Apple Pie Bars
Sweet apple pie bars are a fantastic and easy fall dessert. This apple bars recipe is much easier to make than a pie, but just as tasty!
Servings 16 square
Calories 286kcal
Ingredients
Crust:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter 1.5 sticks, softened
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
Filling:
- 6 cups peeled + sliced apples
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ sea salt
Crumble Topping:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted (½ stick)
- ⅓ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
Make the Crust
- Using a fork or the whisk attachment on an electric mixer, combine butter, all purpose flour, and sugar until a crumbly crust forms. It will seem dry, but that's fine!
- Press the crust in the greased pan and bake for about 15 minutes until it’s golden brown.
- While the crust bakes, prepare the filling.
Make the Filling
- In a large nonstick sauté pan, stir together apples, sugar, butter, cornstarch, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until the apples start to soften. **You can add 1 tablespoon of water if your apples start to thicken too much or are sticking to the pan.
Make the Crumble Topping
- To a mixing bowl, add melted butter, sugar, cinnamon and flour. Stir well to combine.
Bake
- Remove the crust from the oven and pour the apple filling over it. Use an offset spatula or back of a spoon to spread the filling evenly over the crust. Sprinkle crumble topping evenly over the fruit filling.
- Bake at 350℉ for 15-20 minutes, or until the top of the crumble bars is golden brown.
Notes
Helpful Tips from Liz
- Preparing the apples: You can slice or dice the apples, whichever you prefer. The important thing is to try and keep the sizes consistent so that the fruit bakes evenly.
- Is your filling too thick? As the apple bar filling cooks, it may be too thick for your liking. If so, add 1 Tablespoon of water to the pan and stir to combine.
- Allow the dessert to cool before slicing: Until it cools a bit, the topping will be crumbly and the filling will be loose. I recommend letting the apple bars cool for at least 15-20 minutes before you attempt to cut it into squares.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg