10 Ingredient Healthy Raspberry Bars: Gluten-free and Dairy-free

These healthy raspberry bars are bursting with juicy berries and made with wholesome ingredients like almond flour, oats, and coconut sugar. Vegan, gluten-free, and perfect for snacking or dessert.

Bonus, you only need ten ingredients and a little bit of time before you can have these in your belly.

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, the day is coming when I hope to have plenty to freeze, and some for these bars as well.

Working on keeping those Japanese beetles away from our raspberry canes so the dream can become a reality!

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.
• Coconut sugar: An unrefined sweetener made from the sap of coconut palms. It has a caramel-like flavor and is lower on the glycemic index than refined sugar.
• 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.
• Maple syrup: A natural sweetener made from the sap of maple trees. It adds a rich, caramel-like flavor to the bars. Honey can be used as well.
• 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 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.

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 honey and maple syrup are 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.

• mixing bowls

• measuring cups and spoons

• whisk or fork

• 8 x 8 inch baking dish

• food processor or blender

• spatula or spoon

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.

• Line an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal.

• In a medium to large mixing bowl, combine the oats, almond flour, vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, melted coconut oil, and maple syrup. Stir until well combined.

• Reserve about 1/4 of the mixture, then press the remaining mixture into the prepared pan, making sure it’s evenly spread out and pressed down well.

• In a medium-sized pan, heat the raspberries over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they start to break down and release their juices.

• Add the lime juice and cornstarch, and continue to cook until the mixture thickens and has a jelly-like consistency. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

• Pour the raspberry mixture over the crust, and spread out evenly using a spatula.

• Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the raspberry layer, then gently press it down.

• Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are slightly crispy.

• Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Once cooled, lift the bars out of the pan using the overhanging parchment paper, and cut into bars of desired size.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.