Xanthan Gum Free Honey-Pear Crumble Bars
These bars hit that perfect sweet spot between a fruit pie and a shortbread cookie, with a buttery oat crust, a glossy honey-pear filling, and a golden crumble top that shatters just enough when you bite in. The filling comes together on the stovetop with ripe pears, honey, a touch of nutmeg, and a splash of apple cider vinegar that keeps everything bright and balanced — no cloying sweetness here. Tapioca starch does the thickening work in both the crust and the filling, so the whole recipe holds together beautifully without any gums or additives that can be tricky to source or digest. Rice flour and rolled oats round out the base, giving the crust real texture and a slightly nutty flavor that plays off the soft, jammy pears. Many gluten-free baked goods lean heavily on xanthan gum to mimic structure, but the combination of cold butter worked into the dry mix and tapioca starch proves you simply don't need it. Let them cool fully before cutting — the parchment overhang makes lifting the whole slab out of the pan genuinely satisfying, and you'll get clean, neat bars every time.
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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.
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