Xanthan Gum 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 the best version of autumn. The filling gets cooked down on the stovetop with coconut sugar, Ceylon cinnamon, and cardamom until it turns glossy and jam-like, then tapioca starch steps in to thicken everything naturally without any gums or additives. That means no xanthan gum, no guar gum, nothing that can cause digestive trouble or texture issues for those who need to avoid them. The base and crumble do double duty here — rice flour and rolled oats bring just enough structure to hold a clean slice without relying on any binders. Cold butter worked into the dry mixture creates those irresistible clumpy, pea-sized crumbs that bake up crisp and golden on top while staying a little tender underneath. Letting the bars cool completely is the one step you really cannot rush, since the filling continues to set as it comes to room temperature and makes slicing so much cleaner. These are equally at home on a weekend brunch spread or wrapped up for a lunchbox treat.
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Learn more →Ingredients
9 servings
For the crust and crumble
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
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Nature's Path Organic Whole Grain Old Fashioned Rolled Oats - 18 Oz - 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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