Gluten-Free Oatmeal Apricot Bars (Printable version)
Chewy bars featuring tender apricots and wholesome gluten-free oats
# 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 Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy removal.
02 - Combine chopped apricots, orange juice, honey, and lemon zest in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apricots soften and mixture becomes jammy. Cool slightly.
03 - In a large bowl, combine 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 fully combined and crumbly.
06 - Press two-thirds of oat mixture evenly into prepared pan.
07 - Spread apricot filling over oat base.
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 pan before lifting out and cutting into bars.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- The texture hits that perfect sweet spot between chewy and crumbly, like a cross between a cookie and granola bar
- These come together in under an hour with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry
02 -
- Letting the apricot filling cool before spreading prevents the warm mixture from melting the butter in the oat base, which can make the bars soggy
- Pressing the base firmly is crucial because gluten-free oats will not bind as tightly as wheat flour would
03 -
- Weighing your ingredients rather than using cup measures makes these bars infinitely more consistent
- Rubbing a little extra maple syrup along the cut edge of the parchment paper helps it stick to the pan and stay in place while you press the crumbly base