Paraben Free Maple-Ginger Pear Crumble Bars
Warm spiced pears, golden oat crumble, and a double hit of pure maple syrup — these bars are the kind of thing that disappears fast at any gathering. The filling comes together in a single saucepan, where fresh ginger and butter coax the diced pears into a glossy, jam-like layer that smells absolutely incredible. Tapioca starch does the thickening work in both the crust and the filling, keeping everything clean and free from synthetic additives that can sneak into conventional baking mixes and thickeners. Rice flour gives the base a tender, slightly crisp bite that holds up beautifully when you slice the bars, no crumbling chaos required. For anyone navigating ingredient sensitivities tied to preservatives and synthetic compounds, building from scratch with whole, recognizable pantry staples is exactly the right move — and every ingredient here earns its place. The parchment sling trick makes lifting and slicing a breeze, so you get clean, bakery-worthy bars without any fuss. Serve them at room temperature or slightly warm, and don't be surprised when the pan is empty before you've had a second one.
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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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