Deep Dish Apple Pie Bars With Quinoa Crust

I do love apple pie though, but mostly for the filling.  I love the soft, sweet apples flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg.  I’m usually digging my fork right in between the crust to pull these babies out.  So these deep dish apple pie bars with a quinoa crust are right up my alley.

I know I’ve gone a little crazy on the quinoa (remember those quinoa buffalo strips and quinoa chocolate chip cookies).  I’m sure you’re probably thinking I bought some 50 gallon vat at Costco and I’m trying to unload it.  But that isn’t the case – I’m seriously out buying more and more quinoa every week for these wacky recipes I keep coming up with.

I really love quinoa; I love the flavor and the texture.  Plus, it’s healthier than your typically pie crust (although I don’t claim these bars to be healthy for you in the least).  It’s just a change to the norm, a little kick of flavor and texture.

This was super easy to make, I actually made it on a Friday night and it had my house smelling Ahhhh-Mazing!  Like straight up apple orchard that had been throwing together homemade pies and fresh apple cider all day long.

Plus there’s caramel – who doesn’t love a warm drizzle of homemade caramel!

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg

• 2 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced (about ¼” thick)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ cup old-fashioned oats
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• Homemade Caramel Sauce

Deep Dish Apple Pie Bars With Quinoa Crust

Quinoa Crust

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium sauce pan, combine quinoa, water and apple cider. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let cook until all liquid has absorbed.
3. Once quinoa has cooled, in a large bowl mix together cooked quinoa, cinnamon and egg.
4. Spray a 9 in square dish with cooking spray. Press the quinoa into the dish and around the sides, packing tightly.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, until just golden brown and starting to crisp. Remove from oven.

Apple Filling

1. Combine the sliced apples, flour, sugar and cinnamon together in a large bowls and stir until the apples are evenly coated. Set aside

Crumble Topping

1. Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a dough blender or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

To Assemble

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Evenly layer the apples on top of the crust, packing them together as tightly as possible. Sprinkle the apple layer with the crumble and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate for two hours or over night.
4. Cut into bars and slowly remove from dish.
5. Once cut, drizzle with homemade caramel sauce.