Apricot Coconut Bars

Since you asked, here's a gluten free version (original recipe is from At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen)

Photo by Johnny Miller from At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen

I made this apricot coconut bar recipe gluten free and I wanted to share it with you. It’s also a handy version if you don’t have barley flour —which seems to have vanished from well-stocked health food store shelves. If you’re like me, it’s not always possible to plan ahead for baking with specialty ingredients, including remembering to order the lesser used flours. This recipe includes brown rice flour, which is much more readily available. If you do plan ahead I love using this sprouted brown rice flour.

I’m serving this bar today at the event at Hillsdale General Store along with some gorgeous teas from Rishi and my favorite date sweetened chocolate from Spring and Mulberry. Tamar Adler is joining me for an author chat—a true honor for me. Follow along on Instagram in you want to see some sneak peeks.

Of all the recipe questions asked over the last 10 years, “how can I make your desserts gluten free” is the most common. The answer isn’t straight forward and it depends on the recipe. Here’s how I made this bar gluten free.

It feels like a small motherhood miracle to get this recipe out to you in time for Mother’s Day! Happy day to all.

Amy, xo

Apricot Coconut Bar

Makes 16 2 × 4-inch bars

Equipment: 13 × 9-inch pan (also known as a quarter sheet pan)

Crust:

1 cup (80g) dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut

3/4 cup (75g) gluten free rolled oats

1⁄4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt

1⁄2 cup (65g) brown rice flour

1⁄4 cup (25g) almond flour

1⁄4 cup melted extra virgin coconut oil, plus more for oiling pan

1⁄4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:

1⁄3 cup (50g) thinly sliced unsulfured dried apricots

1⁄2 cup (115g) unsweetened apricot jam

Topping:

1 cup (80g) dried, unsweetened, shredded coconut

1⁄3 cup (45g) raw cashews

1⁄4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup (50g) dried, unsweetened, coconut flakes

Make the crust:

Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Oil pan, and line bottom and sides with parchment paper; set aside.

Place coconut, oats, baking powder, and salt in a food processor; blend until fine, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a medium bowl, and mix in rice and almond flour. Add oil, and mix with a fork or your fingertips until combined. Stir in maple syrup and vanilla, and mix again. Dough should be moist but not sticky. Wash and dry your hands, and press dough thinly and evenly over bottom of prepared pan. (Don’t press it up the sides.) Prick crust with a fork, and bake for 20 minutes (SEE NOTE ABOVE) or until edges are just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and set aside; keep oven on.

Make the filling:

Place apricots in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set them aside to soften for 5 minutes; then drain well. Spread baked crust with apricot jam and arrange drained apricot slices on top.

Make the topping:

Place shredded coconut, cashews, and baking powder in a food processor, and blend until ground and moist, about 45 seconds; transfer to a medium bowl. Combine maple syrup, olive oil, vanilla, and lemon zest in another bowl, and whisk to combine. Pour into ground coconut and cashew mixture; stir to combine. Mix in flaked coconut, being careful not to break up flakes too much. Crumble topping over apricots and preserves, leaving some filling showing. Bake 18 minutes or until golden on top. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool completely before cutting into bars. Store any leftover bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Recipe adapted from At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen: Celebrating the Art of Eating Well by Amy Chaplin. Photographs by Johnny Miller. © 2014 by Amy Chaplin. This edition published in 2025. Reprinted in arrangement with Roost Books. Boulder, CO