Apricot & Plum Coconut Bars (gluten, egg, dairy free)

These simple gluten free apricot coconut bars have a buttery shortbread crust, chewy coconut flakes and a gooey apricot and plum topping.

I made these gluten free apricot coconut bars 5 days ago and am still enjoying cutting off a piece and savoring each bite while I drink my morning coffee.  These are super simple to make and will remind you of a buttery shortbread cookie. The gooey fruit topping is made of dried apricots and plums (or prunes for those of you not afraid of the word), and contains no dairy, eggs or gluten!  They are sweetened only with the dried fruit and some maple syrup or honey. I know you are going to rejoice at having this gluten free apricot coconut bar recipe in your collection.

You can experiment with the fruit topping and replace some of the plums with dried figs, blueberries, or even pineapple.

Recipe Tips:

• You can swap in coconut nectar for the sweetener.  It is really thick, like molasses, so if you do, add 1 Tbsp water to the recipe.
• The recipe calls for 1 ¼ cup flour. If you don’t have all the flours listed below, use a premade mix like Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour. Just check if your mix contains xanthan gum already, and if so, omit the amount I have listed in the recipe.

Scroll down for the printable version!

Apricot & Plum Coconut Bars Recipe (gluten, dairy free)

Yield 12 bars

INGREDIENTS

½ cup brown rice flour + 1 Tbsp
¼ cup sorghum flour + 1 Tbsp
¼ cup potato starch
¼ cup tapioca starch + 1 Tbsp
¼ tsp xanthan gum
½ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (plus extra for the top)
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt
½ cup coconut oil, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup honey or maple syrup, or a combination of both (I have also tried ½ maple syrup + ½ agave nectar)

1 ¼ cup dried unsulphured apricots
¾ cup dried plums (prunes)

PROCEDURE

1. Heat oven to 350

2. Grease an 8 by 8 inch baking dish with coconut oil and then cut parchment paper to fit one direction in the dish, this helps to lift the bars out after baking.

3. In a large bowl, mix the flours, xanthan gum, shredded coconut, cinnamon and salt together

4. Add in the melted coconut oil, vanilla and sweetener and mix well. The batter will be firm and a little sticky.  Set the bowl aside and let rest for about 20 minutes while you do the rest.

5. Place apricots and prunes in a small saucepan, with enough water to cover the fruit. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Once the water boils, turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes to help soften the fruit.  Strain the water and place the fruit in a food processor.  Process until a thick paste forms.  Scrape into a bowl and set aside.

6. Press rested dough into prepared baking dish with your fingers, pressing into the corners until it looks even throughout.  Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the edges turns a caramel brown.  The overall color will also be golden, and the surface should look dry and feel firm to the touch.

This is what the baked dough will look like

7. Set the baking dish on a cooling rack and while still warm, gently spread the fruit paste over the cookie base. Sprinkle with shredded coconut.

8. Allow to cool completely, then cut into bars.

Looking for another bar recipe that is also gluten, dairy and egg free?  Check out these Chewy and Nutty Mayan Wonder Bars. Made with lots of nuts and seeds and almond butter to hold it all together.

PRINTABLE VERSION

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Apricot & Plum Coconut Bars (gluten, dairy free)

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Andrea Sprague
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 22 minutes
• Total Time: 42 minutes
• Yield: 12 bars 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

These simple bars have a buttery shortbread crust, chewy coconut flakes and a gooey apricot and plum topping. They last well over a week when covered and stored in a cool place, so it’s ok to make this ahead. A perfect pairing with a cup of coffee or your afternoon tea.  Just slightly sweet and so enjoyable.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

½ cup brown rice flour + 1 Tbsp
¼ cup sorghum flour + 1 Tbsp
¼ cup potato starch
¼ cup tapioca starch + 1 Tbsp
¼ tsp xanthan gum
½ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (plus extra for the top)
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt
½ cup coconut oil, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup honey or maple syrup, or a combination of both

1 ¼ cup dried unsulphured apricots
¾ cup dried plums (prunes)

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Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350

2. Grease a square 8 by 8 inch baking dish with coconut oil and then cut parchment paper to fit one direction in the dish, (this helps to lift the bars out after baking).

3. In a large bowl, mix the flours, xanthan gum, shredded coconut, cinnamon and salt together4.

4. Add in the melted coconut oil, vanilla and sweetener and mix well. The batter will be firm and a little sticky.  Set the bowl aside and let rest for about 20 minutes while you do the rest.

5. Place apricots and prunes in a small saucepan, with enough water to cover the fruit. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Once the water boils, turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes to help soften the fruit.  Strain the water and place the fruit in a food processor.  Process until all the fruit is broken down and a thick paste forms.  Scrape into a bowl and set aside.

6. Press rested dough into prepared baking dish with your fingers, pressing into the corners until it looks even throughout.  Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the edges turns a caramel brown.  The overall color will also be golden, the surface should look dry and feel firm to the touch.

7. Set the baking dish on a cooling rack and while still warm, gently spread the fruit paste over the cookie base. Sprinkle with shredded coconut.

8. Allow to cool completely, then cut into bars.

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Notes

You can swap in coconut nectar for the sweetener.  It is much thicker, like molasses, so if you do, add 1 Tbsp water to the recipe.

The recipe calls for 1 ¼ cup flour. If you don’t have all the flours listed above, use a premade mix like Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour. Just check if your mix contains xanthan gum already, and if so, omit the amount I have listed in the recipe.

I have also tried ½ maple syrup + ½ agave nectar for the sweeteners with good results.

You can experiment with the fruit topping and replace some of the plums with dried figs, blueberries, or even pineapple.