These flourless oatmeal pecan apple bars are a healthy and easy dessert recipe perfect for fall! It is a mix between apple pie and crisp, but in a more practical grab-and-go shape that’s perfect for meal prep too.
The crust is made with oats and without flour and the filling is apples, pecans and some dark brown sugar. Keep it mind that the pecan apple bars are pretty crumbly, so eat them either over a plate or the sink. Yes, that’s what we do!
Oatmeal Pecan Apple Bars Ingredients
Apples. Use whichever kind of apples you have – just make sure they’re on the sweeter side and not sour.
Pecans. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with pecans. I love to put them on top of my yogurt with some honey and fruit. So good. Naturally, I got a lot of pecans at home now and I decided they’d be great in the filling of the bars as well!
Oats. They are the main ingredient in the crust and the topping of the bars. I prefer baking with oats rather than flour, as they’re naturally gluten-free and have more fiber.
Maple syrup and dark brown sugar. The syrup is for the crust, the sugar is for the filling. Can also use maple syrup for both.
Cinnamon. Can’t make anything apple-related without cinnamon! These oatmeal apple bars are no exception.
Coconut oil. You can also use butter if you have some. I love desserts with butter, but I rarely buy it and always seem to have coconut at hand.
How To Make The Oatmeal Pecan Apple Bars
Start making the oatmeal pecan apple bars by peeling and chopping some apples.
Sauté the chopped apples with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and some coconut oil, stir to coat the apples well. Add a tablespoon of water and stir again. Then cover the pan and keep cooking at lower heat for about 3-4 more minutes, not longer.
Thinly chop or pulse the pecans.
Add them to a mixing bowl with the sauteed apples, dark brown sugar and the rest of the cinnamon.
Blend 1/4 of the mixture, making sure the sugar dissolves completely. Then mix everything – the filling for the apple oat bars is ready.
For the crust and topping, add melted coconut, maple syrup, a pinch of salt, a little bit of water and the ground oats to a bowl.
Mix until you get a crumbly mixture that sticks together (it shouldn’t be too sticky though!).
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
Next, spread about 2/3 of the oat dough in a small baking pan, lined with parchment paper.
Press it firmly to shape the bottom layer of the bars.
Then spread the filling evenly on top.
Then flatten the rest of the crust between your hands (you can also try rolling it). But I basically divided it into 3 large chunks and I pressed each firmly between my hads to make flat. Then add each piece on top of the filling.
Bake for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool off and cut into bars.
A Warning & Suggestion
Keep in mind that the bars will need to stay in the fridge for a few hours to firm up, so that you can safely hold them in your hands. However, if you can’t wait, treat it like pie or crumble. Just place a piece on a plate and enjoy with some yogurt or ice cream while it’s still nice and warm!
More Healthy Apple Recipes
I hope you enjoy these healthy pecan apple bars when you try them, they’re definitely one of my favorite healthy fall desserts. For more healthy recipes with apples, check out these:
Oatmeal Pecan Apple Bars
These flourless oatmeal pecan apple bars are a healthy and easy dessert recipe! Perfect for fall and holidays, this meal prep recipe is a mix between apple pie and crisp, but in a more practical shape.
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 1/2 cups oats, ground
- 1/3 cup and 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Filling
- 1 2/3 cup apples (3 small apples or 2 medium sized)
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 cup pecans, ground
- 2 tbsp dark brown or coconut sugar
Instructions
- Start making the oatmeal apple pecan bars by peeling and chopping some apples.
- Saute the chopped apples with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and some coconut oil, stir to coat the apples well. Add a tablespoon of water and stir again. Then cover the pan and keep cooking at lower heat for about 3-4 more minutes, not longer.
- Thinly chop or pulse the pecans and add them to a mixing bowl with the sauteed apples, dark brown sugar and the rest of the cinnamon. Blend 1/4 of the mixture, making sure the sugar dissolves completely. Then mix everything – the filling for the apple oat bars is ready.
- For the crust and topping, add melted coconut, maple syrup, a pinch of salt, a little bit of water and the ground oats to a bowl. Mix until you get a crumbly mixture that sticks together (it shouldn’t be too sticky though!).
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
- Next, spread about 2/3 of the oat dough in a small baking pan, lined with parchment paper. Press it firmly to shape the bottom layer of the bars.
- Then spread the filling evenly on top.
- Then flatten the rest of the crust between your hands (you can also try rolling it). But I basically divided it into 3 large chunks and I pressed each firmly between my hads to make flat. Then add each piece on top of the filling.
- Bake for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool off and cut into bars.
Notes
Keep in mind that the apple bars will need to stay in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to firm up, so that you can safely hold them in your hands (otherwise they're too crumbly).
However, if you can’t wait, treat the recipe like pie or crumble. Just place a piece on a plate and enjoy with some yogurt or ice cream while it’s still nice and warm!
Originally published in March 2024, last updated in September 2025.