If you’ve never had apple pie bars, you’re in for a treat! They have all the flavors of classic apple pie but are easier to make.
The buttery shortbread crust is the perfect base for the cinnamon-spiced apple filling. And the crumbly streusel topping is the best part if you ask me!
They’re portable, shareable, and keep well for days if you don’t devour them immediately!
Serve them at your next gathering, pack them for lunch, or enjoy one with your morning coffee.
Why You’ll Love These Apple Pie Bars
Here are a few reasons these bars are such a hit.
- Portable Treat: They’re perfect for potlucks, bake sales, or sharing with friends.
- Make Ahead: The bars keep well at room temperature for a few days, so you can bake them ahead of time.
- Easier Than Pie: They’re quicker and easier to make than traditional apple pie, but they have the same great flavor.
- Endless Variations: Customize the bars with your favorite spices, nuts, caramel drizzle, or different fruits.
Ingredients
Gather these ingredients to whip up these tasty bars:
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of the buttery crust and crumble topping. It provides structure and texture.
- Granulated Sugar: It adds sweetness to the crust, filling, and topping and helps create a golden brown color.
- Salt: To balance the sweetness of the sugar and apples.
- Unsalted Butter: It helps for, a rich, flaky crust and crumbly streusel.
- Apples: The star of the filling! Tart, firm varieties like Granny Smith hold their shape and aren’t too sweet.
- Cornstarch: It thickens the juices released by the apples as they bake, creating a glossy filling.
- Ground Cinnamon & Ground Nutmeg: The warm, fragrant spices complement the natural sweetness of the apples.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: It brightens the flavor of the filling and keeps the apples from browning as you slice them.
How to Make Apple Pie Bars
These bars are even easier than pie!
- Prep the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust and crumble. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter until crumbly. Press 2/3 into the pan for the crust, and reserve 1/3 for topping.
- Cook the apple filling. In a saucepan, cook the sliced apples with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice until softened. Stir in the cornstarch to thicken.
- Assemble the bars. Spread the apple filling over the crust. Crumble the reserved topping over the apples.
- Bake the bars. Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes until the topping is golden brown.
- Cool and slice. Allow bars to cool completely in the pan before lifting out and slicing into squares.
Tips For the Best Apple Pie Bars
Follow these tips for the very best treats:
- Keep things tart. Granny Smith or other tart baking apples hold their shape better during baking.
- Chill the butter. Using cold butter creates a flakier, more tender texture.
- Try a fun twist. Add nuts, raisins, or other dried fruits to the filling or topping for extra flavor and texture.
- Give ‘em an egg wash. Brushing the top crust with an egg wash gives a beautiful shiny, golden-brown finish.
- Make them fancy. A simple powdered sugar glaze or caramel drizzle makes the bars look bakery-perfect.
- Make things easier on yourself. Lining the pan with parchment allows easy removal of the cooled bars.
How to Store
If you have leftover bars, here’s how to store them:
To Store: Keep the bars in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For the best texture, place a paper towel in the container to absorb excess moisture.
To Freeze: Freeze for 3 months after wrapping tightly in plastic wrap and foil or placing in a freezer zip-top bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To Reheat: Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 15-20 seconds until just warmed through. You can also reheat in a 300°F oven for 5-10 minutes.
Apple Pie Bars
16
servings20
minutes50
165
kcalThese apple pie bars feature a buttery shortbread crust, cinnamon apple filling, and crumbly streusel topping. Plus, they’re easier to make than pie!
Ingredients
- For the Crust & Crumble Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- For the Apple Filling:
3 lbs tart apples like Granny Smith, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
- Make the crust & crumble: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Press about 2/3 of the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust. Reserve the remaining 1/3 for the crumble topping.
- Make the apple filling: In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice until evenly coated. Spread the apple mixture over the crust in an even layer.
- Sprinkle the reserved crumble mixture evenly over the top of the apples.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the crumble topping is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with a knife. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
- Using the parchment paper, lift the cooled bars out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice into squares and serve.
Notes
- Use a mix of tart and sweet apples for the best flavor, like Granny Smith and Honeycrisp.
- Toss the apples with lemon juice to prevent browning and add brightness.
- Let the bars cool completely before slicing for neater squares.
- For a caramel apple version, drizzle the bars with salted caramel sauce before serving.
