Apple Crumble Bars with Kombucha Caramel

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

CRUST:
4oz + 2 tbs Vegan Butter
2 cups Gluten-Free, All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 Tbs Coconut Sugar

FILLING:
5 small Apples or 3 cups diced granny smith apples
½ c Coconut Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tbs Vegan Butter, cold and cut into cubes

CRUMBLE:
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
½ cup almond flour
1/3 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3 tablespoons avocado oil

KOMBUCHA CARAMEL:
1/2 cup Coconut Sugar
3 Tbs Ginger Spice & Everything Nice (formerly Holiday Cheers)
2tbs Vegan Butter

Instructions:

CRUST:

1. Place all crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse until a dough ball forms.
2. Press the dough into a parchment lined 8x8 baking pan. Bake on 350 for 15 minutes (crust will bake again)

FILLING:

1. In a pan on medium heat, add 1 tbs vegan butter, apples, cinnamon, and coconut sugar. Cook on medium low until apples are soft and a ‘caramel’ has formed in the pan (about 25 minutes)
2. Pour the apple mixture over the pre-baked crust and set aside

CRUMBLE:

1. Combine all the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Sprinkle over apple mixture.
2. Bake for 20 minutes

KOMBUCHA CARAMEL:

1. In a small saucepan on medium heat - add sugar, kombucha and vegan butter. Stir until everything is dissolved
2. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce to medium low for 10 minutes or until thickened.
   *caramel will also thicken up in the fridge*.
3. Drizzle over cooled apple bars

Today's blog is written by our very own Daina Trout, MS, MPH

Daina is not just our Co-Founder, she is also a nutritionist that has spent her adult life dedicated to finding and sharing health and wellness through food. With 2 masters' degrees in nutritional biochemistry and public health, Daina has called upon her education often while leading the way at Health-Ade - from how we make every batch of kombucha, to how we talk about gut health to consumers, to even how healthy our employee workplace is! She even writes a few blogs here and there. Happy reading! :)