Description
Delicious and easy-to-make Apple Pie Bars featuring a tender buttery crust, a spiced apple filling, and crunchy crumble topping. Perfect for a dessert or snack, these bars blend warm cinnamon and nutmeg flavors with fresh apples in a convenient square pan format.
Ingredients
Scale
Apple Filling
- 550 g (4 and ½ cups – 4 medium apples) chopped cubed apples
- 30 g (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 25 g (2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon) all-purpose flour* (or 1 tablespoon cornstarch as substitute)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Crust & Crumbles
- 280 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour (dip and sweep method recommended)
- 185 g (¾ cup and 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, cut into small cold cubes
- 105 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease an 8 inch (20 cm) square oven-proof dish and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches (5 cm) of overhang on each side to help lift out the bars later.
- Prepare Apple Filling: Peel, core, and chop the apples into small pieces. In a medium bowl, toss the chopped apples with lemon juice, sugar, flour (or cornstarch), cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly coated. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.
- Make Crust & Crumbles: In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, and granulated sugar. Add the cold cubed butter and work it into the flour mixture by cutting it in with two forks, a pastry blender, or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Assemble Bars: Spread two-thirds of the crumble mixture evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan, lightly flouring your spoon or hands to prevent sticking. Spread the apple filling evenly over this base layer. Finally, sprinkle the remaining one-third of the crumble mixture on top, pressing some down lightly and leaving some pieces larger for a crunchy topping.
- Bake: Place the assembled pan in the preheated oven and bake for 55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the crumble is crunchy.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely at room temperature for about 1 to 1.5 hours. To speed cooling, you can place them in the freezer after room temperature cooldown. Once fully cooled, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars from the pan and cut into 16 pieces.
- Storage: Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months for longer preservation.
Notes
- You can substitute 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for the 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour in the apple filling for a slightly different texture.
- The dip and sweep method for measuring flour helps prevent over-packing and results in more accurate flour quantities.
- For best results, use cold unsalted butter and work quickly to keep the dough crumbly and flaky.
- The nutritional information is an estimate from an online nutrition calculator and may vary depending on ingredient brands and exact measurements.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 205 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
