These Apple Pie Bars are dessert squares that resemble apple pie, with a crumble bottom and top, and shredded cinnamon apples in between. Perfect for Fall baking!
And don’t miss our homemade apple pie filling for all those apples you pick this season!
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 took my absolute favorite pie crumble topping and made 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!
Apple Pie Bars Recipe
Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
(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 butter.
Apples: Pink Ladies and Honeycrisp are my favorite apples, but anything goes, so use your favorite!
No need to peel the apples
How to Make Apple Pie Bars
Here’s a summary of how to make these.
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details and don’t miss the video below.)
- 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 a 9×13 greased pan.
- 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. Crumble the remaining dough over the top of the apples.
- Bake until the top is slightly golden.
- Cool completely before cutting into squares and enjoy!
How to Store Apple Bars
Allow bars to cool completely, then store in an airtight container or wrap individually in plastic wrap.
On the counter: up to 2 days
In the fridge: up to 5 days
To freeze: 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 Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Apple Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 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. Lightly coat a 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- 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!
Video
Nutrition
Other Notes
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)
I’ll take three squares with lunch, and then put some vanilla ice cream on my apple cranberry crisp, and I’ll have that to go. Scrumpiliscious which is the adjective explaining yumminosity.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Oooooo, how about a reproduction of the marzipan cake?
happy anniversary chica! Now you’ve got me thinking…I should totally get married in a pumpkin field! How fitting would THAT be!
I am so jealous of the fact that you won’t have to contend with horrendous weather…no WONDER you’re looking forward to winter! Or at least not dreading it.
These apple crumble bars are going to have to be my consolation prize. For living in the northeast.
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.