I’m going through a bit of an apple phase – more specifically an apple pie phase, but not in the traditional sense. I’m all about the warm and cozy taste and texture of America’s favorite pie, but I’m having fun reworking those flavors into other desserts. First gorgeous Apple Pie Muffins, then Homemade Apple Butter and now these lovely Apple Pie Bars.
We are lucky enough to have an amazing apple orchard just minutes from our house. Nestled in front of the orchard is a charming general store filled with smells of cider and freshly baked apple pie. The store also sells a terrific assortment of pantry items like country jams, jellies, syrups and also a variety of locally grown produce.
I may have picked up half a bushel of Granny Smith apples from the orchard on a whim – and I needed to find a plan fast. Having been enlisted to bake a dessert for a staff luncheon, I knew sweet Fall flavors in abundance would work well, but I also needed a recipe with a yield large enough to feed a room full of sweet-toothed coworkers. After a brief Google search, I came across this recipe for Apple Pie Bars and it is simply perfect.
Apple Pie Bars start with a rich, buttery shortbread crust that is topped with a layer of tart apples that are beautifully accentuated by a perfect blend of autumnal spices. To make these already incredible bars even better, a layer of sweet and nutty crumble adds just the right amount of crunch.
Although these Apple Pie Bars definitely fit into the dessert category, we couldn’t help indulging in them with our morning coffee for a delicious breakfast.
This recipe makes a huge batch of these bars which makes them perfect for potlucks, holiday cookie swaps or holiday parties.
Apple Pie Bars
Yield: 4 dozen bars
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
For the Crust
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher saltFor the Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
12 Granny Smith apples (about 6 pounds)—peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup water, if necessaryFor the Topping
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 cup chopped pecansDirections:
Make the Crust
Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a 15-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. At low speed, beat in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms.
Press the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan creating an even layer. Bake in the center of the oven for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden and set. Let cool on a rack.
Make the Filling
In an extra large skillet, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter with 1/2 cup of the light brown sugar. Add the apples to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Cook until the apples are caramelized and very tender and the liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes longer; scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet and if necessary, add up to 1/2 cup of water to prevent scorching. Let cool. (I did not need to add any water to my skillet.)
Make the Topping
In a large bowl, mix the oats with the flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Using a pastry blender to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the pecans and press the mixture into clumps.
Assemble and Bake
Spread the apple filling over the crust. Scatter the crumbs on top, pressing them lightly into an even layer. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour, until the topping is golden; rotate the pan halfway through baking. Let cool completely on a rack before cutting into 2-inch bars.
Notes:
- Bars can be stored in at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- I definitely recommend using an Apple Peeler, Corer, Slicer for this recipe. You can pick them up at a variety of places such as Amazon and Bed, Bath and Beyond. They are pretty inexpensive and make the prep work a breeze.
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{ 66 comments… read them below or add one }
I love apple pie bars! I’ve tried a few recipes so far but haven’t found quite the perfect ones, these sound great, and it looks like they have the perfect ratio of crust to filling to topping! Can’t wait to give it a try!
These sound absolutely lovely. The crust, middle, and topping look perfect!
Those look amazing!
We’d either be trouble for eachother or in heaven together. This time of year I’m always in an apple mood – anything and everything apples! I made something similar last year but totally have to give this version a try!
holy cow these look amazing! i cannot wait to try these!!
btw, i made your apple pie muffins last week & they were amaaazing. seriously, so good. next time i make them, i’ll fill the cups a little less so they don’t spread as much so i can take pics & post to my blog.
thanks for always providing awesome recipes!!!!
YUM, these flavors are exactly what i’m craving!! What a great recipe–simple, delicious, home-y, fall-y, and great for sharing! I am sure your coworkers are going to love you even more now
I am fully supportive of your apple pie phase. These bars look to-die-for!
these look sooo good! I recently made what i called caramel apple bars and your bars look sooo good. I love oats, brown sugar, and anything crumbly and baked. Great photos too!
These look so delicious. I wasn’t very fond of apple recipes as a kid but now I have a whole new appreciation for recipes like this with apples. I love them!
These look wonderful! Thanks for the recipe!
These look positively scrumptious and I plan to try your recipe. Just wondering if you can skip the apples in the skillet step since they are thinly sliced and baking in the oven for an hour. I just made a Rustic Apple Streusel Pie this week and the apples baked perfectly in the oven with no pre-cooking.(See my post http://bit.ly/ug1iXd) Let me know what you think about skipping the step. Thanks!
