Apple Bars

These apple bars are loaded with tender cinnamon-spiced apples sandwiched between a tender crust and a crunchy crumble topping.

Apple bars are an easy and delicious way to celebrate apple season. With just 7 ingredients, most of which are pantry staples, you can whip these up in no time!

Want more apple recipes? Try these!

• Cinnamon Apple Cake
• Cast Iron Apple Crisp
• Mini Apple Galettes

Ingredients

Key Ingredient Notes

Apples – choose apples that are sweet and tart and hold up well to baking. Honey Crisp, Cosmic Crisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, and Cortland are all great choices. If you prefer a more tart apple, Granny Smith apples are the way to go.

Sugar and Brown Sugar – both add just enough sweetness to balance out the apples. White sugar allows the crumble topping to become crunchy and brown sugar adds a deeper flavor to the crust and apples.

Cinnamon – you can never go wrong when pairing cinnamon with apples.

Step By Step Instructions

Note: A complete list of ingredients, their amounts, and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×9-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper so that there is enough hangover on each side to use as handles.

Step 2:

In a mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Pour in the melted butter and mix until well combined. Set aside.

Step 3:

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sliced apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon until the apples are fully coated. Set aside.

Step 4:

Crumble half of the dough evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Then, using your hand or a flat-bottomed measuring cup, press the crumbled dough into an even layer.

Step 5:

Spread the apples in an even layer over the bottom crust.

Step 6:

Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the apples.

Step 7:

Bake for 40 minutes or until the top and edges are lightly browned and the apple layer is bubbling.

Step 8:

Cool the apple bars in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before removing and cutting into bars. Serve them as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tips & Tricks

• Grease the entire pan with softened butter or baking spray before lining it with parchment. This will help keep the parchment paper in place and keep the bars from sticking.
• Be sure to leave a few inches of overhang on the parchment paper. This will make it much easier to remove the bars without them falling apart.
• Allow the bars to cool for at least 1 hour but more is better. The longer they cool, the less likely they are to fall apart when cutting.

Substitutions & Variations

• Pear would make a great substitution for the apples.
• Add a thin layer of apple butter under the apples to really bump up the apple flavor.
• Cinnamon and apples are a perfect match but feel free to add more spices. Cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg would all taste great.

Storage & Reheating

Storage

Keep the apple bars in an airtight container. They will keep at room temperature for 1 day but should be refrigerated for longer storage. In the fridge, they’ll last for up to 5 days.

Reheating

If you would like to warm them up, either heat them in 15-second bursts in the microwave or in a 350-degree oven for 5 minutes.

Freezing

Wrap individual bars in plastic wrap before freezing. Keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow them to fully thaw either in the fridge or at room temperature before serving.