These Gluten Free Apple Crumble Bars feature a buttery shortbread crust, cinnamon apples, and an oat crumble topping. Easy, delicious, and perfect for fall!
If you love warm, cozy fall desserts, these Gluten and Dairy Free Apple Crumble Bars are about to become a new favorite. They’re made with a tender buttery shortbread crust, a sweet cinnamon-apple filling, and a crunchy oat crumble on top. Better yet? They’re completely gluten free, dairy free, and made with simple pantry staples.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make – No complicated steps. Mix, bake, layer, bake again.
- No special equipment needed – Other than a mixer and an 8×8 pan.
- Gluten free and delicious – No one will know they’re gluten free!
- Perfect for fall – Apple + cinnamon + oat crumble = cozy heaven.
- Freezer-friendly – Freeze for busy days or holiday prep.
These bars slice beautifully, pack well for gatherings, and taste just like mini apple crisps in bar form. Serve them on their own or warm them up with a scoop of dairy free vanilla ice cream for the perfect fall treat.
Ingredients Notes
- Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour with Xanthan Gum- Creates the base structure for the shortbread crust and crumble. A 1:1 blend ensures proper texture without guesswork. Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour is our go to for this recipe, but you could try this recipe with a different brand.
- Granulated Sugar- Sweetens the crust and helps it bake up tender.
- Salt- Just a little enhances all the flavors, especially the dairy free butter and apples.
- Dairy Free Butter- we usually use one of two brands for our Dairy Free Butter. Whatever is in our fridge is what we use, which is typically whichever one was cheaper. Both of our go-to brands for dairy free butter are soy free also.
- Brown Sugar- Adds moisture and caramel-like flavor to the crumble topping.
- Gluten Free Oats- Give the crumble topping its classic texture and crunch. We recommend looking for a Certified Gluten Free Oats brand so you know there's no risk of cross contamination.
- Apples (peeled and chopped)- Any baking apple works—Honeycrisp, Gala, Granny Smith—your choice! They soften beautifully while still keeping structure.
- Cinnamon- Adds warm, comforting fall flavor to the apples.
How to Make Gluten Free Apple Crumble Bars
Preheat oven to 375°F and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. Leave paper hanging over the sides to make bars easier to remove from baking dish.
In a bowl of a stand mixer, add gluten free flour, sugar, and salt and whisk until combined.
Using the paddle attachment, mix butter one chunk at a time on low speed until the mixture becomes crumbly and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This will only take about 3 minutes. Reserve ⅓ cup of the dough. Set aside.
Pour the remaining dough into the prepared baking dish and press down firmly using fingers or back of a spatula. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
As the shortbread base is baking, sprinkle cinnamon over chopped apples and mix until evenly coated.
In a separate bowl, add reserved shortbread base, brown sugar, and oats and stir together until evenly mixed. Use your fingers to break apart any lumps of brown sugar.
After baking the shortbread base, pour apples on top, then sprinkle the oat crumble over the apples.
Bake for 22 minutes then cover the baking dish and continue baking for 10 more minutes. Turn the oven off and leave baking dish in the oven to continue baking for 5 more minutes before removing.
Cool to room temperature before removing bars from dish and cutting.
Enjoy!
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.
Tips for the Best Apple Crumble Bars
- Cut apples evenly so they cook at the same rate.
- Use real GF oats — regular oats may be cross-contaminated.
- Don’t skip cooling time — the bars slice cleanly when cooled.
- Press the crust firmly to avoid crumbling.
FAQ
Yes! Pears, blueberries, raspberries, and peaches all work well.
A mix of sweet and tart is ideal. Granny Smith and Honeycrisp is a great combo.
Yes—freeze up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature or gently warm in the oven. Use a freezer safe container and if layering, use a sheet of parchment paper in between layers so they don't stick together. We also suggest flash freezing before putting each bar in the containers.
Variations
- Add nuts: Chopped pecans or walnuts add crunch to the crumble.
- Add caramel: Drizzle caramel sauce over the apples before baking.
- Make them thicker: Bake in a 9×5 loaf pan for extra-thick bars.
Get More Recipes
Find more of our favorite holiday recipes in our Holiday Cookbook (ebook)
Find some of our other favorite dessert recipes on our site:
Gluten Free Apple Crumble Bars (Dairy Free too)
Ingredients
Shortbread Base
- 1 ½ cups gluten free 1-1 baking flour with xanthan gum brand suggestion in post
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoon softened dairy free butter brand suggestion in post
Crumble
- 2 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- ½ cup gluten free oats brand suggestion in post
- ⅓ cup reserved of the shortbread base
Apples
- 3 cups peeled and chopped apples of choice
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. Leave paper hanging over the sides to make bars easier to remove from baking dish.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, add gluten free flour, sugar, and salt and whisk until combined.
- Using the paddle attachment, mix butter one chunk at a time on low speed until the mixture becomes crumbly and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This will only take about 3 minutes.
- Reserve ⅓ cup of the dough. Set aside.
- Pour the remaining dough into the prepared baking dish and press down firmly using fingers or back of a spatula. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- As the shortbread base is baking, sprinkle cinnamon over chopped apples and mix until evenly coated.
- In a separate bowl, add reserved shortbread base, brown sugar, and oats and stir together until evenly mixed. Use your fingers to break apart any lumps of brown sugar.
- After baking the shortbread base, pour apples on top, then sprinkle the oat crumble over the apples.
- Bake for 22 minutes then cover the baking dish and continue baking for 10 more minutes. Turn the oven off and leave baking dish in the oven to continue baking for 5 more minutes before removing.
- Cool to room temperature before removing bars from dish and cutting.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Check the FAQ section for the most commonly asked questions with answers.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
These Nutritional Facts are ESTIMATED. Your actual nutritional info with this recipe may vary depending on the brands you choose. “Eating Gluten and Dairy Free” is not a registered dietician or nutritionist. The provided nutritional info above is based on a generic calculator, if you want more accurate info, use your nutritional calculator of choice where you can choose brands and get more info that way.