Healthy Apple Crumble Bars

September 2, 2021

Healthy Apple Crumble Bars are a fun (handheld) take on apple pie with a healthy twist, thanks to whole wheat flour and less sugar, but tons of flavor. Plus, you can easily make these vegan. You’re going to want to try this recipe this fall!

Nut Free, Egg Free, Soy Free, Dairy Free option

Apple season is here!! And I knew this recipe was going to be my very first recipe share because I loooove me a pie, but sometimes pies just take too much effort to make.

I’m all about making desserts as easy as possible, but still taste insanely delicious. And these healthy apple crumble bars fit the bill.

You still have apple filling
You have a delicious crust
And instead of a flaky crust, you have that yummy crumble… without oats!

They’re essentially perfect for any holiday, fall gathering, or random Wednesday when you really want apple pie.

Since COVID started our holidays have been non-existent or very low key (immediate family only, which coming from a HUGE family feels very small). These bars reflect that. It’s not the beautifully created lattice pie your Aunt expects at Thanksgiving… It’s a much easier (but just as delicious) version.

There’s no double baking the pie crust. There’s no funky ingredients. They’re just straight up delicious… with a slight nutritious twist to help you increase your fiber intake and feel good.

These Healthy Apple Crumble Bars are…

Made with 10 ingredients
Easier to make than apple pie
Great to feed a crowd
Flippin’ delicious
A great way to use up your apple haul from apple picking
Almost vegan (and can be made vegan with a few swaps)

How are these Healthy Apple Crumble Bars “healthy?”

For SEO purposes I’m calling these apple crumble bars “healthy” because they’re made with 100% whole wheat flour. Compared to white all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour contains more fiber. And fiber is a nutrient most Americans don’t eat enough of.

Just by using whole wheat flour in this recipe, it packs over 26 grams of fiber! That’s your daily fiber needs!

Plus the 4-5 apples in there and you’re looking at each bar containing a whopping nearly 5 grams of fiber! That’s 20% of your daily fiber needs!! And basically unheard of for a dessert!

But the best part is, these bars don’t taste “healthy.” They taste delicious and no flavor was sacrificed to make these a tad healthier than traditional apple pie.

Ingredients to make Healthy Apple Crumble Bars

You’ll need 10 ingredients to make these Healthy Apple Crumble Bars, including:

Whole wheat flour
White sugar
Brown sugar
Butter or a vegan substitute
Maple syrup
Apples
Cassava flour (or arrowroot or cornstarch)
Orange juice
Ground cinnamon
Ground ginger

As I mentioned above, I used whole wheat flour to boost the fiber in this recipe. However, you could also use whole wheat white flour too. I have not yet tested with all-purpose flour, oat flour, almond flour, or coconut flour.

I specifically used cassava flour to slightly thicken the apple filling. Cassava flour is made from a root vegetable, so it’s similar to cornstarch or arrowroot to thicken things. You can use regular flour, but I found the cassava flour to work well.

In addition, I used three types of sweeteners in this recipe to add various layers of flavor. You’ll need:

Brown sugar
White sugar
Maple syrup

If you only have brown sugar, you can use all brown sugar in place of the white sugar. However, the maple syrup must be a liquid sweetener for consistency’s sake.

How to Make Healthy Apple Crumble Bars

Despite the time required to peel and slice the apples (I timed it… it took me about 12 minutes total), this recipe is easy to make.

First I prepared the apple filling…

In a bowl mix together the apples, brown sugar, cassava flour, orange juice, cinnamon and ginger. Make sure the apples are coated well and there are no obvious clumps of flour. Then set aside the bowl.

Again, instead of cassava flour you can use cornstarch, arrowroot, or all-purpose flour. They dissolve the best.

Next, make the crust and crumble topping…

In a large bowl add the whole wheat flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix together with a fork so the cinnamon and sugar are well distributed.

Then add the softened butter and maple syrup. Mix until crumbly and pea-sized crumbs form. Honestly, I used my hands for this part. The dough will appear crumbly, but not too dry. If needed, add a little bit of water to moisten the dough.

Now it’s time to assemble the bars!

Take about 1/2-2/3 of the crust dough and press it into an 8×8 pan. I do not recommend using a pan that’s much bigger than this. Really press the dough into the pan so it really sticks together.

Next, dump the apple filling on top of the crust. Try to spread it evenly (as much as you can with apples) so there are few empty pockets. This is why I love using a glass pan so you can see gaping holes in the filling on the sides.

Last, spread the remaining crumb mixture on top. If you’d like, you can sprinkle with additional brown sugar and cinnamon on top of a little something extra!

Bake and enjoy!

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Make This Recipe

You don’t need any super special equipment to make these bars. Just your basic 8×8 pan, a couple of mixing bowls and you’re good!