Vegan no bake apple crumb bars have a soft and sweet crust and a crunchy crumble topping. They’re gluten free and fruit sweetened, and made with just 7 healthy ingredients, no oven required!
A few weeks ago Joe and I went apple picking, and got approximately 25 pounds of sweet, crisp, wonderful apples. I started with these apple pie-inspired breakfast cookies, and when I shared those, I told you guys how I don’t normally (ever) choose apple as a primary flavor for my desserts.
Well friends, today I’m eating those words, in the heavenly form of vegan no bake apple crumb bars.
Joe and I took a quick trip to Chicago a few weekends ago, and ate at a little place called Chicago Raw. They have a super diverse menu of all kinds of raw bites and entrees, and of course, sweets. Because we visited in September, I was totally getting into the start of the fall season. So instead of going with my typical choice (chocolate, always), we decided to split the raw apple pie for dessert. It was love at first bite, the flavor was SO fall, and I devoured it faster than I’d like to admit.
From the moment I had finished it, I knew I wanted to create my own version for the blog. I fully expected to have to test this recipe multiple times to get it just right, but it came out amazing on the first try! Just another sign for me to give apples a chance at dessert.
So, allow me show you how to make fall in a bar.
Ingredients for vegan no bake apple crumb bars
- Raw almonds: almonds are the base of the crust, and give a nice nutty flavor and healthy fats.
- Medjool dates: dates give the base of the bars natural sweetness, and the sticky texture helps hold it together.
- Vanilla extract: vanilla gives the crust flavor.
- Cinnamon: cinnamon is a must with apples, the warming spice is such a great complement to the other flavors going on.
- Raw walnuts: raw walnuts are the base of the crumb topping, they give great crunchy texture and healthy fats.
- Apples: you’ll cut the apple into small pieces, and it will go into the crumb topping for great flavor and texture.
- Lemon juice: lemon juice balances out the sweetness and spice going on.
Tips for making vegan no bake apple crumb bars
- The crust mixture will be sticky but a bit crumbly. After blending, the crust mixture will still be a little crumbly, but when you pour it into the pan and press with your hands, it should form and stick together into a crust.
- Don’t blend the crumb topping too much. Instead, pulse it 10-20 times, until everything is roughly chopped. Basically, you just want the dates and nuts cut up a bit, but we still want everything big enough to provide some incredible crunchy texture.
- Use a silicone pan for easy removal. I use an 8×8 square silicone pan for super easy removal after freezing, and highly recommend that. If you don’t have a silicone pan, use some parchment paper to line the pan so it’s easy to lift the bars out.
- Freeze the bars to set. The bars need to be frozen for 2 hours (or longer) to set up. They’re pretty delicate even after freezing, so don’t skip this step.
These vegan no bake apple crumb bars BLEW ME AWAY. Seriously, guys, I am NOT typically an apple gal when it comes to desserts, but these are a game changer. Plus, they’re perfect for those days you want a treat but don’t want to bother with the oven.
Sweet, spiced, and the perfect combination of soft and crunchy textures, these are a MUST TRY. I know this won’t be the last time I make them this fall.
Xo,
Sara
Vegan No Bake Apple Crumb Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 8 medjool dates
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Crumb topping
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 4 medjool dates
- 1 cup apple, chopped into small pieces
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions
- To make the crust, combine all the crust ingredients in a food processor and blend until almost totally mixed. It should be slightly crumbly when poured out, but should be sticky enough to hold together when pressed into the bottom of the pan. If it's too dry, add another date, if it's too wet and sticky, add a few more almonds.
- Spread the crust mixture evenly across the bottom of a parchment-lined or nonstick square pan, and freeze while you make the crumb topping.
- To make the crumb topping, add all the ingredients to the food processor.
- Do NOT blend, instead press pulse 10-20 times. We want this mixture to be roughly chopped, and to still have large pieces of nuts and apple for texture. Once you've pulsed enough so that the dates are broken up into small pieces, spread this mixture over the crust and freeze for 2 hours.
- Cut the bars carefully to serve – they're delicate, so be careful when cutting. These are best enjoyed with a fork rather than picking up with your hands, so you don't lose all the crumbs.
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