These easy Cherry Pie Crumble Bars taste like cherry pie and cherry crumble all in one! This gluten free and vegan recipe is the perfect healthy summer dessert.
This Cherry Pie Crumble Bars recipe took me five tries to get right. Count ’em 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
When I thought about making a Cherry Pie Crumble Bars recipe, I thought, pshhhhh man this will be easy. A little crumble, a little cherry, a little more crumble on top. No problemo (pats self on back).
Oh how my confidence brought me to my knees.
The final score was Cherry Pie Crumble Bars: 4, Laurel: 1.
BUT, that last win for Laurel, was the perfect most ideal delicious delightful ending, because these cherry pie bars are everything I was hoping for!
The first batch of Cherry Pie Crumble Bars was pretty tasty, but the bars were soggy. Not crumble-esque. Not pie-like enough. We had to keep on keeping on.
The second batch was baked on a 97 degree Monday. Let’s just take a moment to acknowledge ANYONE without air conditioning who can bake on a 97 degree day and not loose their minds. Because that is not me. After weathering only one single round of hot oven baking I had to blast myself with cold freezer air before retiring to the couch with a cold wash cloth for my forehead and the remote control in my hand.
Subsequent batches were all versions of this aforementioned saga, too crumble, too much cherry, not enough cherry, too sweet….
Until we hit the jackpot with recipe number 5. Sweet crumbly, caramelized dough hugged a slightly tart and deeply cherry-flavored filling. Come to mamma. Let’s just say there are no more bars from batch 5 laying around the house anymore.
But, if you are looking to feed an army, I have approximately 1/2 of my freezer space taken up by Cherry Pie Crumble Bars at the moment, and I am ready and willing to share. Or if you don’t have an army, but maybe you, or your mom, your second cousin, or the person who walks their dog in front of your house every Tuesday wants some Cherry Pie Crumble Bars, hit me up.
Or, just make this recipe. Promise, promise, you won’t regret it. Just not in the 97 degree heat, okay?
Cherry Pie Crumble Bars for everyone.
Cherry Pie Crumble Bars
-
Prep Time: 5 minutes
-
Cook Time: 40 minutes
-
Total Time: 45 minutes
-
Yield: 12 bars 1x
-
Category: Dessert
-
Cuisine: gluten-free, vegan
Description
These easy Cherry Pie Crumble Bars taste like cherry pie and cherry crumble all in one! This gluten free and vegan recipe is the perfect healthier summer dessert.
Ingredients
For the crumble dough:
- 3/4 cup chopped almonds OR walnuts
- 2 cups gluten free oat flour
- 1 cup gluten free quick oats ((gluten free if needed))
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
For the Cherry Pie Filling:
- 4 cups sour cherries
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Spread the almonds out on a sheet tray. Bake for 7 minutes or until fragrant and golden. Set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the oat flour, quick oats and salt. Add in the maple syrup and coconut oil. Use your hands to pinch the mixture together and thoroughly incorporate the coconut oil. The mixture should hold together when pinched and there should be no stray flour in the bottom of the bowl. Add in the walnuts, and knead to combine. Press 2/3 of this mixture into your prepared pan, pressing down to get rid of any cracks and form one solid piece. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
- While the bottom crust is baking, add the frozen cherries into a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the cherries are defrosted and the sauce is simmering. Use a potato masher to gently break the cherries into smaller pieces. Remove from the heat and add in the arrowroot starch mixture. Return to the heat and bring back to a simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Pour the cherry mixture over the baked crust and sprinkle on the remaining crumble. Bake, uncovered, for 14 to 18 minutes more, until the topping is lightly firm to the touch. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 45 to 60 minutes. Lift out the slab and slice it into squares or bars. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for several days, or wrapped up and stored in the freezer.
Notes
If you cant find gluten free quick oats, you can pulse regular gluten free rolled oats
in the food processor until they are partially broken down.
If you can’t find gluten free oat flour, you can process any gluten free oats
in a food processor until a fine flour forms.
Nichole Launder says
I need to make this for my mom! She loves Cherry crumbles but this healthy alternative will be perfect for her!
Laurel says
I hope she LOVES it!