Gluten-Free Oatmeal Apricot Bars (Printable Version)
Chewy bars with tender apricots and hearty oats, ready in 45 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
02 - 1 cup almond flour
03 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
07 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
08 - 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
09 - 1 large egg, room temperature
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Filling
11 - 1 1/2 cups dried apricots, chopped
12 - 1/3 cup orange juice
13 - 2 tablespoons honey
14 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine chopped dried apricots, orange juice, honey, and lemon zest. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apricots are soft and the mixture is jammy. Let cool slightly.
03 - In a large bowl, mix together gluten-free oats, almond flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
04 - In another bowl, whisk melted butter, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
05 - Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until well combined and crumbly.
06 - Press about two-thirds of the oat mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
07 - Spread the apricot filling over the base layer.
08 - Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the apricot layer. Gently press down.
09 - Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
10 - Cool completely in the pan before lifting out and slicing into bars.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The texture walks this perfect line between chewy and tender, thanks to the almond flour and oat combination that took me forever to get right
- These bars keep remarkably well, making them ideal for busy weekday breakfasts or afternoon snack attacks
02 -
- Pressing the base layer firmly is crucial or the bars will fall apart when you try to cut them
- The filling must cool slightly before spreading or it will make the base layer soggy
03 -
- Toasting the oats for 5 minutes before mixing adds a nutty depth that makes these taste professionally made
- Using room temperature ingredients prevents the melted butter from seizing and creating lumps