Gluten-Free Oatmeal Apricot Bars (Printable)
Chewy bars featuring dried apricots and 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
# 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.
# Cooking Tips:
01 -
- The combination of tender oats and almond flour creates a texture thats satisfyingly substantial without being heavy
- That apricot filling strikes just the right balance between tart and sweet, making these bars addictive straight from the pan
02 -
- The filling must cool slightly before spreading, otherwise it melts the butter in the oat base and creates a soggy layer
- Pressing the dough firmly into the pan is crucial, otherwise the bars crumble apart when you try to cut them
03 -
- If your almond flour has been sitting in the pantry for months, give it a quick sniff, nut flours go rancid faster than you'd think
- Use kitchen shears to chop dried apricots, they're much easier than a knife and don't stick as much