Homemade Apple Pie Bars Recipe
These homemade Apple Pie Bars are made with a buttery shortbread crust and are filled with warm, cinnamon-sugar apples. They are topped off with a brown sugar streusel and taste amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel. If you’re looking for an easier alternative to traditional apple pie, this is the fall dessert recipe you need!
For more Fall Recipes, be sure to check out my Pecan Pie Cheesecake, Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer, and Juicy Crockpot Turkey Breast
Nothing says “fall” quite like a warm, cozy slice of apple pie, and these Apple Pie Bars are my favorite way to make it!
They’re made with an incredibly delicious shortbread crust that’s so much easier to make than traditional pie crust (and tastes even better, in my opinion.) Oh and they feature my favorite kind of dessert topping: streusel!
Oh yes, I’m a streusel lover. You can find it on my SUPER popular Apple Crisp recipe, too!
Plus if you’re making dessert for a crowd, Apple Pie Bars go a lot further than a regular apple pie, making them perfect for your Thanksgiving spread.
For the ultimate indulgence, enjoy them warm with a drizzle of caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s SO good!
Ingredients for Apple Pie Bars
- Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter. You will need two whole sticks of melted butter for the crust and half a stick of cold butter for the crumb topping.
- Sugar – you will need both white granulated sugar and brown sugar. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract – gives depth of flavor to the buttery crust. You can also use vanilla bean paste instead.
- Dry ingredients – you will need all purpose flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg for baking your apple pie bars.
- Oats – for the perfect streusel topping, make sure you only use old fashioned oats; not quick or instant oats.
- Apples – I like to use a combination of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith Apples. This creates a nice mix of sweet and tart flavors.
A full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions are located in the recipe card below.
How to Make this Apple Pie Bars Recipe – Step by Step
Make the shortbread crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Stir together the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt until combined. Add flour and stir until a thick dough forms.
Bake the crust: Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven (it will look slightly underbaked).
Prepare the apple filling: In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly coated. Spread apple mixture in an even layer over the top of the crust.
Make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the butter into the the streusel ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.
Bake the bars: Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the apples. Place bars in pre-heated oven and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the apples are tender.
Cool and slice: Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once the bars are cool, lift out using the parchment paper and cut into bars with a sharp knife.
Tips and Notes
- My favorite apples for making apple pie bars include a combination of sweet and tart. I love Honeycrisp and Granny Smith Apples, but you could also use Fuji, Red Delicious, or any others you enjoy. I also make this with ONLY Granny Smith apples a lot, too, as I find their natural tartness and firm texture bakes up so perfectly in apple desserts.
- Allow your Apple Pie Bars to cool on a wire rack for at least 1-2 hours before serving. This will allow the bars to set properly before slicing. You can also place your cooled, room temperature pan in the fridge to help the bars set even more if you want really nice, smooth slices!
- For serving, these taste so good warm with a little bit of caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! However, they taste amazing on their own; no toppings needed!
- Preparing in advance – This is a great make-ahead dessert, and can even be frozen. Cover the pan with a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil before freezing for up to three months. Thaw the bars in the fridge overnight before reheating and serving.
- Storing leftovers – any leftover apple bars can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days, or in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
More Apple Recipes You Should Try!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!
Recipe: Homemade Apple Pie Bars Recipe
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 sticks
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
For the apple filling
- 3-4 large apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
For the streusel topping
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 stick, cold and sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Stir together the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt until combined. Add flour and stir until a thick dough forms.
- Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven (it will look slightly underbaked).
- In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly coated. Spread apple mixture in an even layer over the top of the crust.
- In a medium bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut the butter into the the streusel ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the apples. Place bars in pre-heated oven and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the apples are tender.
- Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once the bars are cool, lift out using parchment paper and cut into squares or bars with a sharp knife.
Notes
- My favorite apples for making apple pie bars include a combination of sweet and tart. I love Honeycrisp and Granny Smith Apples, but you could also use Fuji, Red Delicious, or any others you enjoy. I also make this with ONLY Granny Smith apples a lot, too, as I find their natural tartness and firm texture bakes up so perfectly in apple desserts.
- Allow your Apple Pie Bars to cool on a wire rack for at least 1-2 hours before serving. This will allow the bars to set properly before slicing. You can also place your cooled, room temperature pan in the fridge to help the bars set even more if you want really nice, smooth slices!
- For serving, these taste so good warm with a little bit of caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top! However, they taste amazing on their own; no toppings needed!
- Preparing in advance – This is a great make-ahead dessert, and can even be frozen. Cover the pan with a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil before freezing for up to three months. Thaw the bars in the fridge overnight before reheating and serving.
- Storing leftovers – any leftover apple bars can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 1-2 days, or in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
