Name: Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 2 h 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups oat flour (ground-up rolled oats); 1/2 cup almond meal/flour; 1 tablespoon flax meal; 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted; 2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons water; 2 apples, sliced thinly (I used Honeycrisp)*; 2 tablespoons coconut sugar; 1 tablespoon oat flour; 1 tablespoon applesauce; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional); 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats; 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped**; 2 tablespoons oat flour; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted; 2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/2 cup pitted dates, soaked in hot water; 1/3 cup almond milk or water; 1/2 teaspoon salt

How to make:

Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars

Make a batch of apple pie bars for the perfect shareable fall dessert! Plus, these Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars are vegan and gluten-free!

Prep Time:

1 hour 30 mins

Cook Time:

55 mins

Total Time:

2 hours 25 mins

Yield:

12-16 bars 1x

Rating: 5 from 2 reviews

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Ingredients

Crust:

1 1/2 cups oat flour (ground-up rolled oats)
1/2 cup almond meal/flour
1 tablespoon flax meal
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water

Filling:

2 apples, sliced thinly (I used Honeycrisp)*
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 tablespoon oat flour
1 tablespoon applesauce
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped**
2 tablespoons oat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel sauce:

1/2 cup pitted dates, soaked in hot water
1/3 cup almond milk or water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch x 8-inch baking pan with foil; lightly grease with non-stick spray.
Make the crust: In a large bowl, add oat flour, almond meal and flax meal. Stir to combine. Add coconut oil, maple syrup and salt; stir until ingredients are fully incorporated. Add water; mix well.
Press the crust evenly into the pan, slightly bringing the crust up on the sides. Make sure the crust is the same thickness throughout. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven; place in the fridge and cool for 10 minutes.
Make the filling: In the same large bowl, place the sliced apples, coconut sugar, oat flour, applesauce, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir until the ingredients evenly coat the apples. Evenly layer the apples on the baked crust; slightly press down to pack the apples in.
Make the topping: In the large bowl, add oats, pecans, oat flour, cinnamon and salt; stir to combine. Add melted oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir well until ingredients are fully incorporated. Sprinkle topping evenly on top of the layered apples.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the topping is lightly browned and crispy. Remove from the oven; let the bars sit in the pan for 30 minutes. Place in the fridge and let cool for at least 30 minutes.
Make the salted caramel sauce: In a blender, add soaked dates, milk and salt. Blend until smooth. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the bars. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

*I sliced the apples vertically about 1/8″ – 1/4″ thick and cut those slices in half. Cut out the core and seeds.
**You can use any nut you want, like walnuts or almonds. You can also use seeds if you’re nut-free.

Find it online: https://www.emilieeats.com/vegan-apple-pie-bars-gluten-free/