This Apple Pie Bars Recipe offers all the comforting flavors of traditional apple pie in a convenient, handheld format. It’s the perfect dessert solution for busy weeknights or potlucks, providing a delightful and easy-to-serve treat that everyone will adore.
Key Ingredients for Apple Pie Bars Recipe:
- For the Crust and Crumble Topping:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- For the Apple Filling:
- 6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (about 6-7 cups) – a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp works wonderfully
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
How to Make Apple Pie Bars Recipe:
Whip up these incredibly easy Apple Pie Bars Recipe in under 40 minutes of active prep time, promising a symphony of sweet, spiced apples nestled between a buttery, crumbly crust and topping. The velvety smooth apple filling, infused with warm spices, creates a truly satisfying dessert experience.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
1. Prepare the Crust and Crumble Mixture:
In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Add the cold, cubed butter to the bowl. Use a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingertips to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. This blend of flour and butter is crucial for both the tender crust and the delightfully crisp crumble topping.
2. Press the Crust into the Pan:
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy lifting later. Reserve about 1 ½ cups of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the base crust. Ensure it’s well compacted for a sturdy foundation.
3. Prepare the Apple Filling:
In a separate large bowl, combine the thinly sliced apples, ½ cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of allspice, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss gently to ensure all the apple slices are evenly coated with the sugar and spice mixture. The lemon juice not only adds a touch of brightness but also helps prevent the apples from browning.
4. Assemble the Bars:
Spread the prepared apple filling evenly over the pressed crust in the baking pan. Make sure to distribute the apples uniformly to ensure each bar gets a good portion of the delicious filling.
5. Add the Crumble Topping:
Evenly sprinkle the reserved 1 ½ cups of crumb mixture over the top of the apple filling. Ensure you cover the apples completely with the crumble for that classic streusel topping effect.
6. Bake to Golden Perfection:
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling and appears tender. You should be able to easily pierce an apple slice with a knife to check for doneness. If the topping starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil.
7. Cool and Cut:
Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and let the Apple Pie Bars Recipe cool completely on a wire rack. This is a crucial step to allow the filling to set properly, making it much easier to cut clean slices. Once fully cooled, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the entire slab out of the pan. Cut into desired bar sizes using a sharp knife.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Pie Bars Recipe:
You’ll absolutely adore this Apple Pie Bars Recipe for its perfect balance of sweet, tender apples and crunchy, buttery crumble. Unlike a traditional pie that requires careful slicing and serving, these bars offer individual portions that are mess-free and incredibly convenient, making them a crowd-pleaser at any gathering. The warm, comforting embrace of cinnamon and nutmeg infused within each bite—along with the delightful contrast of textures—will have you reaching for seconds.
For anyone looking to recreate that classic apple pie experience without the fuss of rolling out dough and wrestling with a pie plate, this recipe is your answer. It’s a budget-friendly way to serve a show-stopping dessert, often using ingredients you already have in your pantry. So, gather your apples and let’s bake up some pure happiness. Dive into this recipe today and discover your new favorite easy dessert!
Storing and Reheating Tips:
These delightful Apple Pie Bars Recipe will stay fresh and delicious when stored properly.
- Refrigeration: Allow the baked bars to cool completely at room temperature. Once cooled, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap or transfer the bars to an airtight container. They will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: For longer storage, you can freeze the bars. Ensure they are completely cooled. You can freeze the entire slab, or cut them into individual bars before freezing. Wrap each bar or the entire slab tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, or place in a freezer-safe airtight container. Frozen Apple Pie Bars Recipe will maintain their best quality for up to 2-3 months.
- Reheating: To reheat, place a bar on a microwave-safe plate and heat in 15-20 second intervals until warmed through. For a crisper crust, you can reheat them in a toaster oven or a conventional oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 5-10 minutes. If reheating from frozen, allow them to thaw slightly at room temperature before reheating, or increase the reheating time.
Final Thoughts:
This Apple Pie Bars Recipe is a guaranteed hit, delivering all the beloved taste of apple pie in an effortlessly enjoyable format. Give this delightful recipe a try; you won’t be disappointed by its simplicity and deliciousness!
Apple Pie Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Add the cold, cubed butter to the bowl. Use a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingertips to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. This blend of flour and butter is crucial for both the tender crust and the delightfully crisp crumble topping.2.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 0.25 teaspoon salt, 1 cup cold unsalted butter
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy lifting later. Reserve about 1 ½ cups of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the base crust. Ensure it’s well compacted for a sturdy foundation.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the thinly sliced apples, ½ cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of allspice, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss gently to ensure all the apple slices are evenly coated with the sugar and spice mixture. The lemon juice not only adds a touch of brightness but also helps prevent the apples from browning.6 medium apples, 0.5 cup granulated sugar, 0.25 cup packed light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 0.5 teaspoon ground allspice, 0.25 teaspoon salt
- Spread the prepared apple filling evenly over the pressed crust in the baking pan. Make sure to distribute the apples uniformly to ensure each bar gets a good portion of the delicious filling.
- Evenly sprinkle the reserved 1 ½ cups of crumb mixture over the top of the apple filling. Ensure you cover the apples completely with the crumble for that classic streusel topping effect.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling and appears tender. You should be able to easily pierce an apple slice with a knife to check for doneness. If the topping starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil.
- Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and let the Apple Pie Bars Recipe cool completely on a wire rack. This is a crucial step to allow the filling to set properly, making it much easier to cut clean slices. Once fully cooled, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the entire slab out of the pan. Cut into desired bar sizes using a sharp knife.