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The Ultimate Buttery Flaky Apple Pie Bars

Close-up of a square portion of apple pie bars featuring a thick, golden crumble topping and visible apple filling.
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You get the comforting flavor of classic apple pie in an easy-to-make bar format. These bars feature a simple, buttery shortbread crust and a sweet, cinnamon-spiced apple filling. They are perfect for potlucks or a quick fall dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 4 medium apples (like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for optional glaze)
  • 1 tablespoon milk or water (for optional glaze)
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (for optional glaze)

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, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Press two-thirds of the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust for 15 minutes until lightly golden.
  4. Prepare the filling: While the crust bakes, combine the diced apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and water in a medium saucepan.
  5. Cook the apple filling over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften slightly and the sauce thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
  6. Spread the warm apple filling evenly over the partially baked crust.
  7. Crumble the remaining one-third of the crust mixture over the apple filling to create a topping.
  8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
  9. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cooling allows them to set for clean slicing.
  10. Optional Glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled bars before slicing into squares.
  11. Lift the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhang and cut into squares.

Notes

  • Use firm, tart apples for the best texture and flavor balance against the sweet crust.
  • For an extra buttery pastry, chill the dough mixture for 15 minutes before pressing it into the pan.
  • These apple pie bars freeze well; cool completely, slice, and store in an airtight container between layers of wax paper.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbyfelix.com/apple-pie-bars-ultimate-buttery-flaky-recipe/