As much as I love apple pie I think I like a good crumble topping so this is the perfect marriage.
Guess I know what I will be doing tomorrow…can’t wait…will attempt to mail some out to my son at college..maybe…maybe not! No, would not be fair to keep them all here, definately will mail some out to him.
There is nothing better than apple bite bite size, delish! I’m with you, I have switched gears from pumpkin to apple. Thanks for the extra inspiration
these look delicious and I can hardly wait to try them. I bake for a store and needed a new bar recipe! Thank you
sue@welldressedcupcakes
Oh dear… these look dangerous (but amazing)!!!
These look awesome, I can’t wait to try them! Love the site name, my friends and I are baking lovers too
*sigh* it’s times like these that I hate being allergic to cinnamon. Those looks AMAZING! Really, really stunning!
These look incredibly delicious! I recently started loving shortbread so I love that you used that as the crust!
yum!!! i made some monster cakes recently, would love to know what you think
http://laughteriscatching.com/2011/08/27/to-your-posts-let-the-bake-off-begin/
With SEVEN sticks of butter, how could they be bad??
Wow, I love anything with a shortbread crust, and these look so decadent!
Your “crumble” topping is great! Many people don’t include butter in it and therefore ends up so dry it breaks or”crumble” too quick.
And your crust is fantastic too. My great-grandmother used to say that the dough makes the pie. If the dough is bad, the pie will be ruined regardless of the filling, if the dough is great, then the pie is be a success no matter what.
love the comments where someone has actually tried the recipe…not just drooling over the photo..thanks
this looks so delicious! I can literally taste it!
These look absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!! and I cannot wait to get home so I can try to whip up a batch too! Since you are on such an apple-kick, I was wondering if you had a good recipe for homemade apple cider donuts? I have been in an extended search of a recipe that has received rave reviews to no avail, but I would absolutely trust ANYTHING that comes out of your kitchen to be amazing
)
Thanks for another great recipe!
Mmm.. drool-worthy. I only wish we had an apple orchard, a stone throw away!
Dude, these can TOTALLY pass for a breakfast food (wink)…
Do you think I could halve the recipe? Maybe bake it in a 9×9 or 8×8 pan? I would probably end up eating the whole thing otherwise.
Check your math Allison…the recipe as written, in the pan suggested, will make 255 sq. inches of bars. A 9 X 13(117 sq. inches) pan would be the smallest you’d want to use if you halved the recipe. That’s what I intend to use.
Most of the time, I think your recipes are just fabulous and have tried a number of them. But I just cannot wrap my mind around any recipe that calls for nearly SEVEN sticks of butter. They sound really good, but that’s a little much, even for me.
Lisa-
I completely understand your concern, but this recipe makes just under 50 servings – I actually fed over 50 people with it. It ends up being about 1 tablespoon of butter per serving.
-Jamie
WOW-WOW-WOW! These look to DIE FOR! Wish I had 1 to sample RIGHT NOW!
Ohhh, all our favorite taste packed into a portable bar!
These look scrumptious! I love that it’s apple pie, without the pie crust. I fear pie crust.
These sound great–a perfect addition to the fall season and Thanksgiving day table. I love how portable they are, pie can sometimes be a mess. And I really like how these are a bit more unique and different. Definitely bookmarking this recipe!
Another scrumptious recipe! And gorgeous shot too.
Just made these today and they are awesome! So glad I tried them, I needed soemething for a crowd.
These look divine! Adding these to my snowy weekend baking list.
I made an apple pie this week and hand-sliced and peeled the apples. I definitely need to get one of those peel-core-cut devices.
I can many jars of applesauce and freeze apple pies every fall. I’m on my second peel-core-cut device and love it. You waste less of the apple, too.
Oh boy!! The pic looks yummy! I wonder if piping cheesecake filling in between the apples and crust would be any yummier? One of my dad’s favorite pies to order for Thanksgiving, French Apple Cream Cheese, was always available at our Bakers Square–at least it was before it got closed down.
This recipe looks awesome, and I think I’ll try to add the filling to it–maybe it’ll be his new fave?
These look fantastic!! I’ll definitely be making these!
WOW these look and sound amazing! Perfect for fall. A must make for sure! Hope you are enjoying your weekend.
Can’t wait to try them. I plan to gild the lily with a drizzle of powdered sugar icing.
These look so lovely! Pie in bar form is always a win for me!
These look scrumptious! I have had lemon bars but these sounds soooooooooooo much better. They also look great in your photo. Thanks!
