Barley Free Honey-Pear Crumble Bars
These bars are the kind of thing you pull out of the oven and immediately want to eat straight from the pan — golden, crumbly on top, and filled with a glossy honey-pear center that smells like autumn in the best possible way. The filling comes together in a saucepan with ripe pears, honey, a touch of nutmeg, and a splash of apple cider vinegar that brightens everything up beautifully. Instead of all-purpose or wheat-based flours, the base relies on rice flour and tapioca starch, which means the crust stays tender and holds together without any barley-derived ingredients sneaking in. That's a real win when so many baked goods — especially oat-based ones — can be tricky territory for anyone avoiding barley. Cold butter worked into the dry mixture creates those irresistible clumpy crumbs that bake up crisp and buttery, while the parchment overhang makes lifting and slicing a breeze. Cut into nine generous squares, they're equally at home on a dessert plate or wrapped up for an on-the-go snack.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
Learn more →Ingredients
9 servings
For the crust and crumble
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- ¾ cup rice flour
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cut into ½-inch cubes
For the pear filling
- 3 medium ripe pears (about 1 ½ lb), peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two opposite sides to use as handles for lifting the bars out later.
- 2
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, rice flour, tapioca starch (the crust-and-crumble portion), granulated sugar, and fine sea salt until evenly combined. Scatter the cold butter cubes over the dry mixture and work them in with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse, clumpy crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining — do not work it until smooth.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!