Apple Bars

It’s apple season! Or at least the start of it. My super generous friend let my kiddos and I come pick apples from her apple tree. We ended up with 3 huge bags. We made our favorite “Open Face Apple Pie” and we also decided to try a new recipe or a twist on one we already make. I usually make strawberry rhubarb bars in the summer. The rhubarb season is over though so we thought it would be fun to try and make some apple bars instead. I pretty much used the same bar recipe except we subbed apples for the strawberries and rhubarb and added a couple more dates to sweeten it up. You may want to use less dates if you have store bough apples (it’s up to you). These apples were a bit tart, so we added some extra sweet with the dates.

Here is how we made them.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup organic oat flour (you can buy it online or make your own in the food processor by blending up oats into flour)

1 super ripe banana

3 dates

2-3 TSP coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/8 tsp sea salt

optional: 1/2 cup collagen (I buy mine cheapest at Thrive Market)

Filling:

About 6 apples

8 dates (pitted and chopped)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

optional but creates a nice texture: 1-2 TBS gelatin (I buy mine cheapest at Thrive Market)

Crumble Topping:

1/2 cup organic oats (super inexpensive at Thrive Market)

2 TBS oat flour

2 TBS salted grass fed butter (you can use coconut oil for a dairy free option)

pinch of sea salt (may need to add more if you replace butter with coconut oil)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Prepare an 8×8 square Pyrex glass dish with a sheet of parchment paper.
3. In a food processor blend 3 dates then add your super ripe banana and blend together.
4. Add oats, sea salt, collagen (if using), and vanilla extract. Blend completely.
5. Add 2 TBS coconut oil and blend. If the mixture seems dry add another TBS coconut oil.
6. Spread the “crust” batter evenly in your 8×8 parchment paper lined Pyrex dish.
7. Cook in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.
8. While your crust is cooking prepare the sauce.
9. Peal your apples and cut them up. Place all except the peel and core in a food processor. Add your pitted dates to the processor and blend until smooth like apple sauce.
10. Put your blended apple sauce in a pot on the stove. Add gelatin (if using) and cook over medium heat stirringin the gelatin until smooth. Heat until hot but don’t boil. I cooked mine for about 5-10 minutes. Keep stirring so that the bottom does not burn.
11. Turn off the heat, remove from burner and stir in vanilla extract.
12. Once your crust is done cooking take it out and reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees.
13. Spread the apple sauce evenly over the crust.
14. Set this aside to make your crumble topping.
15. Place 1/2 cup oats, 2 TBS oat flour, 2 TBS grass fed salted butter (or coconut oil), pinch of sea salt into a small bowl and use your hands to mash the butter and mix all the ingredients together completely.
16. Sprinkle the crumble top evenly over the layer of sauce.
17. Place the bars back into the 350 degree oven and cook for 15-20 more minutes (until the crumble top is slightly golden brown).
18. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 2 hours before serving.
19. Enjoy!

I have NO idea how long this will stay good because we gobble it up in less than 3 days. I store any that we don’t finish in the first setting in an air tight container in the fridge.

I hope you love this summer treat as much as my family does!

If you have any comments or questions feel free to comment in the section below.

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