Walnut Free Maple-Ginger Pear Crumble Bars
Warm spiced pears, a glossy maple-ginger filling, and a buttery oat crumble layered into a handheld bar — this is the kind of autumn baking that makes your kitchen smell absolutely incredible. The filling comes together on the stovetop, where fresh ginger and pure maple syrup coax the diced pears into a jammy, glossy consistency that sets beautifully between the layers. The crust and crumble do double duty here, using rolled oats, rice flour, and tapioca starch to create a texture that's tender and golden without relying on any nut-based ingredients. For anyone navigating tree nut concerns, crumble-style desserts can be a minefield — so many recipes default to chopped walnuts in the topping — but this one delivers all that satisfying crunch through the oat-and-butter mixture alone. The parchment sling makes lifting and slicing clean and easy, so you end up with nine neat bars that hold their shape and look genuinely impressive. They're equally good slightly warm from the pan or at room temperature the next day, which makes them a smart make-ahead option for gatherings or lunchboxes.
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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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