Tree Nut Free Honey-Pear Crumble Bars
These bars hit that perfect sweet spot between a rustic fruit crumble and a handheld dessert you can actually pack in a lunchbox. Ripe pears get cooked down with honey, a touch of nutmeg, and a splash of apple cider vinegar until they turn glossy and jam-like — the kind of filling that smells like autumn and tastes even better. The base and topping come from the same buttery oat-and-rice-flour mixture, so you get a crisp, golden crumble on top and a sturdy, press-in crust on the bottom with barely any extra effort. Tapioca starch does double duty here, keeping the crust tender and thickening the filling to that perfect, spoonable consistency. Many packaged crumble bars and fruit pastries rely on almond flour or chopped walnuts for texture, but this recipe gets all its satisfying crunch from rolled oats and a cold-butter technique that creates those irresistible pea-sized clumps. Once fully cooled, the bars slice cleanly into nine neat squares — sturdy enough to hold their shape but soft and fragrant in every bite. They're the kind of thing that disappears fast off a cooling rack, so you may want to plan accordingly.
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!