Paraben 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 kitchen smell like a proper autumn afternoon. The combination of Ceylon cinnamon and cardamom gives the filling a gentle, aromatic heat that feels a little more refined than your average fruit bar. Ripe pears are cooked down with coconut sugar and a touch of butter until the juices thicken into a glossy, jam-like layer that holds beautifully once the bars cool. Rice flour and rolled oats form the base and topping, keeping everything wholesome and free from the synthetic preservatives and additives that sneak into so many packaged baked goods. Tapioca starch does the quiet work of binding the filling without any fuss, and maple syrup adds just enough sweetness to pull the crumble together. Every ingredient here is straightforward and recognizable, which is exactly the point — no hidden extras, no label anxiety, just real food baked from scratch. Let them cool fully before slicing and you'll get clean, sturdy bars that are just as good the next day.
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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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