Those look yummy! I love bars. You can just throw it all in the pan and bake it.
I made these yesterday and they were delicious! I made a Marzipan crumble instead of using the original one listed. I used 6 T of butter, half a package of almond past (3.5 oz), 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup flour, all blended in the food processor.
I think the purpose of cooking the apples on the stove top is so there won’t be a lot of liquid, which would most likely make the crust soggy.
My family & friends raved about these. Thank you for posting the recipe!
I forgot to mention, that I only baked mine for 30 minutes, not an hour.
Ok, so my apple pie bars are in the oven…it’s actually past time for them to come out by a few minutes, but I had a wuestion I was hoping you could answer quickly for me. I had cut the recipe by 1/3 as I didn’t have enough ingredients for the whole batch, and I cut out the pecans, as my son is allergic to nuts. I went to take the pan out of the oven, but the topping still appears on the soft side. I was under the impression it would be somewhat solid so that it would have some form of crunch to it. So, I raised it up on the oven rack and wanted to bake it a little longer… is this alright, or do you have any other suggestions for me?
Thanks!
Your adoring fan,
Gina
NEVERMIND! Something appears to be going on with my oven… Placed my hand in there this time, only to discover that it wasn’t even that hot! So mad! Ugh! back to the drawing board, well, at least for another 40 minutes…lol I just reset the, and will bake for the appropriate amount of time now.
Hi,
These looks so fabulous, can’t wait to try them. How do these freeze? I would love to make several batches for the holidays.
These came out amazing! I don’t even like apple pie (i know, im strange) and i didnt mind them. The whole family loved them and want the recipe for Thanksgivng. Thanks for sharing!
So I tried my hand at these yesterday and they seemed to turn out well, but I can’t get them to come out in “bar” form. I cut them and they sort of crumble apart. I’m still sort of a newbie baker… can someone tell me what I might have done wrong?
I can just smell the cinnamon-y, apple-y, spicy goodness! That is one gorgeous bar!
Absolutely amazing!!!! I made them last night and
Everybody loves them!!!!! Sooooo good!!!
There were totally amazing. I added a bag of fresh cranberries – just because I love apples with cranberries. It also makes a ton so good for a crowd.
Hello there–
writing this comment as the apple pie is in the oven, so can’t tell you how amazing it is…YET! But wanted to comment on the recipe itself since you wanted more talk about the recipe vs the solely the amazing pictures. So here it is
Easy to follow directions. I ran short of apples, possibly because of the size of my apples, but it didn’t end up covering all of my dough, so I ended up scooting over all the apples to a little more than half the dough area. The other part I got stuck on was the topping portion. I didn’t know what a pastry blender was (my fault!), so I thought I could pass with just mixing by hand. However, then I ended up microwaving the mix for about 30 seconds for the butter to moisten vs chilled (as instructed). Once I realized nothing was happening nor did it look right, I gave my mixer a shot and that did the trick. So not sure if pastry blender and mixer is the same thing, but it worked (I think). Layering it all was easy just as instructed, but again my topping amount was much greater than I actually needed for the amount of dough and apples I ended up using.
Can’t wait to try it & serve it tomorrow on Christmas Day! Thanks for the recipe–awesome stuff you have
Will make sure to credit you & your blog once I am able to blog about it on brown-eyedbaker.tumblr.com
Happy Holidays & thanks for an awesome recipe, in fact my FIRST apple pie attempt
I made these for a barbecue yesterday here in Dubai and everyone was RAVING about them! These are absolutely fantastic, they’re buttery and apple-y and perfectly sweet and crisp and soft all at once.
Thanks for a fabulous recipe
These look so good! I love to make apple desserts. =)
These Apple pie bars are absolutely amazing. The crust is delicious, and the topping is fabulous. They were a huge hit. Thanks so much for sharing.
I cut the recipe in half and it turned out good. I think my math on the topping was off, because its awfully crumbly. With a little vanilla ice cream it was heaven!
Cindee-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
This is definitely going in my things to bake (TTB) list! I was wondering though, when you say one stick of butter, is that equivalent to 1/2 or 1 cup of butter? The supermarkets in our country sell butter in 1/2 cup sticks and 1 cup sticks (I’m not sure if you’d still call them sticks. Bar I think is a more apt term), so I’m not sure how much you mean when you say “stick”.
Looking forward to your reply!
A (late) happy new year to you and your family!
Z-
One stick of butter is equivalent to 1/2 cup. Sorry for the confusion and good luck!
-Jamie