Healthy Apple Pie Bars

Fall has some of my favorite flavors! If you want all the magic of apple pie without the hassle of working with pie dough, here is the perfect solution!

These bars are also a healthier spin. I used sweet apples, so the recipe only has a little maple syrup and sugar to sweeten it. They're also gluten-free and can be lactose-free/vegan if you use coconut oil instead of butter.

Recipe makes 9 bars

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 tbsp butter, melted

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 ½ cups almond flour

• ¼ cup tapioca flour

• ¼ tsp salt

Apples

• 3 fuji apples, peeled & sliced to ¼” thick

• ¼ cup water

• ½ tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 1 pinch salt 

• 1 tbsp tapioca flour

Topping

• 2 tbsp butter, melted

• 1 pinch cinnamon

• 1 pinch salt

• 2 tbsp sugar

• ¼ cup tbsp almond flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine all apple ingredients (except the tapioca) in bowl and toss to evenly coat, then set aside.

2. Add all crust ingredients to a food processor or mixer and blend until smooth. Press into a lined 8x8 baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.

3. While the crust bakes, add the apple ingredients to a small pot set to low heat for 5 minutes. mixing occasionally throughout. Turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner. Add the tapioca, tossing to coat for 1 minute, then add apple mixture on top of the partially-baked crust - try to arrange apples so they’re flat and evenly spread (you can lightly press down with a flat spatula).

4. Mix together the topping ingredients with your hands, then sprinkle on top of the apples. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

5. Let cool completely before cutting, then refrigerate to store in an air-tight container. Enjoy!