The Best Paleo Apple Pie Bars (gluten-free & vegan)

These are the best paleo apple pie bars! They have a flaky shortbread crust, a cinnamon spiced apple pie filling and are topped with a rich and creamy caramel sauce. They are the perfect fall treat that are also gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan!

Table of Contents

• Why you will love this recipe:
• Ingredients and substitutions:
• How to make (step-by-step):
• Tips and variations:
• How to serve:
• How to store: 
• Frequently asked questions:
• Other desserts you will love:
• Recipe

Why you will love this recipe:

• These gluten-free apple pie bars are so delicious! They have a flaky, buttery shortbread crust, a cinnamon spiced apple pie layer and are then drizzled in the most rich and creamy caramel!
• These bars taste just like a classic apple pie but are so much easier to make.
• These bars can be served warm or cold and keep really well in the fridge so they are great for meal prep.
• Besides being paleo these apple bars are also gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan and refined sugar free. Because they are made with almond flour they are also high in protein with 7 grams of protein per bar.
• These bars are a great dessert to serve anytime but they are also be perfect to serve for Thanksgiving or Christmas. 

If you love apple pie bars you will also love apple pie overnight oats!

Ingredients and substitutions:

• Almond flour - this is used to make the shortbread crust on these bars. Be sure to use almond flour and not almond meal. You could swap this for cashew flour if you like.
• Coconut flour - to help give the crust the perfect crumbly texture. I do not recommend trying to swap this for another flour.
• Coconut oil - coconut oil is my favourite dairy free oil to bake with. It gives the crust on these apple bars the perfect texture. 
• Honey or maple syrup (use maple syrup for vegan) - to give these bars the perfect amount of sweetness while keeping them refined sugar free. 
• Apples - the star of this recipe! I recommend using any type of red sweet apples such as gala apples, honeycrisp apples, pink lady apples or ambrosia apples. I do not recommend using Granny Smith apples as they are not sweet enough. 
• Vanilla extract - to help make the most delicious rich and creamy caramel sauce for topping these pie bars.
• Ground cinnamon - to give these apple bars that perfect apple pie spice flavour.
• Sea salt - to help contrast the sweetness of this dessert.  
• Cashew butter - this is used to make the dreamy caramel drizzle that tops these bars. You can swap this for almond butter or sunflower seed butter. Just be sure to use smooth, unsweetened nut butter or seed butter for making these bars.

How to make (step-by-step):

To make the shortbread layer:

Step one:

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step two:

Now add all the crust ingredients to a bowl and blend well with a spoon or fork.

Step three:

Next line an 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish with parchment paper and transfer the crust mixture to the pan and press down with a spoon until you have an even layer.

Step four:

Then place the pan in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. While the crust is baking, move on to making the other layers. 

To make the apple pie filling:

Step one:

Place a pot or large frying pan on the stove on medium heat and add the coconut oil. Once the oil is melted, add the other ingredients. 

Step two:

Then cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples are the consistency you desire. Next make the caramel layer.

To make the caramel layer and assemble the bars:

Step one:

Place all the caramel ingredients into a large bowl and stir well until it’s smooth.

Step two:

Pour approximately 3/4 of the caramel over the baked shortbread crust, and spread evenly until smooth.

Step three:

Then using a slotted spoon, spoon the apples over the caramel sauce. 

Step four:

Drizzle the remaining caramel sauce over the apples. Then place the pan in the freezer for 1-2 hours to let the bars harden. 

Step five:

Remove the pan from the freezer and cut the bars into desired sized pieces. Then serve and enjoy!

Tips and variations:

• If you don't feel like peeling the apples you don't have to.
• Instead of cashew butter you can use almond butter or sunflower seed butter.
• These bars can be served warm or cold.
• To make these into salted caramel apple bars sprinkle the bars with a little coarse sea salt before placing them in the freezer to harden. 
• When you take them out of the freezer to cut, let them warm up for a couple minutes to make cutting them easier. 

How to serve:

These dessert bars are delicious served on their own, either warm or cold, but if you want to take them up a notch consider topping them with vanilla ice cream, vanilla yogurt, or coconut whipped cream.

How to store: 

Store these bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. 

These bars also freeze really well in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months.

Frequently asked questions:

Other desserts you will love:

• Turtle Bars
• Paleo Blueberry Cheesecake
• Paleo Chocolate Donuts
• Paleo Lemon Cranberry Bars
• Paleo Brownies with Caramel

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Recipe