BHA & BHT Free Maple-Ginger Pear Crumble Bars
Warm spiced pears, fragrant fresh ginger, and a buttery oat crumble come together in a bar that feels like autumn in every single bite. The filling is cooked down on the stovetop until it turns glossy and jam-like, so every layer is perfectly balanced between tender fruit and golden, crumbly topping. What makes this recipe especially smart is that every ingredient is naturally free of synthetic preservatives — no processed shortening, no packaged mixes, no additives hiding in the pantry staples. Pure maple syrup does double duty as both sweetener and binder in the crust, while tapioca starch thickens the filling without any questionable additives. Rice flour keeps the base light and slightly crisp, and fresh ginger brings a clean, bright heat that store-bought versions simply can't replicate. If you've been frustrated trying to find baked goods you can trust at the grocery store, baking these bars from scratch puts you completely in control of what goes in. Slice them into nine generous squares and enjoy them as a snack, a dessert, or honestly, breakfast — no guilt, no guesswork.
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Learn more →Ingredients
9 servings
For the crust and crumble
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup rice flour
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup 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 pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
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 1/4 cup amount), baking powder, and salt. 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. Drizzle in the 1/3 cup maple syrup and stir with a fork until the mixture just comes together into a crumbly, slightly sticky dough.
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