Gelatin Free Pear Crumble Bars with Cinnamon and Cardamom
Warm spiced pears nestled between a buttery oat crust and a golden crumble topping — this is the kind of bake that makes your kitchen smell absolutely incredible. The filling gets its luscious, jammy texture from tapioca starch rather than any gelatin-based thickener, so the whole recipe is completely free of animal-derived setting agents without sacrificing that glossy, cohesive consistency you want in a bar. Ceylon cinnamon and cardamom layer in a gentle, aromatic heat that plays beautifully against the natural sweetness of ripe pears and coconut sugar. The crust does double duty here — two-thirds gets pressed into the pan as a firm base, and the rest is scattered on top for that irresistible crumbly finish. Rice flour keeps the texture light while rolled oats add a satisfying chew and a little rustic character. Once the bars cool completely, the filling sets up cleanly and slices like a dream, making them just as easy to pack up and share as they are to eat straight from the pan.
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Learn more →Ingredients
9 servings
For the crust and crumble
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- ¾ cup rice flour
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- ½ tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
For the pear filling
- 4 medium ripe pears (about 1 ½ lbs), peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch dice
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp ground ceylon cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 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, stir together the rolled oats, rice flour, coconut sugar, Ceylon cinnamon, cardamom, and 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. Drizzle in the maple syrup and toss with a fork until the mixture just holds together when pressed.
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