Clear Skin Baking Swaps: Raspberry Crumble Bars Without the Breakouts

Recipe by Lauren Hearn, Acne Coach inside The Clear Skin Solution, and blog written by Paige Fursman, Chief Operating Officer and Acne Advisor at Katie Stewart Wellness. Raspberry Crumble Bars

You shouldn’t have to choose between a glowing complexion and enjoying dessert. The truth is, when you upgrade the ingredients in your kitchen, your skin starts to glow, bite by delicious bite. And these Raspberry Crumble Bars are a perfect example of how you can enjoy sweet treats while supporting your skin’s health. They’re made with anti-inflammatory, hormone-balancing, and gut-supportive ingredients, just like we teach inside The Clear Skin Solution.

Let’s unpack exactly why this dessert deserves a permanent spot in your acne-friendly kitchen, and how to make similar swaps every day.

What’s Usually in Desserts (And Why It Matters for Acne)

Your average dessert is a minefield for acne-prone skin: refined sugar spikes insulin and fuels inflammation, white flour breaks down quickly into sugar, stressing hormones, dairy boosts androgens and IGF-1—hormones linked to oily skin and clogged pores, and vegetable oils like canola or soybean promote chronic inflammation. These ingredients often impact the root cause of our stubborn breakouts.

The Smart Pantry Swaps That Make a Difference

Inside our acne-clearing program, The Clear Skin Solution, we teach a concept called “Pantry Power.” It’s all about replacing inflammatory staples with clear skin-approved ingredients, without sacrificing taste. Here’s how our Raspberry Crumble Bars turn common acne triggers into skin-nourishing heroes:

Gluten-Free Flours Over Refined White Flour

Instead of nutrient-depleting white flour, this recipe uses gluten-free rolled oats for fiber and blood sugar balance, almond flour for vitamin E and healthy fats, and coconut flour for gut-friendly fiber and satiety. Gluten can damage the gut lining and trigger systemic inflammation, a big red flag for acne-prone skin. Swapping to almond, coconut, or cassava flours is one of the simplest ways to reduce skin flare-ups and support digestion.

Coconut Oil Instead of Inflammatory Vegetable Oils

We use virgin coconut oil, which is antimicrobial and stable at high temperatures, great for both baking and your microbiome. Vegetable oils like canola or soybean are high in omega-6 fats, which fuel systemic inflammation and disrupt your skin barrier. Replacing them with coconut, avocado, or extra virgin olive oil helps your skin stay calm and resilient.

Natural Sweeteners Over Refined Sugar

These bars are sweetened with pure maple syrup or raw honey, both rich in antioxidants and lower on the glycemic index. Refined sugar spikes insulin, which triggers sebum production and inflammation. In contrast, natural sweeteners like maple syrup, raw honey, or even monk fruit are easier on your hormones and gut.

Chia Seeds for Skin-Boosting Fiber and Omega-3s

Chia seeds thicken the raspberry filling while adding soluble fiber to feed good gut bacteria and plant-based omega-3s that calm inflamed skin. Supporting the gut-skin axis is key. Chia, flax, and hemp seeds deliver anti-inflammatory power in a tiny package.

Shop and Swap: Building an Acne-Friendly Pantry

Want your whole kitchen to work like these bars do? Here are some powerful swaps from our client pantry swaps guide:

Upgrade your pantry one product at a time. When something runs out, replace it with a skin-friendly alternative.

Progress Over Perfection: The 80/20 Approach to Clear Skin

Healing your skin isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being consistent. That’s why we encourage an 80/20 mindset: aim to make skin-supportive choices 80 percent of the time, and leave 20 percent for flexibility, fun, and real life.

Whether it’s a family birthday cake or a favorite childhood snack, enjoying these moments in moderation won’t derail your progress. What matters most is what you do daily, not occasionally. These Raspberry Crumble Bars fit perfectly into that 80 percent, giving you a dessert that supports your skin goals without making you feel restricted.

Inside The Clear Skin Solution, we help you apply this balanced approach across all areas of your life so clear skin becomes sustainable, not stressful.

A Dessert That Supports Your Glow

Healing your skin doesn’t mean kissing dessert goodbye. It means becoming more intentional with your ingredients and discovering how satisfying and delicious whole foods can truly be, without the skin-sabotaging side effects.

These Raspberry Crumble Bars aren’t just acne-friendly, they’re gut-healing, hormone-balancing, and energy-sustaining. Every bite is rich in fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidants that work with your body to support clearer skin from the inside out.

We call them functional desserts because they do more than taste good; they help your body thrive. And when your body is nourished, your skin reflects it.

This is the kind of recipe that proves you can love food and love your skin, without having to compromise on either.

Raspberry Crumble Bars

These Raspberry Crumble Bars are a deliciously sweet, glow-boosting treat made with skin-loving ingredients.

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Ingredients

For the Crust & Crumble Topping:

• 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1 cup almond flour
• ½ cup coconut flour
• ½ cup coconut oil (melted)
• ½ cup pure maple syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

For the Raspberry Filling:

• 2½ cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds (for thickening)

Instructions

Prepare the Oven & Baking Pan:

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Make the Crust & Crumble Topping:

• In a large bowl, combine gluten-free oats, almond flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, and sea salt.
• Stir in melted coconut oil, maple syrup (or honey), and vanilla extract until a crumbly dough forms.
• Press about two-thirds of the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Reserve the remaining mixture for topping.

Prepare the Raspberry Filling:

• In a saucepan, add raspberries, maple syrup or honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
• Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, gently mashing raspberries with a fork or potato masher until softened.
• Stir in chia seeds and remove from heat, letting the mixture sit for 10 minutes to thicken.

Assemble & Bake:

• Spread the raspberry filling evenly over the crust layer.
• Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture evenly over the raspberry filling.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the topping is golden brown.

Cool & Serve:

• Allow bars to cool completely in the pan.
• Once cooled, refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing into bars to ensure they set properly.