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These healthy apple pie bars include a buttery shortbread crust, layers of thinly sliced cinnamon apples, and a crumb topping sweetened with maple syrup. A handheld version of apple pie with all the flavors of fall! Because the ingredients are so simple, these are paleo apple pie bars that are gluten free. Serve with vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of powdered sugar glaze!
This dessert combines two of my most favorite things: apples and bars! I love a good dessert bar recipe, and this one packs in all the glorious flavors of fall. A triple layer handheld version of apple pie, these bars include a buttery shortbread crust, apple pie filling, and a deliciously sweet crumb topping. Easy to make, easy to eat, and the BEST way to make use of all those apples after apple picking!
Now, don’t get me wrong, these are incredible as is. But, if you’re looking to up your fall dessert experience, I love serving apple pie bars with a little coconut milk ice cream, coconut whipped cream, or a drizzle of powdered sugar glaze. You could even adorn these with my 4-ingredient vegan caramel sauce!
What sets this apple pie bars recipe apart from the rest is that it includes nourishing, whole ingredients. The bars are packed with fresh, juicy apples, and the crumb topping is sweetened with coconut sugar and a little maple syrup.
Because the ingredients are simple, these apple pie bars are paleo and gluten free! If you’re new to baking with tapioca flour, grab some on your next grocery run. It’s readily available in the baking aisle, and has so many uses in gluten free baking.
What Makes These Apple Pie Bars Healthier?
I love figuring out ways to make healthy swaps in desserts without sacrificing texture or flavor. While this easy apple pie bars recipe is made with healthier ingredients, it’s everything you’d want from apple pie in bar form—buttery crust, juicy apples, and a decadent crumb topping! This recipe is:
- Made with whole ingredients: The filling is loaded with fresh apples, and the crust and crumble is made with almond flour and coconut flour. As a result, these are paleo apple pie bars!
- Gluten free: Tapioca flour thickens the filling and gives the crumb topping an irresistible texture.
- Dairy free: Coconut oil is mixed into the dry ingredients to make the crumble. It’s a great dose of healthy fats! For vegan apple pie bars, you can swap the ghee out in the crust for coconut oil, too!
- Naturally sweetened: Maple syrup and coconut sugar sweeten the apples and the crumb topping. Both pair perfectly with apples and fall flavors like cinnamon and nutmeg.
Ingredients in this Easy Apple Pie Bars Recipe
There are just a few simple ingredients you’ll need to make these healthy apple pie bars. You likely have most if not all of the ingredients already on hand, so let’s get to baking!
For the crust + crumb topping:
- Blanched almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Tapioca flour
- Sea salt
- Ghee
- Pure maple syrup
- Vanilla extract
- Coconut sugar
- Raw pecans
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Coconut oil
For the apple filling:
- Fresh apples
- Coconut sugar
- Lemon juice
- Pure maple syrup
- Tapioca flour
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
How to Make Healthy Apple Pie Bars
- Make the crust. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, and sea salt. Add the ghee, maple syrup, and vanilla to the bowl, and fold everything together. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan and bake for 8 minutes.
- Make the filling. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple slices, coconut sugar, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tapioca flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir.
- Make the crumb topping. Combine the almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut sugar, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the solid coconut oil to the bowl and cut it into the dry ingredients using a fork. Once the coconut oil is fully incorporated, add the maple syrup and gently mix the topping with the fork until a wet crumble forms.
- Assemble the bars and bake. Spread the apple mixture on top of the crust and sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over top of the apples. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Serve. Let the apple pie bars cool completely before cutting into nine even squares. Serve with coconut milk ice cream, coconut whipped cream, or a drizzle of powdered sugar glaze.
Paleo Apple Pie Bars
Because the ingredients are so simple, these are paleo apple pie bars! I LOVE that these apple pie bars are a wholesome dessert, as the main component is just fresh apples, maple syrup, and spices. It’s a dessert for everyone at the table—kids and adults alike! Looking for vegan apple pie bars? Just swap out the ghee in the crust for coconut oil.
What Type of Apples are Best for Apple Pie Bars?
Firm, crisp, and slightly sweet apples are best for this recipe. Apple varieties that work best for apple pie bars include Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Gala, Jonagold, and Braeburn apples. Tart apples like Granny Smith apples are also great for apple pie bars as they hold up well when baked.
Truthfully, you can use any variety of apples for this recipe! Use what you have on hand, or use a couple different types of apples to give the bars more flavor and dimension.
Storage and Freezing Info
Let the apple pie bars cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Apple pie bars freeze well, too! Just place them in an airtight container or freezer-safe storage bag. I like to separate each one with a small piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat one, just lay it out in the fridge to thaw for a few hours.
Can I Make Substitutions?
Sure can! However, this is where I make that special note that you won’t get the same consistent results if you vary from the original recipe. But, if you find yourself short, here’s a few swaps you can make:
- Almond flour: You can use another nut flour, like cashew flour.
