Description
These Apple Pie Bars combine a tender shortbread crust with a deliciously spiced apple filling and crumbly topping, creating a perfect balance of crunchy and soft textures. Easy to make from scratch, these bars capture the classic flavors of apple pie in a convenient bar form, perfect for snacks or dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Apple Filling
- 550 g (4 and 1/2 cups – 4 medium apples) chopped cubed apples
- 30 g (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 25 g (2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Shortbread Crust and Crumble
- 280 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour (dip and sweep)
- 185 g (3/4 cup and 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, cold
- 105 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch (20 cm) square oven-proof dish and line it with parchment paper, ensuring about 2 inches (5 cm) of overhang on each side for easy removal.
- Prepare Apple Filling: In a medium bowl, combine the chopped apples with granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Toss gently to evenly coat all apple pieces with the mixture.
- Make Shortbread Dough: In a large bowl, mix the all-purpose flour with the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Add the cold unsalted butter cubes and use your fingers or a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Assemble Bars: Reserve about 1/3 of the shortbread crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining 2/3 evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form a crust layer. Spread the apple filling evenly over the crust, then sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the apples evenly.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 50-55 minutes, until the crumble topping is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbly and cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the dish on a wire rack. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the pan and cut into 16 bars before serving.
Notes
- This recipe uses the same shortbread dough for both the crust and crumb topping, making it easy and efficient.
- The bars offer a delightful combination of crunchy and soft textures with a flavorful apple pie filling.
- For best results, use tart apples like Granny Smith for a balanced sweet and tangy flavor.
- Ensure the butter is very cold when incorporating into the flour for a crumbly texture.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting to maintain their shape.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 205 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 45 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 22 mg
