Apple Crumble Oat Bars.
These Apple Crumble Oat Bars are delicious served warm with a big dollop of custard, or cooled and sliced into bars for lunchboxes or work or snacks on the go. They’re high in fibre and naturally protein-rich — so they are just as good for breakfast as they are for dessert.
On top of that, they’re a real gut-health powerhouse. You’ve got stewed apples with their skins on for extra fibre, ginger, chia seeds, oats, nuts, seeds, and sultanas — all minimally processed, all adding to your plant diversity, and all feeding your gut in the best way.
But most importantly, they taste amazing. My Beta Testing Squad went mad for them, and after a few little tweaks, I think we’ve nailed it. Enjoy!
Ingredients.
Apple Filling:
4 Granny Smith apples
Around 50g fresh ginger, if you’re not a big ginger fan, you may wish to reduce this slightly
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp vanilla extract
150ml (⅔ cup) water
2 tbsp chia seeds, or flax/hemp
75g (½ cup) sultanas, i like the juicy golden variety but use whatever you can get your hands on
Juice of half a lemon
Oat Base & Topping:
200g (2 cups) porridge oats
40g (⅓ cup) mixed nuts and seeds, e.g. chopped hazelnuts, flaked almonds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds etc
60g (¼ cup) smooth peanut butter
80g (¼ cup) maple syrup
50g (3 tbsp) melted coconut oil
1 egg white
2 pinches of salt
1-2 tbsp demerara sugar
Equipment.
saucepan with a lid
9x9 square tin / 10x6 small rectangular tin
baking/parchment paper
Method.
Preheat your oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional / 390°F. Line a square (9x9) or small rectangular (10x6) baking tin with baking paper.
Make the apple filling: Cut the apples into small chunks (about 1-2cm), discarding the cores. Finely chop the ginger. No need to peel the apples or the ginger.
Add the apples, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, and water to a saucepan.
Simmer over medium heat with the lid on for about 10-12 minutes, until the apples are soft and broken down. Keep an eye on it and add a splash of water if it starts to catch on the bottom of the pan. It should be moist but not soupy.
Oat base & topping: Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the oats, nuts/seeds, peanut butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, egg white, and salt until well combined and sticky.
Press two-thirds of the mixture firmly into the base of the lined baking tin.
Remove the cooked apples from the heat and stir in the chia seeds, sultanas, and lemon juice.
Spoon the apple filling over the base and spread it out evenly.
Crumble over the remaining oat mixture on top, then gently press it down with your hands to help it stick.
Top & score: Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and score the top layer with a sharp knife however you want to divide them up later. (either 6-8 squares, or 10-12 bars, depending on your tin and your appetite!).
Bake: Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on top.
Serve: Remove from the tray and slice into squares/bars. Enjoy warm with Greek yoghurt, custard or ice cream, or let it cool and enjoy as on-the-go snacks. They’ll keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
