Gluten Free Apple Caramel Squares

5 from 2 votes

Gluten Free Apple Caramel Squares

A delicious merger of apple, caramel and cinnamon crumble. All piled high on a bed of gluten free shortbread. A brilliant way to use up some of your autumn harvest of apples and enjoy with a cuppa on a cold evening for tea or supper

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

Total Time1

Course: Tea Time, Treat

Cuisine: Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Vegan

Keyword: Apple, Bars, Caramel, Cinnamon, Crumble, Shortbread, Traybake

Servings: servings

Calories: 629kcal

Author: Glutarama

Equipment

Ingredients

For the shortbread base

270 g gluten free plain flour
180 g unsalted butter or dairy free alternative (I use Flora plant butter)
75 g cornflour/cornstarch I have also used coconut flour
75 g caster sugar

For the cinnamon apple layer

2 medium cooking apples Bramley apples, peeled and roughly chopped
1 dessert/eating apples peeled and finely chopped into fingernail-size pieces
50 g caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tbsp arrowroot optional but does thicken the apple sauce

For the dairy free caramel layer

100 g light brown sugar
100 g golden syrup (corn syrup)
100 g unsalted butter or dairy free alternative (I use Flora plant butter)
120 ml soya cream or usual dairy free alternative

For the cinnamon crumble topping

150 g gluten free digestive biscuit(s)
50 g melted dairy free butter (I use Flora plant based butter)
½ tsp ground cinnamon

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

To make the shortbread layer

Preheat the oven to 170°C | 150°C fan | 325°F | Gas 3.
To make the shortbread, simply weight out the butter, sugar, flour and cornflour in a bowl and using a rounded knife cut through mixture until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
The mixture will seem too dry, do not worry, it's supposed to be crumbly.
Press the crumbly mixture firmly into a lined 20x20cm square loose-based tin, making sure you've gone to the edges and the dough is as flat and compacted as possible.
I use the end of a dessert spoon to smooth down the edges to ensure the mixture get right into the sides of the tin. Prick several times with a fork to prevent any pockets of air and encourage an even bake.
Bake the shortbread for 40 minutes until it begins to smell delicious and just starts to turn colour.
Remove and leave aside on a cooling rack (still in the square tin) until it has cooled completely before adding the next layer.

To make the dairy free caramel

In a non stick saucepan, add all the ingredients and begin to stir on a medium to high heat until all the ingredients have melted.
Next, adjust the hob heat until you have a rolling boil. This step can take 20 minutes so be patient and simply stir every once in a while to ensure the ingredients are not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
TOP TIP: a rolling boil is when the liquid bubbles in the centre and forces the bubbles to the edge in a continuous rolling-outwards motion.
Once your ingredients have condensed by about half, remove from the heat and begin to beat the caramel with a whisk. As the caramel cools it will thicken (any splitting of the fats and sugars will be rectified but this beating motion).
Pour into a glass jug or bowl, cool to room temperature ready to use later.

To make the cinnamon apple layer

First make the apple sauce by prepping the cooking apples and adding to the saucepan with the tablespoons of water.
Gently eat with a lid on, until the cooking apples have broken down and created an apple sauce. Using Bramley apples will mean this process takes very little time.
Next, in a little bowl or cup, mix a little water to the arrowroot to make a paste, add this to the apple sauce and cook for 5mins until the arrowroot is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
TOP TIP: arrowroot makes sauces cloudy/creamy in colour initially, it is cooked when the sauce/mixture has returned to its original colour and the arrowroot has gone transparent.
Now peel, core and chop your dessert/eating apple(s) into small chunks the size of a fingernail. Add these apple pieces to the apple sauce, along with the sugar and cinnamon
Heat gently until the apple pieces have softened but not broken down. Then set aside to cool completely.

To make the cinnamon crumble

Nearly there! This bit is easy. in a bowl, break the gluten free digestive into pieces but don't pulverise them into dust, you want different sized crumbly bits.
Pour over the melted plant butter and add the cinnamon and mix thoroughly to combine. Set aside, now we get to build the apple caramel squares.

To build the bake

Take the shortbread base, still in the tin and pour over the caramel. If the caramel has become too thick heat in the microwave for 5 seconds to loosen, no more.
Smooth the caramel to the edges and them move onto the apple sauce layer
Spread the cooled apple sauce layer over the caramel, teasing it to the edges with a spoon. If your caramel is too soft, pop into the fridge for 10minues to harden. Then add the apples.
Next evenly spoon the cinnamon crumble over the apple layer.
I find this bake is best kept in the fridge until you want to serve it. To serve simply remove from the loose-bottom tin and cut 4x into 9 equal squares.

Nutrition