These moist and tender Apple Almond Cake Bars are made with almond flour and applesauce. Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, they’re a super easy, make-ahead Passover dessert—or a crowd-pleasing treat any time of year.
🍰 Why I Love These Bars
When serving a crowd, I prefer offering little bites instead of a big cake. Whole cakes can feel like a lot after a big meal—especially during the holidays.
So I turned Nigella Lawson’s wonderful Apple and Almond Cake into easy-to-serve dessert bars.
The best part? You get to QC (Quality Control 😉) before anyone else!
(You might have to hide them in the freezer so your family doesn’t diminish the quantity.)
📝 Only 7 Ingredients!
All you need is:
- applesauce
- eggs
- almond flour
- sugar
- lemon juice
- salt
- sliced almonds
🍏 Apple Options
I love using my homemade Instant Pot Applesauce!
Click here to sign up and I’ll email it to you the moment it’s live—plus you’ll get my latest recipes and baking tips straight to your inbox 💜
But store-bought unsweetened applesauce works beautifully too.
Or in just 10 minutes, you can cook down a few apples on the stove for your own fresh apple purée. (see recipe below)
Pro Tip:
Taste your applesauce before mixing the batter and adjust the lemon juice accordingly—sweeter sauce needs more acid; tart sauce needs less.
🌀 How to Make Them
Just dump all the ingredients into your food processor and blitz until smooth. So easy, so impressive!
The first time I made the cake, I separated the eggs and folded egg whites into the rest of the batter, and the only difference it made was extra dirty dishes!
Sliced almonds add crunch and visual appeal.
In just 35 minutes, you’ll have the most delicious, slightly apple-y, healthy-ish slice of heaven!
Apple Almond Cake Bars
Equipment
- food processor
- 9x13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan
Ingredients
FOR THE APPLE SAUCE (APPLE PUREE)
- 3 tart apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- OR
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (285g) homemade chunky apple sauce (see OrnaBakes Instant Pot Applesauce recipe) unsweetened, at room temperature
- OR
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (285g) store-bought apple sauce (apple purée) unsweetened, at room temperature
FOR THE CAKE
- vegetable spray or oil for greasing pan
- 8 large eggs room temperature
- 3 ½ cups (325g) almond flour or almond meal
- 1 cup + 1/3 cup (265g) granulated sugar
- 1 - 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice if your applesauce is sweet (or store-bought) use more, if tart use less
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup (50g) sliced almonds (flaked almonds)
FOR SERVING
- 1 teaspoon powdered sugar (icing sugar)
Instructions
- To make fresh Apple Sauce: in a medium saucepan, combine apples with lemon juice and sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes or until you can mash to a chunky sauce with a wooden spoon or fork. Set aside to cool completely. (You can place in a ice bath to speed this up)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Oil a 9x13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan and line with parchment, with a slight overhang on the long sides.
- Place apple sauce, eggs, almond flour, sugar, salt and lemon juice in the bowl of your food processor; process until smooth. Scrape into prepared pan give the pan a shake to even it out. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 33 - 38 minutes, until the top is set and lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don’t underbake, or the middle pieces will be mushy. It's ok if the edges are a little darker.
- Place on a cooling rack to cool for at least 30 minutes or completely and carefully lift the parchment to remove to a cutting board. Cut with a sharp serrated knife into 24 squares: cut the long side in half and then cut each half into thirds; cut the short side in half and half again. Use an offset spatula to carefully remove each piece off the paper. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving (optional).
MAKE AHEAD/STORE
- Store in an airtight container in a cool place for 3 days or refrigerate for 5 days. Or wrap in plastic and foil and freeze in an airtight container for 3 months. Unwrap and place back in the container to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Bring to room temperature before serving.
Notes
📌🍎 Save it now, bake it soon!
💬 Did you make these Apple Almond Cake Bars?
I’d love to hear how they turned out! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @ornabakes so I can see your beautiful bars 💜
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Brutti Ma Buoni Meringue Cookies (with sliced almonds)
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2 Responses
Well I decided to make the apple and almond slices for Rosh Hashanah as Honey cake is just so boring and old, especially when we have so many other ingredients to use to celebrate RH, and as Orna says, a small slice is nice after a big meal. Even though made with Almond flour they are light and delicious and the best part is that they are super easy to make.
I made my own apple sc stove top and let cool overnight and yes it’s better to ensure sizes roughly chopped are equal so they all cook at the same time. Freshly squeezed lemon also can’t beat store bought lemon juice.
@ornabakes
I’m so happy that you like them, Gavin! Wishing you and your family a sweet and delicious New Year! 🍎🍏 Next you should try my Apple Challah! 😉