This new recipe for Low Carb Applesauce Oat Bars is a modern and lower carb version of an old recipe called Low Carb Applesauce Oatmeal Bars which I found on a low carb bulletin board years ago. The old one was not very keto-friendly because it had a cup of oats. This new recipe uses oat fiber, which is becoming more and more popular.
I redesigned the recipe to fit an 8-inch pan because I feel like it's more of a family snack than something you'd take to a potluck. The bars are sweet (I use Magic Baker) and cakey, but still moist. I don't recommend leaving out the dried fruit or nuts because the bars need the add-ins for contrasting texture. However, if you want to keep the carbs very low you could use something like Lily's white chips. The perfect combo for me was raisins plus a very small amount of dried apple chips and pecans.
More Apple Flavor
Because apples have a lot of sugar (or at least when you are thinking about them in terms of keto or low carb), you might want to add a little more apple flavor by using bottled apple flavoring. I have not yet tested with it, but OliveNation makes very good tasting fruit flavors. Without added apple flavor you mostly get the flavors of spice, sweetness, maple syrup with applesauce in the background.
Frosting or Glaze
I considered adding a keto cream cheese frosting, but the longer the bars sat the softer they became, and I think a frosting might overwhelm them. A light drizzle of a glaze made of sugar free confectioners' sweetener and sugar free maple syrup might be nice.
Old Recipe Below, New in Card
I'm leaving the old oatmeal version here, but the new version is in the printable card if you want to give it a try.
Low Carb Applesauce Bars With Oats
2 cups almond meal
2 cups oats
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 large egg
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup Splenda for baking (I would use Magic Baker or a different sweetener now)
2 T. sugar free maple syrup
1 Tablespoon raisins
Slightly beat egg and mix in applesauce and syrup. Mix in sugar substitute then add almond flour, oats, baking soda and cinnamon. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and bake at 350F for 20 minutes.
Recipe
Low Carb Applesauce Oat Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine almond flour (112 grams)
- ½ cup oat fiber (48 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or use ¼ teaspoon of vanilla and about ¼ to ½ teaspoon apple flavoring
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup like Birch Benders or Lakanto
- 6 tablespoons Magic Baker or Swerve sweetener 80 grams
- 2 tablespoon raisins optional – or swap with chopped pecans or dried apple
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment or foil and lightly grease.
- Mix together the almond flour, oat fiber, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the applesauce, egg, maple syrup, sweetener and vanilla until well combined.
- Stir dry mixture into wet mixture, then stir in raisins, dried apples and/or nuts.
- Press evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the center is set and the edges look golden.
- Cool in pan before slicing into bars.
Jeannette says
If you use maple flavoring it's carb free which is even better and tastes better as well..
Anna says
I ran it through Mastercook and got the following:
172 Calories; 5g Fat (24.5% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 23g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 13mg Cholesterol; 92mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat.
Anonymous says
Great for diabetics!
Do you know how many servings and how many carbs per serving? That info would be helpful>