Healthy No Bake Fresh Apple Bars with Oats

This apple bar recipe is made with a oat crust, gooey apple filing and a rich peanut butter topping. A healthy dessert recipe with no oil, no refined sugar and is vegan friendly. With no baking necessary this fresh dessert is ready to enjoy in no time. 

With a similar taste and consistency to apple pie it is best to eat these gooey bars with a fork. A perfect dessert to make when you don’t want to fuss with the oven or have extra apples to use up.

You will need a food processor to create make the crust and filling layers of the recipe. Bonus that you won’t have to chop any apples by hand. 

If you are new to using dates, welcome to the party. Dates are a sweet, carmely fruit full of nutrients. They are a great snack eaten alone but also work well in recipes as a sugar replacement. Be sure to remove the pits before using them. They can be found at most grocery stores – I have even found them at Aldi! 

This recipe is perfect in the fall when here in the midwest apples are in season. I like to use Fuji, Gala or Honeycrisp but use whatever apple variety is your favorite. With similar flavors to apple pie this recipe stands out as the apples are kept raw giving the dessert a fresh bite.

Healthy No Bake Fresh Apple bars with oats are considered raw vegan with no cooked ingredients. Dairy Free. Oil Free. Refined sugar free. Could be made Gluten Free with GF oats. A healthy dessert recipe that uses many whole food plant based ingredients like dates, apples, oats, peanut butter and maple syrup. 

Print

Healthy No Bake Fresh Apple Bars with oats

Course Dessert

Cuisine Vegan

Keyword no bake, oil free, refined sugar free

Prep Time 20 minutes

Rest time 20 minutes

Servings 9

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup pitted medjool dates about 225 grams
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Filling

• 2 medium apples about 325 grams
• 1/4 cup pitted medjool dates about 55 grams
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a food processor mix oats, dates and vanilla. You should get a mixture that sticks together.

2. With your fingers press crust into a 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper.

3. Roughly chops the apple off the core. Rinse food processor and add filling ingredients into food processor.

4. Pulse until apples & dates are in little pieces; do not over process.

5. Spread mixture evenly over crust.

6. In a small bowl whisk the ingredients for the topping together until smooth.

7. Spread the topping evenly over the filling.

8. Cover and let bars set in fridge for 20 minutes.

Recipe Notes

• Store bars in fridge
• You can sub almond or any nut butter for peanut butter in topping
• If your topping is not smoothly mixing you can microwave for a few seconds to help melt the peanut butter

Nutrition Info for 1 apple bar
Calories: 254 
Fat: 8g
Carbohydrates: 44g
Protein: 6g
Fiber: 5g

For more plant based resources check out these posts:
Plant Based Aldi Shopping List
What I Eat in a Day Plant Based
Plant Based Cookbooks

If you enjoyed this recipe try these next:
Oil Free Carrot Apple Muffins
Healthy Pumpkin Bars

If you make this fresh apple bars recipe I would love a comment below of how you liked it.
Don’t forget to Pin the recipe for later and share your photo with me on Instagram @emilyhappyhealthy .

Stay Happy & Healthy !
– Emily

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