Apple Pie Bars

A perfect fall dessert, these Apple Pie Bars have sweet caramelized apples layered on top of a cookie crust and then sprinkled with a buttery crumb topping. They are the perfect dessert if you are craving apple pie and are great to feed a crowd!

I sure do love pie, but I think I equally love pie bars! After you’ve made these Apple Crumb Bars, make sure you also try these Peaches and Cream Bars, Blackberry Pie Bars, or for another fall favorite, Pumpkin Pie Bars. And these Lemon Bars are just as good as any lemon pie!

As much as I love pumpkin season, right now I am taking advantage of the fresh crops of fall apples – one of my other favorite fall flavors! These Apple Pie Bars are the perfect treat to share with friends or family. Sweet and full of apple flavor, you won’t be able to keep your hands out of them. I know this, because I had to give them away because I couldn’t stay away from them!

There is one thing that I can’t resist – a good crumb topping. And pairing a crumb topping with apples is like a match made in heaven for me. In fact, my favorite Sour Cream Apple Pie has a crumb topping.

But what can you do when you don’t want to go to the trouble of making a pie? How about cookie bars that have all the same flavors? These Apple Pie Bars have so many of the same flavors of apple pie, all rolled up into a cookie bar. This is the perfect fall dessert.

2Ingredients

• Apples: I like to use Granny Smith apples. You can use any apple that is good for baking – Braeburn, Fuji and Gala are some of my other favorites for baking.
• Butter: Yes, there is a lot of butter in these bars! You will need it for the base, filling, and topping. I like to use unsalted butter.
• Sugar: You need both granulated sugar and brown sugar.
• Lemon Juice: I prefer to use fresh lemon juice. My lemon was pretty big and juicy, so I only needed half of a lemon, but you may need a full lemon.
• Flour: I use all-purpose flour. It is another ingredient that goes into all 3 components of this dessert.
• Cinnamon: Apples and cinnamon are perfect together, and the small amount of cinnamon gives these bars a perfect warmth.
• Baking Powder: The baking powder is important for the structure of the cookie base.
• Salt: I use sea salt in this recipe.
• Egg: You only need one egg for this recipe. For best results, bring it to room temperature before using.
• Nuts: I have made these with both walnuts and pecans. They are both great, so you can use whichever you like best. And if you aren’t a nut fan, simply just leave them out.

How to Make Apple Pie Bars

STEP 1: You want to start by making the apple filling. Take your apples and peel them and dice them. Melt your butter in a large skillet, then add the apples. Cook them until soft, then stir in sugar, lemon juice, flour, and cinnamon. Cook this until thickened, then let the filling cool.

STEP 2: The next step is the crust. Whisk your dry ingredients together. Then, in a mixer, beat the sugar and butter. Add in the egg, then the dry ingredients. Mix this until it starts to come together. Don’t worry if it is crumbly – this is normal.

STEP 3: The last component is the crumb topping. Combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add the butter, then cut it into the mixture using a pastry cutter or a fork. Once crumbly, stir in the nuts.

STEP 4: Take your crust mixture and press it into the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper. I use a flat bottomed measuring cup to press it in evenly.

STEP 5: Spread the apple filling over the crust. You want to make sure it is spread as evenly as possible.

STEP 6: Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the apples. Bake the bars until the top is golden brown, then let the bars cool completely before cutting into bars.

Tips and Tricks

This does make a lot, but it’s hard to cut it in half because you only need one egg. If you want to go to the trouble of halving one egg, feel free to cut the recipe in half. (But I always love extra so that I can give some away!)

Each component can be made ahead of time, but I wouldn’t assemble it all together until you are ready to bake the Apple Bars, just to make sure the crumb topping doesn’t get soggy.

I store any leftover bars in the refrigerator. I think they taste so good when they are cold, so I actually prefer to eat them that way.

More Apple Recipes

Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Frosting
Pumpkin Apple Bread
Caramel Apple Crisp
Apple Cinnamon Cake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
15 Apple Recipes You’ll Want to Make Every Fall

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