These Apple Pie Bars are dessert squares that resemble apple pie, with a crumble bottom and top, and shredded cinnamon apples in between. A great no-fuss portable treat, perfect for fall baking!
And don’t miss our homemade apple pie filling for all those apples you pick this season!
Easy Apple Pie Bars Recipe
Having been married in October in an apple orchard, the fall season has a special place in my heart! We head back up there every year…not to renew our vows, but more importantly to load up on fresh apple cider, donuts, pie, and lots of apples so I can make my applesauce, baked apple fritters, and these apple pie bars.
I basically take my absolute favorite pie crumble topping and make a top and bottom layer out of it, with shredded apples in the middle.
These are great for Fall weather, Thanksgiving, or to celebrate apples being in season. They are also great for making your house smell like a cinnamon apple pie!
Ingredients Needed
These apple dessert bars call for simple ingredients. You probably have all of them already on hand.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon (or our homemade apple pie spice!)
- Wet Ingredients – Egg and cold butter, cut into pieces.
- Apples – Pink Ladies and Honeycrisp are my favorite apples, but anything goes, so use your favorite! They should be cored and grated.
No need to peel the apples
How to Make Apple Pie Bars
Here’s a summary of how to make this apple pie bar recipe.
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details and don’t miss the video below.)
- Prepare the pan. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper with a slight overhang on the two longer sides.
- Make the crust. Mix together the flour, brown sugar, some of the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Work in the egg and butter with a pastry blender (or your hands!) until pea-sized clumps form and virtually no loose flour remains. Press half of mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
- Prep the apple layer. Stir together the remaining granulated sugar and cornstarch. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the grated apples with your hands, then mix them into the sugar/cornstarch until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle the apple mixture evenly over the crust.
- Finish the top layer. Sprinkle the apple mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the apples.
- Bake. Bake at 375F until the top is slightly golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Cool and enjoy. Cool completely before cutting into squares and enjoy!
Video: Apple Pie Bars
Serving Suggestions
It’s best to let these apple bars cool completely before slicing and then enjoy at room temperature. They are good cold, too.
These are a great portable dessert and don’t require a fork or plate, but you certainly could serve them as you would a slice of apple pie if you want! A square topped with some vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce is out of this world.
How to Store Apple Bars
- On the counter. Allow bars to cool completely, then store in an airtight container or wrap individually in plastic wrap. They will keep on the counter for 2 days.
- In the fridge. You can also store these in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring them closer to room temperature before serving again, if prefered.
- To freeze: These also freeze well in a freeze-safe container up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
More Apple Desserts:
- {Air Fryer} Apple Hand Pies
- Caramel Apple Sheet Cake
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- Easy Apple Cake
- Easy Apple Dumplings
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Apple Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour , spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar , divided
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter , cut into small pieces
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 medium apples , cored and grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on the two longer sides. (Alternatively, lightly coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray.)
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Work in the egg and butter with a pastry blender (or your hands!) until pea-sized clumps form and virtually no loose flour remains. Press half of mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
- In another bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and cornstarch. Squeeze out any excess liquid from the grated apples with your hands, then mix them into the sugar until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle the apple mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the apples.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the top is slightly golden. Cool completely before cutting into squares and enjoy!
Wife has asked me to make it again for her, she loves it. Ty for the recipe.
Wife loves this . Very easy to make. One scoop of ice cream with this is good.
Really enjoyed these. We live near an apple orchard and am always looking for ways to use up the apples!
Made them today, delicious, thinking a little caramel drizzled over would be fantastic also
These were simple and just delicious. I chose to peel my apples, but I probably won’t next time.
I use a combination of granny smith and gala. Loved these!
I made these today and they were delicious!! I even took some to my husband’s work while still a little warm and he said they got rave reviews! Definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome! Thanks for the comment!
Made these for a ladies lunch and we all loved them!
Thanks for re-posting, Amy!!!
I made these yesterday and oh boy do we LOVE them. It’s apple season here so I know I’ll be doing a few more batches of these this fall. Into my “Favorite Recipes File” it went!
Thanks so much!
Carol
Easy and wonderful. We took your suggestion and swapped the cinnamon with apple pie spice. The house smelled amazing as these baked and they came out so delicious.
Happy Anniversary & these are definitely on my “to-do” list!
I’m dying for these just reading all the comments. What can be better than a double dose of the delicious topping! I love apples whether whole, chopped, in dessert or applesauce. I can actually taste these just as I’m reading the blog.
I saw the recipe yesterday and made them last nite. My family and myself LOVED them. OMG. Easy and delicious. I am still debating if I am bringing them to work, or just eating the rest of the pan…
oh yum! i need some sweetness in my day and that looks amazing! Good idea for a morning tea for my work place too. thanks amy!
I have 3 apple trees in my back yard and loads of apples this year, so I made 2 batches of these. Great recipe, thanks!
I am so making these this weekend! I love apple crisp, dutch apple pie, apple dounuts……OK I just love apples! YUM YUM YUM! I also wanted to let you know that I got a starter for friendship bread……….guess what I am going to put in it? APPLES……Oh yeah baby!
We’re lucky enough to live right by an apple orchard, so I’m always looking for new ways to use them. These Apple Crumble squares were perfect!
Happy Anniversary Amy and Paul!
These look really, really, really good to me. And I’m not a big fan of cooked apple desserts. But yeah.
P.S. Yumminosity? Sounds like a made up word around our house…
Apples in the upper Midwest are a big deal. The University of Minnesota developed the Honey Crisp and SweeTango varieties. Bayfield, Wisconsin holds a huge festival each year in honor of the apple. http://bayfield.org/festivals_events_apple_festival.php
But there’s nothing like watching a beautiful wedding taking place in a California apple orchard!
Happy Anniversary Amy & Paul– these recipes look so yummy! Have you ever had a “honey crisp” apple? It’s our all time favorite apple in the Campbell household.
I love that your family is commenting on this! These bars look delicious. I love crumbly topping. So much. So this may need to be made sometime soon. I must say that I am jelous of people with apple orchards nearby. This part of Texas doesn’t have apple orchards, so unfortunately, no apple picking for me!
I can vouch for the yumminess of these. So worth making…or getting from your sister. ;o)
We’re picking apples this weekend so I’m putting this on the to do list. Oh and I’m also making that applesauce. I can already smell how wonderful they are.