Description
Delight in these homemade Apple Pie Bars featuring a buttery, crumbly crust and a tender cinnamon-spiced apple filling. Perfectly baked to a golden brown with crunchy crumbles on top, these bars make a fantastic dessert or snack that captures all the comforting flavors of classic apple pie in an easy-to-serve bar form.
Ingredients
Scale
Apple Filling
- 550 g (4 and ½ cups, about 4 medium) chopped cubed apples
- 30 g (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 25 g (2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon) all-purpose flour* (or use 1 tablespoon cornstarch)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Crust & Crumbles
- 280 g (2 cups, dip and sweep method) all-purpose flour**
- 185 g (¾ cup and 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, cold
- 105 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease an 8-inch (20 cm) square oven-proof dish, then line it with parchment paper, allowing about 2 inches (5 cm) overhang on all sides for easy removal.
- Make the apple filling: Peel, core, and chop the apples into small cubes. In a medium bowl, toss the apples with lemon juice, sugar, flour (or cornstarch), cinnamon, and nutmeg to coat evenly. Set aside to allow the flavors to meld.
- Prepare the crust and crumbles: In a large bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, and sugar. Add the cold cubed butter, making sure each piece is covered by the flour mixture. Using two forks, a pastry blender, or your fingertips, cut or rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Assemble the bars: Spoon about two-thirds of the dough mixture into the prepared dish, spreading it evenly to form the base. Lightly flour your spoon or use your hands to avoid sticking. Layer the apple filling evenly over the crust, then sprinkle the remaining one-third of the dough mixture over top, pressing some down to form larger crumbles.
- Bake: Place the assembled dish in the oven and bake for 55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the crumbles are crunchy.
- Cool and serve: Allow the bars to cool completely at room temperature for 1 to 1.5 hours. For quicker cooling, you may place the bars in the freezer. Once cool, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars from the dish. Cut into 16 squares and serve. Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- You can substitute 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for the 2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour in the apple filling to achieve a slightly clearer filling.
- The dip and sweep method for measuring flour helps ensure accuracy when using cup measurements.
- Use a sharp knife for cleanly cutting the apple pie bars.
- Measuring cups and spoons used can affect ingredient amounts—using the dip and sweep method for flour prevents packing and too dense a crust.
- Nutrition info is an estimate from an online nutrition calculator and may vary based on specific brands and ingredients used.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (1/16th of the recipe)
- Calories: 205 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
