It seems like fall is just about everyone’s favorite season these days. Personally, I could take it or leave it. Don’t get me wrong, I like elements of fall, the reasonable temperatures, scarves, pumpkin, cinnamon, and apples. But I am a warm weather, beach fan, so the looming bitter days of winter kind of stem my autumn excitement. That being said, I do really love the new flavors that come with fall. I love squash, pumpkins and apples and all of the festive flavors we associate with thanksgiving and cooler days. One of my favorite fall treats has always been apple pie. It is just a classic that never disappoints.

Unfortunately, even with my love of baking, making AIP friendly pies can be kind of a hassle sometimes. There are some great recipes, but they can take some time, plus they are only good when you are feeding a crowd. The rest of the time you are left with half a pie that you can’t eat and isn’t easily transportable. AIP treats are usually just better in smaller batches. So I decided to come up with a mini, more transportable version of everyone’s favorite apple dessert.

These were just the right thing. They were a huge hit with my family, they are not hard to make and there was just enough for us to enjoy as a treat without going overboard or wasting food. So, if you are a fall fanatic, and you’re tired of missing out of the flavors of the season, I hope you enjoy this special treat!

Apple Pie Bars (AIP/Paleo)

Ingredients:

Crust:

½ cup coconut flour

2 TBS arrowroot flour

2/3 cup of melted coconut oil

2 TBS honey

½ tsp vanilla extract

4 TBS water

Filling:

4 cups granny smith apples peeled, cored and diced

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup of coconut sugar

dash of sea salt

2 TBS lemon juice

2 TBS coconut oil

Topping:

1/3 cup of cold coconut oil

¼ cup of coconut flour

2 TBS tapioca flour

1 TBS honey

¼ tsp cinnamon

1/8 cup of cold water

coconut butter to drizzle

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl combine your coconut flour and arrow root powder. Add in your honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract and combine. Next, add in your water and stir until the batter begins to thicken. Take a 9×9 baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Spread the batter evenly across the bottom of the pan and puncture with a fork. Bake for 15 mins or until golden brown. As the crust bakes, take a large sauce pan and combine your filling ingredients and bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the apples are tender. When the shortbread is finished, take it out of the oven and pour your apples over the crust. To make the topping, combine your cold coconut oil, coconut flour, tapioca flour, honey, cinnamon, sea salt and water in a small mixing bowl and stir until a well mixed crumbly dough forms. Sprinkle it over the top of the dish and place back in the oven for 10 minutes or until the topping is starting to brown. Drizzle the bars with coconut butter and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours or until it is completely cool. Serve and enjoy.