Apple Pie Crumble Bars
These Apple Pie Crumble Bars have a crunchy, nutty streusel, soft and juicy yet tender apple filling, and a thick layer of buttery shortbread.
Fall has arrived! I feel like all of a sudden the leaves have started changing colors. It’s also the season of apple picking! If you have too many apples, here is a great recipe to use them! I personally think these bars are better than pie.
The oats and pecans in the streusel add the BEST texture and flavor that compliments the apple filling. Feel free to play around with the spices in the apples, maybe add some pumpkin spice or ginger.
These bars are best enjoyed with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Happy Baking! As always, remember… whenever you’re in the kitchen, you’re not only a baker, but a chemist too!
- Servings: 16
- Total Time: 1 hr 10 min
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Bake Time: 45 min
Ingredients
Streusel:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup oats
- ¼ toasted pecans, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter, cubed, cold.
Apple Filling:
- 3 apples Large, peeled, thinly sliced (4 apples if using smaller ones)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Shortbread Crust:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
Directions
Streusel:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on two sides for easy removal.
- In a bowl mix the cubed cold butter, brown sugar, salt, flour, oats, and cinnamon. Use either your hands or a pastry cutter. Once the mixture is combined well and has small clumps, set aside in the fridge for later.
Shortbread Crust:
- In a medium bowl cream the flour, both sugars, vanilla extract, and salt together until soft cookie dough forms.
- Spread the cookie dough on an 8×8-inch pan lined with parchment paper. Press to form an even layer. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Apple mixture:
- In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with ground cinnamon, granulated sugar, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the shortbread crust.
- Sprinkle the prepared streusel topping over the apples, covering them evenly.
- Place the baking pan in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the apples are softened.
- Remove the apple pie bars from the oven and let them cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Top with caramel and vanilla ice cream.
- Now, enjoy!
Notes:
Do NOT skip toasting your pecans before adding them to the streusel. Toasting nuts brings out the oil and deepens the flavor. Toasting also enhances the texture and prevents the nuts from getting soggy in baked goods.
Make sure you let the bars cool down at least to room temp before removing from the pan and slicing. I personally think it works best to pop the pan in the fridge for an hour or two before slicing to get clean slices.
This recipe is adapted from https://lifestyleofafoodie.com/dutch-apple-pie-bars/#recipe-link
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