Gluten-Free Oatmeal Apricot Bars (Printable View)
Chewy bars featuring tender apricots and wholesome gluten-free oats, ideal for breakfast or snacking.
# What You'll 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
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat 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 apricots are soft and mixture is jammy. Let cool slightly.
03 - In a large bowl, combine gluten-free oats, almond flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk melted butter, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.
05 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until well combined and crumbly.
06 - Press about two-thirds of the oat mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
07 - Spread apricot filling over the base layer.
08 - Crumble remaining oat mixture over apricot layer. Gently press down.
09 - Bake for 25–30 minutes until top is golden brown.
10 - Cool completely in the pan before lifting out and slicing into bars.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The jammy apricot filling strikes that perfect balance between sweet and tangy, without being cloying
- They come together in under an hour but taste like you spent all afternoon baking
- Glutenfree or not, nobody will miss the wheat thanks to the almond flour and oats
02 -
- Press the base layer firmly and evenly, or you'll end up with crumbly bars that fall apart when you try to slice them
- Let the apricot filling cool slightly before spreading, otherwise it can make the oat layer underneath soggy
- These bars must cool completely before cutting, or you'll end up with a messy situation instead of clean squares
03 -
- For extra texture, toast half the oats in a dry skillet for 5 minutes before mixing them into the dough
- If the dough feels too dry to press into the pan, add one teaspoon of water at a time until it holds together