Healthier Pear Bars
- Rose Huxford
- Oct 11
- 3 min read
Pears are at their peak in autumn, making my Healthier Pear Bars an ideal snack or dessert to enjoy with family or friends. These bars offer a great source of fiber and contain less sugar and are gluten free. The natural sweetness of pears is the star in these bars, with warm autumn spices enhancing the pear flavors. Pair the bars with vanilla bean ice cream or a fall spice whipped cream for an extra treat.
Healthier Pear Bars
Yields: ~18 bars
Pre-heat oven: 350 degrees F
Prep-time: 5-10 minutes
Bake-time: 45-50 minutes
Total-time: ~60 minutes
Equipment: (1) 9x9 rectangle baking dish, parchment paper, food processor, 1 large mixing bowl, 1 medium mixing bowl, cutting board, paring knife, measuring cups, measuring spoons, spatula, citrus juicer, zester, cooling rack.
Crust Ingredients
1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup regular or gluten free 1:1 baking flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) or chopped pecans
pinch of salt
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp flaxseed
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tbsp cane sugar
1 1/4 cups of dairy free (or regular) unsalted butter, cold, diced
Filling Ingredients
3 medium pears (Bartlett or Bosc pears), chopped (you can leave the skin on or peel off)
1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
2 tbsp regular or gluten free flour
2 tbsp almond flour
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
Crumb Topping
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp regular or gluten free flour
3/4 cups oats (regular or gluten free)
2 tbsp almond flour
1/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups dairy free or regular unsalted butter, melted
Directions
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly spray your baking dish pan with non-stick spray, then line your dish with parchment paper, set it aside.
To prepare the crust, use a food processor to combine almond flour, regular flour, walnuts, flaxseed, hemp seed, cane sugar, zest, and salt. Process for approximately 30 seconds until the mixture is well-blended and the nuts are finely chopped. Next, incorporate the chopped chilled butter and process until the butter pieces are pea-sized and the mixture becomes crumbly.
Place the crust mixture into your prepared dish and press it down to spread it evenly.
Bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until the crust is a light golden brown. Remove and allow to cool.
To prepare the filling, mix the chopped pears, coconut sugar, flour, almond flour, allspice, cinnamon, salt, lemon juice, vanilla and almond extract, and chia seeds. Stir thoroughly and let the filling rest for a few minutes to soak up the flavors.
Next, spread the filling evenly over the crust.
To make the crumb topping, combine the flour, oats, almond flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl. Next, add the melted butter to the mixture and stir until it becomes a uniform blend.
Sprinkle the crumb topping over the filling and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until the topping is a nice golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, life the bars out of the pan. Cut into squares.
Enjoy with a side of ice cream or whip cream!
Keep the bars in the fridge for up to 5 days—they actually become tastier with each passing day!
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