There’s a particular smell in my kitchen that signifies the arrival of Autumn. And that’s apples bubbling away with cinnamon and a hint of cloves. These Apple and Nut Crumble Bars bottle that feeling into a portable, freezer-friendly bake. The gooey middle is sweetened by adding dates, but still slightly tart from the Bramley apples. The bars work just as well tucked into a lunchbox as they do warmed up and served with cream for dessert.
Why you’ll love these apple and nut crumble bars
Think of them as a portable crumble. We’ve got all the buttery, oaty, spiced comfort of a classic apple crumble. But they are sliceable, packable, and ready whenever a craving strikes. A layer of soft-cooked spiced apple sits sandwiched between two layers of nutty oat crumble. In every bite you get a bit of chew, a bit of crunch, and a bit of gooey fruit in the middle.
The bars are naturally sweetened with a touch of honey and chopped dates alongside the brown sugar, so they feel a little more wholesome than your average bar. But we’re not skimping on that cosy, spiced flavour Autumn baking is all about. I don’t have the sweetest tooth – I like the slightly tart tang of the Bramley apples. But feel free to up the sugar in the mix by 10g or so, or sprinkle some demerara sugar on the top for additional crunch.
Bramley apples – bang in season
Bramley apples are the star here – their sharpness and tendency to break down make them ideal for that soft, jammy middle layer. Warming spices (cinnamon, cloves, mixed spice) and a handful of dates and honey round things out, while a mix of nuts folded into the oat crumble adds texture on top and underneath.
Other similar recipes on the site
Here are some similar comforting bakes from the blog:
- Chocolate fudge cake
- Blackberry and lemon drizzle cake
- Carrot cake
- Flourless chocolate and pear cake
- Spiced butternut squash muffins
- Chocolate courgette brownies
Yes, definitely. These crumble bars work equally well with standard oats or gluten-free oats.
Bramley apples are ideal because they soften and break down into a jammy filling. A mix of Bramley with a firmer eating apple (like Braeburn or Granny Smith) will give you a bit more texture if you prefer your filling less smooth.
Any nuts you have on hand work well – a mix of macadamia, walnut, pecan, almonds, and hazelnut is good. You can also swap out some of the nuts for sunflower or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free version additional variety. Or all seeds if you need this to be nut-free.
In the fridge, the bars will last for 3 days. They also freeze well for up to 3 months. Slice before freezing so you can grab individual bars as needed, and let them defrost at room temperature or warm through in the oven and serve with a dollop of cream or ice cream!
Apple and Nut Crumble Bars
Equipment
- 20x20cm/8×8" square tin
Ingredients
- 500 g Bramley apples diced
- 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 with the apples and 1/2 with the crumble base
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp mixed spice
- 60 g dates chopped
- 1 tbsp honey
- 100 g butter
- 100 g soft brown sugar
- 250 g porridge oats gluten-free if needed
- 70 g chopped nuts of your choice
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Line a 20cm square tin with baking paper and heat the oven to 180 °C
- Roughly dice the apples into 2cm cubes.
- Put the diced apple, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the chopped dates, and 1 tablespoon of honey in a saucepan. Add roughly 2 tablespoons of water, bring to a bubbling simmer, cover and lower the heat, and cook until the edges of the apple soften – around 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a separate large saucepan, gently melt the butter and soft brown sugar over a low heat. Once melted, stir in the oats, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 50g of the chopped nuts, and the beaten egg.
- Once the crumble mix is thoroughly combined, tip 2/3 into the base of the tin and press down lightly with the back of a metal spoon. Next, pour your apple mix on top of the base, then dot the remaining 1/3 of the crumble mix on top of this. Finally, sprinkle with the remaining chopped nuts and press lightly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until nicely golden.
- Wait until completely cool before lifting the bake out of the tin and slicing as you wish – squares or rectangles!
Notes
- I like to use a mix of nuts – macadamia, walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts. It’s a great way to use up any small amounts you might have in the cupboard.
- The bars will stay in the fridge for 3 days
- They freeze well for up to 3 months, making a great ‘grab and go’ option for lunchboxes. Or warm through and serve with your favourite cream for dessert – instant apple crumble!