Caramel Apple & Pecan Crumble Bars – Gooey, Buttery, and Entirely Vegan
Soft spiced apples, crunchy pecans, and a golden oat crumble come together with rich vegan caramel to make these irresistible bars. Perfect for autumn afternoons or sharing with friends, they’re easy to make and even better the next day.
Ingredients
- 200 g plain flour
- 100 g rolled oats
- 100 g soft brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 150 g vegan butter melted
Apple Filling
- 3 medium apples about 400 g after peeling a coring
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ pod vanilla seeds scraped out
- 1 tsp cornflour
Pecan Caramel
- 120 g soft brown sugar
- 60 g vegan butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 80 ml oat cream
- 80 g pecans chopped
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a 20 × 20 cm (or similar) tin with parchment.
- Mix flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt; stir in melted vegan butter until crumbly.
- In a pan, cook apples with vegan butter, maple, cinnamon, lemon juice, and vanilla seeds (add the pod too) for 5–7 mins until just tender. Remove pod; stir in cornflour and cook 1 min to thicken.
- For caramel, simmer brown sugar, vegan butter, and maple 3–4 mins until it coats a spoon. Add oat cream and a pinch of salt; simmer 2–3 mins until glossy. Stir in pecans; cool 5–8 mins until thick but pourable.
- Press two-thirds of the crumble mix into the tin, using a glass or the back of a spoon to make sure it is well pressed down.
- Spread apple filling over the base, drizzle half the caramel, scatter remaining crumble, and press lightly. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mix over the top.
- Bake 35–40 mins until golden and bubbling at the edges. Cool completely, cut into 12 bars, and finish with the remaining caramel.