Ingredients
Oat Streusel
- 1/2 cup Kodiak Classic Rolled Oats 43g
- 1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar 67g, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup 1:1 gluten-free flour blend 31g
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter 56g, cold and cubed
Gluten-Free Shortbread Crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 113g, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon 1:1 gluten-free flour blend 133g
Apple Filling
- 2 large apples peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick, about 2 1/2 cups or 315g
- 2 tablespoons 1:1 gluten-free flour blend 16g
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 25g
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For Serving
- salted caramel sauce homemade or store-bought, for drizzling
- flaky sea salt optional
Equipment
- 8-inch Square Baking Pan
- Pastry Cutter or Two Forks
Method
- Make the streusel first. Combine the Kodiak rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and gluten-free flour in a medium bowl.
- Cut in the cold cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Refrigerate the streusel while preparing the crust and apple filling.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift the bars out later.
- For the crust, stir together the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Add the gluten-free flour and mix until combined.
- Press the crust mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake at 300°F for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges.
- While the crust bakes, toss the sliced apples with the gluten-free flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly coated.
- Remove the crust from the oven and increase the temperature to 350°F.
- Layer the apple mixture tightly over the warm crust and gently press into an even layer.
- Remove the streusel from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the apples without packing it down.
- Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes, or until the streusel is golden and the apples are tender.
- Cool the bars at room temperature for at least 20 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the chilled bars from the pan. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 12–16 bars.
- Drizzle with salted caramel sauce and finish with flaky sea salt, if desired.
Notes
Flour: Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour intended to replace all-purpose flour. Other gluten-free flours such as almond or coconut flour are not direct substitutes.
Oats: Kodiak Classic Rolled Oats were used in this version. Verify the product labeling if preparing the bars for someone who requires strict gluten-free ingredients.
Apples: Use firm baking apples and slice them approximately 1/4 inch thick.
Streusel: Keep the streusel refrigerated until assembly so the butter stays cold and the topping remains crumbly while baking.
Chilling: Refrigerate the baked bars for at least 2 hours before slicing for the cleanest squares.
Caramel: Add caramel after chilling and cutting rather than before storage.
Storage: Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. For freezing, freeze without caramel and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.