- Tapioca flour: You can swap this for arrowroot flour, but it will be a little more gummy.
- Maple syrup: This can be swapped for raw honey.
- Coconut sugar: You can swap this for any granulated sugar, including brown sugar.
- Coconut oil: It’s fine to use ghee or unsalted butter instead! Just make sure it’s soft and room temperature.
My Baking Tips + Tricks
- Peel and slice your apples before you make your crust. I like to throw the slices directly into the saucepan with the lemon juice until I’m ready to cook them.
- Use any type of apple in this healthy apple crisp recipe. My personal favorite is Pink Lady apples!
- Don’t skip the tapioca flour! It’s what gives this baked apple crisp its crispness.
- Make sure the coconut oil is solid at room temperature—sort of like the texture of butter. You will cut it into the topping mixture with the side of a fork.
- Don’t over-mix the crumb topping. Once the maple syrup is incorporated, stop mixing.
Stocking the Pantry
I personally use Thrive Market for most of my pantry needs because it saves me some cash—especially when it comes to commonly used items like blanched almond flour, coconut sugar, and coconut oil. For a complete list of my recommend pantry items and what I use in my home, check out my favorite kitchen tools and pantry items.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Healthy Apple Crisp (Gluten-Free, Paleo)
- Paleo Pumpkin Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel (Grain-Free, Dairy-Free)
- 4-Ingredient Vegan Caramel Sauce
- Fluffy Paleo Cinnamon Rolls
- Paleo Pumpkin Blondies
Healthy Apple Pie Bars
These healthy apple pie bars include a buttery shortbread crust, layers of thinly sliced cinnamon apples, and a crumb topping sweetened with maple syrup. A handheld version of apple pie with all the flavors of fall! Because the ingredients are so simple, these are paleo apple pie bars that are gluten free. Serve with vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of powdered sugar glaze!
Ingredients
Crust:
- ¾ cup blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 3 tablespoons tapioca flour
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup ghee or coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
- 3 large apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Crumb topping:
- ¾ cup blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons chopped raw pecans
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, solid at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with a parchment paper sling so the paper drapes over two sides.
- Make the Crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, tapioca flour, and sea salt. Add the ghee, maple syrup, and vanilla to the bowl, and fold everything together until a dough forms. Press the crust into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 8 minutes.
- Make the Filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the apple slices, coconut sugar, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the tapioca flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the saucepan and stir until dissolved. Let the apple cool slightly.
- Make the Topping: Combine the almond flour, arrowroot flour, coconut sugar, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the solid coconut oil to the bowl and cut it into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or fork. Cut the coconut oil into the dry ingredients so that it crumbles into smaller and smaller pieces. Once the coconut oil is fully incorporated, add the maple syrup and gently mix the topping with the fork until a wet crumble forms.
- Bake the Bars: Add the apple mixture on top of the crust and spread it out so the apples lay evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over top of the apples. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Cool: Let the apple pie bars cool completely before cutting them into twelve even squares. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve with a drizzle of powdered sugar glaze, vanilla ice cream, or 4-ingredient vegan caramel sauce.
Notes
- To make baking go a bit quicker, peel and slice the apples as part of your prep work before you make the crust.
- While any variety of apple will work, crisp and slightly sweet apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Golden Delicious work great for this recipe.
- Eating the bars warm is tempting, but letting them cool is necessary to cut the apples. The bars are best eaten at room temperature or chilled.
- For a powdered sugar glaze: Mix up ¾ cup organic powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons coconut milk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Pour over the apple pie bars just before serving.
What did you think about this healthy apple pie bars recipe? Let me know in the comments below!
Recipe by: Noelle Tarr / Coconuts and Kettlebells | Photography by: Casey Colodny / The Mindful Hapa
Melissa says
We loved these! The perfect sweetness and chewy crumble texture!
★★★★★
Noelle Tarr, NTP, CPT says
Thank you Melissa! So glad you loved them!
Casey Colodny says
The perfect sweet, yet not to sweet, snack for the cold afternoons! Loved the filling the most!
★★★★★
Noelle Tarr, NTP, CPT says
Thank you so much for sharing, Casey! You’re the best!
Jessica says
Ok, I never leave reviews on recipes, but these were AMAZING so I had to come back and show some love.
The crust is so flaky and buttery, and the topping is just perfect. Was one of the best desserts I’ve ever had, and I so appreciate the real food ingredients and that it wasn’t overly sweet. 🙌🏻🙌🏻
★★★★★
Noelle Tarr, NTP, CPT says
LOVE IT! I appreciate you coming over and leaving a review—means the world to me!
★★★★★
Amanda says
Best gluten-free apple dessert I’ve ever had! So good!
★★★★★
Noelle Tarr, NTP, CPT says
Awesome to hear! Glad you loved it!