Nightshade Free Pear Crumble Bars with Cinnamon and Cardamom
Warm spiced pears tucked between a buttery oat crust and a golden crumble topping — this is the kind of bake that makes your whole kitchen smell like a cozy autumn afternoon. The filling is cooked down on the stovetop with coconut sugar, Ceylon cinnamon, and cardamom until it turns glossy and jam-like, so every bite is deeply fragrant and satisfying. Tapioca starch does the thickening work here, keeping everything beautifully set without any gummy texture. For anyone navigating a nightshade-free lifestyle, desserts can feel surprisingly limited, but this one is naturally free of any concern — no tomatoes, peppers, or potatoes anywhere in sight, just wholesome fruit and pantry staples. Rice flour keeps the crust tender and slightly crisp, while rolled oats give the crumble that irresistible rough, clumpy texture that shatters when you bite into it. Coconut sugar and maple syrup bring a gentle caramel depth that pairs perfectly with the floral warmth of cardamom. Let the bars cool fully before slicing and you'll be rewarded with clean edges and a filling that holds its shape like a proper bakery treat.
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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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