Apple Pie Bars Recipe: Comforting Apple Dessert
I absolutely love everything apple and these apple pie bars are certainly a guilty pleasure of mine. They have all the characteristic flavors of apple pie (one of my favorite things!) and are pretty easy to make.
Of course, if you want to try another apple dessert, check out these super simple-to-make baked apples. And, skip all the butter and try my Ayurvedic stewed apples recipe. It’s such a soothing, digestion-friendly breakfast food.
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Ingredients for apple pie bars
Equipment
You will need an 8×8-inch square baking dish for this recipe. Besides that, no special equipment is needed here.
How to make these apple pie bars
Initial prep
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the square dish (8”x8”) with parchment paper.
Measure out 6 tablespoons of butter (approx. 90 grams) and pop in the freezer. You want this butter very cold for the crumble topping later.
Make the crust
Measure out another 8 tablespoons of butter (approx. 115 grams) and place in a small microwave safe dish. Pop the butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds until it is melted. You should do this in 10-second bursts so the butter doesn’t explode and make a mess in the microwave.
Pour the melted butter into a large mixing bowl. Add in the vanilla, salt and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Whisk together.
Mix in the flour (1 and 1/4 cup) and knead to form the shortbread pastry dough.
Press the dough evenly into the parchment-lined baking dish. You don’t need to take the dough up the sides – keeping it flat is fine.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The pastry should lighten and be a bit puffy. Set aside to cool down a bit.
Make the apple filling
Wash and peel the apples. Remove the seeds and cut into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch wedges and place into a large mixing bowl.
To the slices, mix in 2 tablespoons of flour, white sugar (about 1/4 cup), 1 teaspoon cinnamon and some nutmeg. Toss to make sure the apple wedges are evenly coated. Set aside.
Make the oat crumble
Remove the butter (the 6 tbsp) from the freezer. Grate the butter with a box grater (or you can add it to the food processor and pulse until it becomes crumbs).
Add the grated butter to a mixing bowl and toss in the rolled oats, flour (1/2 cup), brown sugar (1/2 cup), cinnamon powder (1/2 tsp) and some white sugar (2 tbsp). Get in there with your hands and mix together until it becomes fully incorporated and crumbly.
Bring everything together and bake
To the baked pastry that should be warm still, add the apple filling. Spread evenly so the apple pieces cover the entire pastry.
Next, sprinkle the oat crumble on top of the apple filling.
Pop the baking dish back in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the crumble is slightly brown to golden brown.
Chill
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Once cool, place the dish in the fridge so that the super soft apple pieces and their liquid firm up. Two hours should be enough time.
Cut into bars and serve cool or slightly warm. These apple pie bars are great with some caramel sauce or chocolate sauce on top and maybe a dollop of ice cream. They are so good! The bars can last in the fridge for about 4 days and can stay for a month in the freezer.
More recipes
Apple pie bars recipe
Apple pie bars
Ingredients
Shortbread pastry crust
- ½ cup butter (8 tbsp or 113 grams)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1¼ cup all purpose flour
Apple filling
- 4 medium apples (or 3 large apples)
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
Oat crumble topping
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter (90 grams)
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp white sugar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Equipment
- 8"x8" baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350°F.
- Line 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Place butter for the crumble (6 tbsps) in the freezer.
- Place butter for crust (8 tbsps) in a microwave safe bowl.
- Microwave the butter until melted (10 second bursts for 30 to 40 seconds).
- Pour the butter in a mixing bowl.
- Add ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and ¼ tsp salt to the butter. Whisk.
- Mix in 1¼ cup of all purpose flour.
- Bring together to form smooth shortbread pastry dough.
- Press the dough into the lined baking dish. Be sure it’s flat and even.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Remove and set aside to cool.
- Wash and peel the apples. Remove the seeds.
- Cut the apples into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch wedges.
- Place the wedges in a large mixing bowl.
- Add in 2 tbsp flour, ¼ cup white sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and ⅛ tsp nutmeg.
- Mix thoroughly. Set aside the apple filling.
- Remove butter from freezer (6tbsps).
- Grate the cold butter (or pulse with a food processor until fine).
- Add the butter to a mixing bowl.
- Mix in ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp white sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon. The mixture should become crumbly.
- To the baked pastry crust (from step 12), add the apple filling. Spread evenly.
- Sprinkle the oat crumble on top of the apple filling.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the crumble is golden.
- Remove from the oven. Cool completely.
- Place the baking dish in the fridge for 2 hours to firm up.
- Remove from the fridge. Slice into bars (9 bars are ideal).
- Serve cool or slightly warm.
- Top with sauce of choice like caramel or ice cream (optional).
- Store in the fridge up to 4 days or 1 month in the freezer.
