Cherry Pie Bars with Oatmeal Crumble (gluten-free)
Beautiful cherry pie bars made with a homemade cherry filling and topped with a delicious oatmeal crumble. These gluten-free cherry bars are also vegan, chewy, and easy to make! The perfect way to use up fresh or frozen cherries.
Servings 16 servings
Calories 167cal
Ingredients
- For the crust and crumble:
- 1 ½ cups (138g) gluten-free oat flour (or sub all-purpose)
- 1 cup (95g) old-fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired
- ½ cup (107g) brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) butter or vegan buttery stick, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- For the filling:
- 3 heaping cups (420g) frozen tart cherries
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot starch, plus 1-2 teaspoons more if necessary
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper and generously spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Make the base + topping: In a large bowl, use a fork to mix together the oat flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add in melted butter, vanilla extract and almond extract and stir until a nice crumble forms and dough begins to clump together. Place 1 ½ cups of the mixture into the prepared pan and place the remaining mixture into the fridge (the remaining mixture will be used for the topping). Use your hands to evenly press the dough to the bottom of the pan.
- Next make your cherry pie filling: place a medium pot over medium heat. Add in tart cherries, maple syrup, almond extract, cornstarch (or arrowroot) and salt. Use a wooden spoon to press down and break down the cherries just a bit.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 5 more minutes until mixture is thickened up and nicely coats the back of a spoon without being too drippy. If it’s too drippy stir in 1-2 teaspoons more cornstarch or arrowroot.
- Pour mixture over the crust and use a spoon to evenly spread.
- Take the remaining topping out of the fridge. By now there should be some nice crumbles that have clumped together. Sprinkle the topping over the tart cherry filling. Bake for 30 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden.
- Allow bars to cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to the fridge to chill. Bars are delicious served at room temperature or straight out of the fridge. Use a sharp knife to cut into 16 bars before serving.
Notes
The bars are delicious served at room temperature or straight out of the fridge. After 1-2 days, transfer the bars to the fridge.
See the full post for tips, tricks, and ways to customize these cherry pie bars!
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 167cal | Carbohydrates: 24.3g | Protein: 2.4g | Fat: 6.9g | Saturated Fat: 3.6g | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 10.8g