September is starting to get into full swing now. Schools are back in session, days are getting a little bit shorter, and slowly but surely, the brutally hot summer is coming to a close, making way for brisk fall breezes and leaves of all colors blanketing the sidewalks.
I love the fall and I’m eagerly anticipating the changing weather and all that comes with it. Some of my favorite changes are seen in the kitchen. Lots of my baked goods start to get a hefty dose of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and leaves my apartment smelling constantly delicious. There’s nothing quite like walking into an apartment that smells like fresh out-of-the-oven apple pie, am I right?
Pumpkin and apple become the stars of my kitchen in the fall, and being that they’re some of my all-time favorite flavors, I can do nothing but totally savor the season and create as many delicious recipes to share with you as I can.
I’ve already been baking up a fall dessert storm, and one of the star standouts so far have been these absolutely delicious Caramel Apple Crumb Bars! So if you didn’t want to make a batch of my paleo caramel sauce before, you’re definitely going to want to make some now, because it’s one of the stars of these delicious bars.
The crust is a crumbly crust made with oats, almond flour, coconut sugar, and coconut oil and it conveniently also doubles as the crumble topping. Hurray for making things easier for you! This crust is similar to the one I used in these similarly delicious peanut butter & jelly crumb bars, which were equally as addicting as this caramel apple version.
The filling is just peeled and chopped apples and that addictive paleo caramel sauce I shared. You could use any caramel sauce you have on hand, but if you want to keep these refined sugar free and/or vegan, make sure you use a caramel sauce that fits those criteria.
My favorite way to devour these caramel apple crumb bars was smushed up into some vanilla coconut milk ice cream. It was ridiculously delicious, and you should definitely try it. These bars are best served refrigerated in my opinion. Whip ’em up, share them with your friends, and you’re sure to make someone’s day. Enjoy!
Caramel Apple Bars (GF, Refined SF + Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (6 oz.) almond flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup coconut oil solid at room temperature
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 apple peeled and chopped into 1/4" cubes
- ¼ cup paleo caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper or foil and grease lightly.
- In large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the apple and the caramel sauce. Stir until combined.
- Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture for the topping. Press remaining crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of greased pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
- Remove partially baked crust from the oven. Spread caramel evenly over the crust and then add the apples. Top with remaining crumb mixture.
- Return to oven and bake for another 30 minutes or until bubbling and lightly browned. Let cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.
Danielle says
I think I need to make these asap! These look so great and I love that there’s no refined sugar in them too. Such a great way to use your paleo salted caramel!
Bella B says
ohhh….I think I would love these.
xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe says
Yum, these look fabulous! Yay for Fall baking!
Rachel says
Thanks so much, Amanda!
Medha (Whisk and Shout) says
You’re killing these GF and vegan recipes! Love the apple chunks and the crumbly goodness :) Pinning!
Rachel says
Thanks so much. Medha!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
These sound so awesome! I love that you used almond flour, I bet that gives these such great flavor. I am ready for fall– bring on all things pumpkin and apple!!
Ashley says
Oh how I love the smell of fall baking!! These crumb bars sound amazing!
Nicole @ Young, Broke and Hungry says
Fall baking is my favorite because of the heavy dose of cinnamon and nutmeg. As the queen of healthy baking, I thank you for making this recipe refined sugar free so I can gobble up half the pan.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
I am so excited that fall is finally here so that I can start baking everything with pumpkin and apples! These bars look delicious, Rachel! I love that they’re gluten free and filled with caramel!
Brittany says
These bars look delicious and that paleo caramel sauce sounds heavenly. Pinned!
Rachel says
Thanks so much, Brittany!
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says
Caramel apple is by far the best combo of the season! These bars are definitely on the must-make list!
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says
These sound amazing! All that dense oaty caramelly appleness.. I can just imagine it <3
Michelle @ My California Kitchen says
I love these bars (and your blog!!) I have never used coconut sugar before, I can’t wait to try it!
Rachel says
Thanks so much, Michelle!!
Meagan @ The F&B Department says
Apple means healthy. I would happily eat all of these. I love the Paleo caramel sauce!
Billie Bell says
What do you mean in step number 4 ” Spread caramel evenly over the crust and add the caramel sauce”
Rachel says
Hi Billie – just a typo, thanks for pointing that out. You just spread the caramel sauce evenly over the crust and then add the apples. Hope you enjoy the bars!
Jasmine says
I made these and added an extra apple to make it healthier and less sweet — these are so rich! However, I believe the addition of that made them really crumbly so it turned out to be a delightful topping for oatmeal. One thing I would change if I made these again would be to reduce the amount of coconut oil (1/2 cup made it pretty greasy).
Rachel says
Hi Jasmine. Glad you liked them! The extra apple will release a lot of extra moisture during cooking, which probably caused them to be extra crumbly.
Melissa says
Hi! How long do you think these will last?
Rachel says
Hi Melissa – they’ll probably last in the fridge about 4 days.