Gluten-free Raspberry Crumble Bars

These gluten-free raspberry bars are bursting with juicy berries and made with wholesome ingredients like almond flour and oats for the perfect crumbly texture. They’re refined sugar-free and perfect for a healthier dessert, snack, or even breakfast.

Tangy sweet raspberry filling sandwiched between the crumbly crispy topping and crust. There's nothing like it.

These raspberry bars are a healthified version of traditional fruit bars, made with ingredients that taste great and that you'll feel good serving to family and friends. These make a great healthy dessert or snack, but you can also serve them for breakfast.

We have a lot of wild raspberry plants in our backyard, and while they aren't producing tons of berries yet, we have enough to make these bars!

Why You'll Love These Gluten-Free Raspberry Bars

These healthy raspberry bars are:

• crumbly and jammy
• easy to make
• have no refined sugar
• freezer-friendly

You can also make these gluten-free raspberry bars with fresh or frozen raspberries, making them perfect year-round.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make these delicious gluten-free raspberry bars. For the amounts, see the recipe card below.

• Almond flour: A gluten-free and grain-free flour that adds a nutty flavor and texture to the bars, and also helps to hold them together.
• Raspberries: The star of the filling adding a sweet-tart fruitiness to the bars. You can use fresh or frozen raspberries, or substitute another type of berry if you like.
• Rolled oats: Adds wholesome texture and flavor to the crust and topping.
• Low-carb brown sugar: A sugar-free sweetener for those watching their carbs. Coconut sugar is a fine alternative.
• Arrowroot: A fine white powder that helps to thicken the raspberry filling and bind the crust together. You can substitute tapioca starch or corn starch if you prefer.
• Sugar-free maple syrup: A low-carb alternative to traditional maple syrup. It adds a rich, caramel-like flavor to the bars. You can substitute regular maple syrup or honey.
• Lime juice: Adds a bright, citrusy flavor to the raspberry filling. You can substitute lemon juice if you prefer.
• Vanilla extract: This adds flavor and aroma to the bars. Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor and clean ingredients.
• Coconut oil: A healthy plant-based oil that adds moisture and flavor to the bars. You can substitute butter or another neutral-flavored non-seed oil if you prefer.
• Salt: Salt makes sweet recipes better by bringing out the flavor.

Directions

Here's how to make these sugar-free raspberry bars. For the full directions, see the recipe card below.

• Preheat oven and prepare pan.
• Combine almond flour, oats, vanilla, baking powder, salt, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Stir until combined.

• Reserve about 1/4 of the mixture and press remaining mixture into the prepared pan.
• Heat raspberries, stirring occasionally. Add lime juice and arrowroot, and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

• Pour raspberry mixture over the oat crust and spread.

• Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over the raspberry layer and press down.

• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until brown.
• Remove from the oven and let cool. Lift the bars out using the overhanging parchment paper, and cut into bars.

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Recipe Notes

• Fresh vs. Frozen Berries: If using frozen raspberries for the recipe, make sure to thaw and drain them to avoid excess moisture in the filling.
• Sweetener Alternatives: You can use non-liquid sweetener for the bars too, but the sugar-free maple syrup is sweeter than sugar, so you'll need to add about one-third more sweetener and a little liquid as well. This post on baking with honey and maple syrup has tips to make those sub.
• Oat Varieties: You can also use quick oats, but I prefer rolled for their more hearty texture and less processing.

Variations

• Add chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or chocolate chips to the oat mixture for added texture and flavor.
• Use blueberries or a combination of blueberries and raspberries.

Serving Suggestions

Make these bars extra special by topping with whipped cream, dairy-free whipped cream, ice cream, or both!

You can also top them with yogurt, or crumble them in a dessert glass alternating with yogurt for a delicious parfait.

Raspberry Bars vs Raspberry Squares

Gluten-free raspberry bars and raspberry squares are essentially the same dessert, with only minor differences in shape and how they’re cut. Raspberry bars are either square or rectangle shape, whereas squares are, of course, squares.

You can make either raspberry squares or bars in any size baking pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use frozen raspberries for raspberry bars?

Yes, you can use frozen raspberries for raspberry bars, but you'll want to thaw and drain them to remove excess moisture from them before adding the other filling ingredients.

How do you keep raspberry bars from getting soggy?

Are raspberry bars gluten-free?

Not all raspberry bars are gluten-free, but these raspberry bars are made with almond flour and gluten-free oats, so they are naturally gluten-free.