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Sugar-Free Apple Pie Bars (Gluten-Free)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Claudia Curici, Health Coach
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings (2 bars per serving)
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Romanian
  • Diet: Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free

Description

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.

Ingredients

For the apple filling

  • 3 cups grated apples, tightly packed, skin on (about 7 medium apples)
  • 2 tablespoons monk fruit sweetener, or preferred equivalent
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Ceylon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of nutmeg

For the dough

  • 1/2 cup sorghum flour, plus 5 to 6 tablespoons for kneading and dusting
  • 1/4 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/4 cup chestnut flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 100 grams (3.5 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and softened to room temperature
  • 1 pastured egg
  • 1/4 cup coconut cream
  • 1 tablespoon monk fruit sweetener, or preferred equivalent
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 organic lemon
  • Pinch of salt

For the egg wash

  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon hemp milk, or preferred milk

For finishing

  • Inulin powder or allulose, for dusting

Instructions

Make the apple filling

  1. Add the grated apples, sweetener, and lemon juice to a skillet. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid has evaporated.
  2. Stir in the cinnamon, allspice, vanilla, and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and allow the filling to cool while preparing the dough.

Make the dough

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sorghum flour, tapioca flour, chestnut flour, and baking powder.
  2. In a food processor or stand mixer, combine the softened butter, egg, coconut cream, sweetener, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt.
  3. Add the butter mixture to the dry ingredients. Fold with a spatula, then mix gently with your hands until a very soft, sticky dough forms.
  4. Add the extra sorghum flour 1 tablespoon at a time, gently kneading after each addition, until the dough is soft but no longer sticky. The finished dough should weigh approximately 500 grams.
  5. Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each into a ball. Wrap and refrigerate for 35 to 40 minutes, or until firm enough to roll.

Assemble and bake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare a sheet pan or baking tray that will accommodate an approximately 11 x 9 1/2-inch (28 x 24 cm) rectangle.
  2. Place one portion of dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Flatten it with your palms, then roll it into an approximately 11 x 9 1/2-inch (28 x 24 cm) rectangle.
  3. Remove the top sheet of parchment. Transfer the dough, still on the bottom sheet, to the baking pan. Dust lightly with sorghum flour and refrigerate while rolling the second portion of dough in the same way.
  4. Spread the cooled apple filling evenly over the bottom layer.
  5. Lightly dust the second pastry layer with sorghum flour. Carefully invert it over the filling and gently peel away the parchment. Patch any large breaks, but do not worry about small cracks. (If desired, before adding the apple filling, trim the uneven edges and use the excess dough to make decorative leaves.)
  6. Combine the egg yolk and hemp milk or your favorite milk, then brush the mixture over the top pastry.
  7. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden. Cool completely before slicing.
  8. Dust with inulin powder or allulose and cut into 16 squares.

Notes

Keep the rolled pastry cold while preparing the second layer. If the dough becomes too soft to handle, refrigerate it again briefly.

Small cracks in the top pastry are normal and contribute to the bars’ rustic appearance.

Store the bars in a covered container in the refrigerator for several days. They are especially good served cold (or at least this is my preference).

For a classic round pie, use a pie dish and consider preparing one additional cup of apple filling.

The dough can also be paired with a thick sugar-free raspberry jam or another cooked fruit filling.

Find it online: https://creativeinmykitchen.com/sugar-free-apple-pie-bars-gluten-free/