Caramel Apple Pie Bars

These Caramel Apple Pie Bars are gluten free, vegan, and absolutely decadent! They’re such a delicious fall treat – my favorite way to eat them is with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream and some coffee, because why not? 

We were inspired to create this recipe from one of our favorite recipes we made last Spring – these Raspberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars – which was one of our most popular recipes this year! The buttery oat crust is heavenly – it’s very difficult to refrain from eating it out of the mixing bowl.  

The vegan salted caramel is used both for the filling and as a finishing touch. While there are a few great vegan caramel brands we love to use, it’s also super easy to make homemade. You can try our recipe here! 

I’d imagine this recipe would make a great pie, but we prefer bars – they’re easier to serve and store, especially if you’re serving a large crowd. We’re also obsessed with these Chocolate pecan caramel shortbread bars…they would be great to serve together at a holiday gathering, and quite honestly, I doubt anyone would know that they’re gluten free & vegan!

Caramel Apple Pie Bars

• Author: Lexi
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 9–12 bars 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Oven

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Description

Much easier to make than homemade apple pie, these caramel apple pie bars are a delicious way to use up seasonal apples.

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

Crust/topping:

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup sweet rice flour
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 coconut sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 cup dairy free butter, chilled and cut into pieces
• 4 tbsp creamy almond butter

Apple pie filling:

• 5 cups peeled and diced apples
• 2 tbsp cane sugar
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• Pinch nutmeg
• Pinch salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup vegan caramel (store bought or homemade) + more for topping

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. To make crust, combine all ingredients except butter and almond butter in food processor and pulse until well combined. Add butter and almond butter and continue to pulse until it forms a coarse crumble.
3. Press 1/2 of mixture into pan. Reserve rest of mixture for topping.
4. To make filling, add apples, sugar, maple syrup and lemon juice to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until fragrant and slightly softened. Add spices and arrowroot powder and bring to a simmer. Stir often until apples are completely softened and mixture has thickened.
5. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Spread filling over crust in an even layer, then drizzle with vegan caramel, then add remaining crumble topping.
6. Bake for 30-32 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.
7. Serve with more vegan caramel and some vanilla ice cream!

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Notes

Arrowroot powder is a pantry staple in our house – similar to cornstarch, it helps thicken this apple pie filling. You can find it at most specialty food stores.