Apple Crumb Bars are the perfect shareable fall dessert made with a buttery shortbread crust, warm apple pie filling, and a sweet crumb topping!
The holidays are the perfect time to enjoy your favorite apple baked goods like Apple Pie, Apple Crumble, or Apple Crisp. This Bar Recipe is a great way to enjoy those same festive flavors baked into a simple, easy to share dessert perfect for a party or bake sale.
APPLE CRUMB BARS
Nothing says, “Autumn” like the flavors of fresh apples and cinnamon baked together in a warm dessert recipe. These Apple Pie Bars are made with simple pantry ingredients like sugars, butter, eggs, and flour so that the taste of the apples is really what shines through. The butter crumb topping goes perfectly with the cinnamon and apple pie filling for the perfect Fall treat.
Serve Apple Crumb Bars up with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream over the top. The cool, creamy dairy toppings perfectly balance out the rich and warm cinnamon taste of the bars.
Apple Crumb Bars are made in a 9×13 inch baking dish so they’re perfect to transport and to share. Unlike an apple pie that might crumble or spill some of its filling, the rim of the baking pan goes above the bars so that they’re easy to cover and take in a car. Then easily slice it into squares for the perfect mess-free dessert.
MORE EASY BAR RECIPES
Chewy Graham Cracker Bars
Iced Strawberry Brownies
Turtle Bars
Cranberry Oat Bars
TIPS FOR MAKING APPLE CRUMB BARS
- Prep time: To start the recipe, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. If you don’t have baking spray, lightly grease the pan with butter so that the bars don’t stick to the bottom.
- Shortbread: Add ½ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to your food processor. Pulse the dry ingredients together until blended. Add butter and eggs to the flour mixture. Pulse again until crumbly dough forms. Divide the crumble mixture in half and press one half into the base of your prepared pan.
- Apple pie filling: Peel and slice the apples into small pieces. Toss them in a separate bowl with ½ cup sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Once the apples are well coated, spread the mixture over the top of the crust.
- Topping: Sprinkle the remaining shortbread evenly over the apples as a crumble topping.
- Baking time: Bake for 45 minutes until the shortbread is light golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling. Take the Apple Crumb Bars from the oven and give them at least 10 minutes to cool before slicing them into squares.
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VARIATIONS ON APPLE CRUMB BARS
- Apples: There are plenty of different apple varieties you can use in Apple Pie Bars. Granny Smith apples are typical for baking, but Honeycrisp, Winesap, Jonagold, Fuji, or Golden Delicious would all work well.
- Spices: Along with the cinnamon, try tossing the apples with other seasonings that you’d typically find in apple pie spice. Ground nutmeg, allspice, ginger, or cardamom would all add lots of wonderfully warm and seasonal flavor to the recipe.
- Caramel Apple Bars: Try adding caramel to the recipe for a sweet and gooey topping. You can make an easy Caramel Sauce or buy caramel apple dip to use for the topping.
- Nuts: For some added crunchy texture, top the bars off with chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
APPLE DESSERT RECIPES
Apple Crostata
Apple Crumble
Apple Crisp Quick Bread
Caramel Apple Cobbler
HOW TO STORE APPLE CRUMB BARS
- Serve: You can keep Apple Pie Bars at room temperature for up to 4 days. Once they’ve cooled, cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap to keep them moist.
- Store: Kept in an airtight container, or covered, the bars can stay good in the refrigerator for 1 week. Put paper towels in the container to absorb any excess moisture.
- Freeze: You can freeze Apple Crumb Bars for up to 6 months. Put them in a freezer bag with the squares separated by parchment paper so that they don’t freeze together. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crumb:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar , packed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter , cold, cut into cubes
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Apple Filling:
- 4 cups Granny Smith Apples , peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with baking spray.
- In a food processor, combine ½ cup white sugar with brown sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the butter and egg to the food processor and pulse until a crumbly dough forms.
- Press half of the dough into the prepared pan.
- In a separate bowl, gently toss the apples in ½ cup sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon until well coated.
- Spread the apple mixture evenly over the crust.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the apple layer.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly brown and apple filling is bubbling.
- Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Nutrition
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Made these for a potluck, and brought home an empty platter! 4 people asked me for the recipe, so I gave them your site address. 😉 I’m so glad I snitched one before I went or I wouldn’t have gotten one. Very Fall, very yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
An empty platter is one of my favorite compliments! You’re ver welcome Mary and thanks for the 5 star rating.