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Buttery and crumbly apple bars with a spiced apple filling and optional sweet glaze, perfect for cozy autumn days.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (for crust and topping)
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (divided: half for crust and topping, half for filling)
  • 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 4 cups fresh apples, chopped (mix of tart and sweet recommended)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (for glaze, optional)
  • 2–3 tablespoons milk (for glaze, optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and half of the cinnamon.
  3. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until coarse crumbs form.
  4. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups of crumb mixture for topping.
  5. Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  6. Bake crust for 10-12 minutes until set and lightly golden.
  7. While crust bakes, toss chopped apples with cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, nutmeg (if using), and remaining cinnamon.
  8. After crust is baked, spread apple mixture evenly over warm crust.
  9. Sprinkle reserved crumb topping evenly over apple layer.
  10. Return pan to oven and bake until topping is golden and apples are bubbly, about 35-40 minutes.
  11. Allow bars to cool completely in pan before lifting out using parchment edges.
  12. For glaze (optional), mix powdered sugar with milk until drizzling consistency is reached, then drizzle over cooled bars.

Notes

Mix tart and sweet apples (like Granny Smith and Fuji) for balanced flavor., Cut apples into bite-sized pieces for even baking; avoid very thin slices to prevent mushiness., Cornstarch is essential to thicken filling and prevent soggy crust., Press crust firmly before par-baking to maintain structure., Cool bars completely before cutting to avoid crumbling., Bars can be stored at room temperature (2 days), in refrigerator (up to 5 days), or frozen (up to 2 months)., Reheat single bars in microwave for 12-20 seconds or multiple bars in a 325°F oven for 8-12 minutes covered loosely with foil., Unbaked bars can be assembled and refrigerated overnight before baking; if frozen unbaked, thaw before baking and add extra baking time.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://sweetovenstories.com/apple-bars/