Coconut Free Honey-Pear Crumble Bars

Total time1 hr 30 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time40 min

4.9

(9)

These bars hit that perfect sweet spot between a fruit pie and a shortbread cookie, with a buttery oat crust that doubles as a golden, crumbly topping. The pear filling is cooked down on the stovetop with honey, a touch of nutmeg, and a splash of apple cider vinegar until it turns glossy and jam-like — deeply fragrant and just tart enough to keep things interesting. Rice flour and tapioca starch do the heavy lifting in the crust, giving it a tender, slightly crisp texture without any wheat or grain-based fillers. Many crumble bars and fruit desserts sneak in coconut oil or shredded coconut as a shortcut, but this recipe relies entirely on cold unsalted butter for that irresistible, flaky crumb — no substitutions needed. The whole thing comes together in one bowl and one saucepan, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying the smell of caramelized pear drifting through your kitchen. Let them cool fully before cutting and you'll get clean, sturdy bars that hold their shape beautifully — perfect for a lunchbox, a dessert plate, or honestly just eating over the sink.

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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.

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