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The Ultimate Buttery Apple Pie Bars with a Simple Crumble Topping

A close-up, appetizing shot of a single square of apple pie bars showing the thick apple filling and crumb topping.
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Make these easy apple pie bars featuring a rich, buttery shortbread crust and a sweet, cinnamon-spiced apple filling, topped with a simple crumble. This recipe offers the comfort of classic apple pie in a simple bar form, perfect for potlucks or everyday treats.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced small
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces (for topping)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for topping)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for topping)

Instructions

  1. 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 removal.
  2. Prepare the crust: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and 1 cup of granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of flour and salt until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press two-thirds of this mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the base crust.
  4. Bake the crust for 15 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven.
  5. Prepare the apple filling: In a medium bowl, toss the diced apples with brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice until the apples are evenly coated.
  6. Spread the apple filling evenly over the partially baked crust.
  7. Prepare the crumble topping: In a separate small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of flour, 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, and the 1/4 cup of cold, cubed butter. Use your fingers or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form.
  8. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apple filling.
  9. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
  10. Let the apple pie bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting them out using the parchment paper overhang.
  11. Cut into squares. If desired, drizzle with a simple vanilla glaze before serving.

Notes

  • For a flakier crust, chill the dough for 30 minutes before pressing it into the pan.
  • Use tart apples like Granny Smith for the best texture and flavor balance against the sweet topping.
  • If you prefer a glazed apple bars finish, skip the crumble topping and mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract to drizzle over the cooled bars.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbycarla.com/apple-pie-bars-recipe-easy-buttery-squares/