Sugar-Free Apple Pie Bars (Gluten-Free)

These sugar-free apple pie bars are made with a generous layer of warmly spiced apples between two thin layers of tender, buttery gluten-free pastry. The grated apples are gently cooked with cinnamon, vanilla, allspice, nutmeg, and lemon until soft and almost jammy, while sorghum and chestnut flours give the pastry a delicate, slightly nutty flavor. Inspired by the layered apple cake I grew up eating in Romania, these bars are rustic, comforting, and especially lovely with coffee or tea on a cool fall day.

My favorite childhood apple cake, but healthier

There are two desserts I consider my Proustian madeleines: crêpes (which I already transformed into gluten-free crêpes) and this layered apple cake. Their smell, flavor, and texture immediately bring back memories of my childhood and my mom’s cooking.

In Romania, this dessert is commonly known as prăjitură cu mere, which translates simply as “apple cake.” Rather than a conventional cake batter, it is made with two layers of pastry and a soft grated-apple filling in between. Similar layered pastries are also popular in Denmark, where they are often cut into squares or slices.

In English, you might describe this dessert as apple shortcake, apple slices, apple squares, or apple pie bars. Whatever the name, the combination is simple and comforting: tender pastry, a thick layer of spiced apples, and just enough sweetness to bring everything together.

I wanted to recreate the dessert I remembered without added sugar, and make it gluten-free and lectin-free. This version uses a combination of sorghum, tapioca, and chestnut flours for the pastry, while monk fruit sweetener enhances the apples’ natural sweetness.

What makes these apple pie bars different

Unlike many apple pie bars, these do not have a crumble or streusel topping. The cooked apple filling is completely enclosed between two rolled layers of pastry, creating three distinct layers in every square.

The grated apples soften and meld together as they cook, giving the center an almost jammy consistency while still retaining a little texture. Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, vanilla, and lemon add warmth and brightness without overwhelming the apple flavor.

The pastry is tender and lightly crumbly rather than flaky. Chestnut flour complements the natural sweetness of the apples, sorghum provides structure, and tapioca helps bind the gluten-free dough.

Ingredients you’ll need

For the apple filling

Use flavorful apples and grate them with the skin on. They are gently cooked with lemon juice and monk fruit sweetener (or allulose) until their liquid has evaporated, then finished with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and vanilla.

For the pastry

The dough is made with sorghum, tapioca, and chestnut flours, along with butter, egg, coconut cream, baking powder, vanilla, and lemon zest. Extra sorghum flour is added gradually until the initially sticky mixture becomes soft and manageable.

Because gluten-free flours absorb moisture differently, use only as much of the extra sorghum flour as needed. The dough should be soft but no longer sticky; chilling will make it much easier to roll.

How to make sugar-free apple pie bars

Prepare the apple filling

Grate the apples with the skin on, then add them to a skillet with the sweetener and lemon juice. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid has evaporated.

Add the cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, and nutmeg at the end. Stir well, remove the skillet from the heat, and allow the filling to cool while you make the dough. The filling should be cool before the bars are assembled so it does not soften the pastry.

Mix and chill the dough

Combine the sorghum, tapioca, and chestnut flours with the baking powder in a large mixing bowl.

Separately, use a food processor or stand mixer to combine the softened butter, egg, coconut cream, sweetener, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula, then bring everything together with your hands. At this stage, the dough will be very soft and sticky.

Add the extra sorghum flour one tablespoon at a time, kneading gently after each addition, until the dough is soft but no longer sticky. Divide it into two equal portions, shape each one into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate for 35 to 40 minutes.

Roll the pastry layers

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Place one portion of chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Begin flattening it with your palms, then roll it into an approximately 11 x 9 1/2-inch (28 x 24 cm) rectangle. Remove the upper sheet of parchment and transfer the dough, still resting on the bottom sheet, to the baking pan. Lightly dust the surface with sorghum flour and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the second layer.

Roll the remaining dough into a rectangle of approximately the same size, using the same method. Keep it somewhere cool until you are ready to assemble the bars.

Assemble the three layers

Spread the cooled apple filling evenly over the bottom pastry, taking it almost to the edges.

Lightly dust the second sheet of dough with sorghum flour, then carefully invert it over the apple filling. Slowly peel away the parchment paper. Do not worry about a few cracks or irregular edges—the pastry has a naturally rustic appearance, and small cracks will also form as it bakes.

If desired, trim the edges and use the scraps to make pastry leaves for decorating the top.

Bake and cool

Mix the egg yolk with the hemp milk and brush it over the top pastry. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the surface is golden.

Allow the apple pie bars to cool completely before slicing. The pastry and filling will continue to settle as they cool, so cutting them too early may make the layers difficult to separate neatly.

Finish with a light dusting of inulin powder before serving.

Serving and storage

Cut the cake into 16 squares. One square makes a small sweet treat, while two bars are a more substantial dessert serving.

These apple pie bars are especially good after chilling, when the filling is firm and the flavors have had time to settle. Store them in a covered glass container in the refrigerator for several days. Serve cold or allow them to come closer to room temperature, with coffee or warm tea. For a more indulgent dessert, add a scoop of sugar-free vanilla ice cream.

The same dough and layering method can also be used with a thick sugar-free raspberry jam or another cooked fruit filling.

If you would prefer a traditional round pie, you can assemble the pastry and apple filling in a pie dish. As you suggested in the original post, that version may benefit from an additional cup of filling.

For more gluten-free apple desserts, try my Apple Galette with Hazelnut Crumble or Easy Gluten-Free Apple Cake.

If you want to learn more about my sugar-free journey and alternative sweeteners I use in my cooking, you can check this article: How I Quit Sugar 5 Years Ago. And I Still Eat the Cake.

This recipe is part of our 10+ Sorghum Flour Recipe Round-Up.

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