At the end of December we found out that Adam was diabetic. With that has brought some lifestyle changes, which are for the best for both of us. I have started using whole wheat flour more, and finding diabetic friendly recipes to try out! I signed up for a subscription to Diabetic Living Magazine, and we got our first copy awhile back!

I was skimming through it and came across a recipe for Cinnamon Streusel Fresh Apple Bars, and I added it to the list to make! I was really impressed with these bars, I love the fresh apple in it, taste really good. It has a very light cinnamon brown sugar topping that really adds a lot to it! Now they do not recommend to use any sugar substitutes in the recipe! They didn’t explain fully why, but I am sure it will change the texture or flavor in a bad way. So, if you choose to use a sugar substitute just be prepared it may alter the way it turns out.

These bars are really simple to whip up!! Plus they bake pretty quick as well, which is always a plus!! So let’s get to it, here is the recipe for these delightful bars! 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (can substitute all purpose flour)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbs canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups chopped apples (around 2-3 medium sized apples)

Topping

• 2 tbs packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbs softened butter

Instructions

1. First off preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13/9 baking pan with aluminum foil, and then spray cooking oil on it and set aside.
2. In a bowl (I used KitchenAid) whisk granulated sugar, whole wheat flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together.
3. Once well mixed, add in your eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix well, then turn blender off, add apples. I used a spatula and hand stirred the apples so it would not be so hard on them.
4. This mixture will be pretty stiff. You will want to spread the batter over the pan evenly. It will be thin, so don’t worry. Just do you best to cover the pan.
5. In a small bowl mix your topping – cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter. Mix till nice and crumbly, and sprinkle evenly over the streusel.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick insert near center comes out clean.

Here is a picture of what my dough looked like. I used my hand to pat it down evenly in the pan. It was pretty thick like they said but it turned out good!! I did use whole wheat flour in mine, I know you can substitute white, but I went ahead and used the wheat flour!

If you make these bars, I hope you enjoy them :-)! Happy Baking!!