apple pie bars
These rich apple pie bars have a homemade apple filling and use the same easy shortbread dough for the crust and crumble on top!
We have all heard the saying “easy as pie,” but these bars will put that saying to shame when you realize how easy they are, and they taste just like a slice of apple pie! These apple pie bars are filled with perfectly cooked spiced apples and made with a buttery shortbread that is used as the crust and the crumble! You can make large batches of the bars. They are perfect for a crowd, bake sales, a gift, or a weeknight dessert!
Try this buttery shortbread crust with pre-cooked blackberry filling from my blackberry pie! Try my easy apple pie filling, dutch caramel apple pie, or cherry pie if now all you can think about is pie.
Table of contents
Why You Will Love These Apple Pie Bars
- All the flavors of an apple pie with half the work! The flavors of this apple pie bar truly match that of an apple pie! And made with a shortbread crust, you skip the chilling, rolling, and work of pie crust. (Not that it’s not worth it!)
- Easy shortbread recipe for the crust and the crumble. This shortbread is so easy to pull together; you use it for the crust and crumble topping.
- The filling and crust can both be made ahead of time. I know life can be very busy. You can make the apple filling one day and the shortbread the next day and assemble it the day you want the apple pie bar! The apple filling and shortbread can both be frozen separately as well.
Professional Tips for Making Apple Pie Bars
- Use a variety of apples. For the most well-rounded apple filling, use at least three different types of baking apples. All apples have their own flavor profile, so let’s optimize that.
- Don’t overcook the apple filling. The apple filling is going to be cooked again when you bake it with the crust, so to keep the apples from turning to mush, cook the apples until just softened and they release their juices. Some of the apples will become slightly opaque, and that’s another sign that you know it’s done.
- Pre-baking the crust is a must. Baking the bottom crust before adding the filling is a must. If the crust isn’t baked beforehand, it won’t bake fully with the filling. This will cause the bottom to be soggy.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salted Butter: Salted butter is used in this recipe to help make the shortbread crust tender, and salt is added to enhance the flavor of the dough. You can substitute unsalted butter and add 1 tsp of kosher salt.
- Granulated Sugar: Sugar has many functions in this recipe. Granulated sugar is here for sweetness and to aid in the thickening process. Sugar absorbs moisture as the filling bakes, which results in a thicker fruit filling.
- Confectioner’s Sugar: Powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar adds sweetness to the shortbread, and the cornstarch in the powdered sugar keeps the shortbread from spreading too much.
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- All-purpose Flour: I prefer to use all-purpose flour in my shortbread recipes because it has the perfect amount of gluten to keep the crust together without becoming tough. You could substitute King Arthur’s cup for cup to make this gluten-free.
- Apples: Use crisp baking apples to hold their shape when cooked. When choosing apples, stick with Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Macoun, Cortland, or pink lady apples. Pick up some extra and make a batch of my favorite apple bread next!
- Ground Cinnamon & Ginger: The spices complement the apples to give it that perfect apple pie flavor. You could also substitute it with apple pie spice or add some nutmeg!
- Lemon juice
- Water
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the main thickener in this apple pie bar. It will become clear and tasteless if you allow it to boil for at least a minute. You can substitute it with tapioca flour.
See the recipe card for measurements!
Variations
- Add a layer to the bars. Bake the bottom crust before adding the apple pie filling layer with a drizzle of glaze, caramel sauce, or butterscotch sauce. It would also be delicious with almond cream.
- Change the crumble topping. Change the topping for an oat streusel, cinnamon streusel, light brown sugar streusel, toasted walnuts, or pecan streusel topping.
- Add or change the fruit. You could change the filling to another pre-cooked pie filling, like blueberry, cherry, or pear. You could also add rhubarb, blackberries, or apricots to the apples.
- Add alcohol. Adding bourbon, brandy, or rum to the filling while cooking it will give the filling a warm, complex flavor.
- Infuse the filling. The wonderful thing about pre-cooking the filling is that you can infuse any flavor. Use vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, ginger, cloves, or cardamom pods. Once the filling is cooled, remove the spice before you bake it into the crust.
How to Make Apple Pie Bars
Use these instructions to make a perfect apple pie bar every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Prepare the crust and crumble:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F and butter or line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment or large bowl using an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugars and mix at medium speed until light and creamy. Then add the vanilla and beat until combined.
Step 3: Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture on low speed and mix until a smooth, soft dough forms.
Step 4: Press 1/3 of the dough into the prepared baking pan. Make sure the dough is equal thickness using a tart tamper or measuring cup to smooth it out. Place the remaining ? of the dough in the refrigerator
Step 5: Bake the base in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown.
The crust will turn matte in color throughout the whole base, letting you know it’s done.
Prepare the apple filling:
Step 6: Peel, core, and slice apples to about 1/8th inch thick. Scatter the apples in a saucepan.
The apples can be cut into slices or medium or small dice. Depending on how large you plan on cutting your bar, the apple slice can affect how the bar cuts.
Step 7: Mix the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and lemon juice, then add the flour. Cook in the pan or pot over medium heat, stirring frequently until the apples release their juices and are cooked through.
Taste the apples with the sugar, spices, and lemon juice before you add the flour. Apples vary in sweetness, and you want to ensure you enjoy the filling.
Step 8: Combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl with a whisk to create a slurry. Stir this into the hot apple mixture and continue cooking for an additional minute.
The filling will take on a milky white color, and when the color changes back to opaque, you know the cornstarch is fully activated and won’t leave a taste behind.
Step 9: Cool on a plastic-lined sheet pan or spread on the par-baked crust. The filling doesn’t need to be cool to assemble and finish baking, but you can make it ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze it until ready to assemble.
Assemble and Bake:
Step 10: Pour the apple filling over the crust and crumble the remaining dough (two-thirds of the dough) over top.
Crumble the shortbread into roughly the same-sized pieces for even baking. It doesn’t have to be precise; you can just eyeball it.
Step 11: Return the bar to the pre-heated oven to continue baking. Bake until the filling is bubbly and the topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25-30 minutes.
Step 12: Let it cool before cutting into squares. Serve as they are or like you would apple pie, with salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream, of course.
Allowing the bars to cool completely and placing them in the refrigerator for an hour or two before cutting will help give you a beautiful square or slice. Using a ruler and marking will also help ensure your apple pie bars are uniform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store well-wrapped in the fridge at room temperature for three days or a week. For longer storage, freeze the apple pie bars well-wrapped or in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
When choosing apples, stick with Granny Smith apples, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Macoun, Cortland, Jonagolds, or Pink Lady apples. These varieties will hold up to the cooking process.
The main reason for mushy or runny apples is using the wrong apples or overcooking the filling. Some apple varieties have more water in them or aren’t as crisp. Avoid apples like gala, fuji, golden delicious, or red delicious.
Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or chocolate caramel ice cream. These apple pie bars would also be delicious with creme anglaise or salted caramel sauce.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!
apple pie bars
Description
Ingredients
For the Crust and crumble:
- 2 cups salted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
For the apple filling:
- 7 apples mixed varieties, peeled and diced
- 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ lemon juiced approximately 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Prepare the crust and crumble:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and butter or line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment or large bowl using an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugars and mix at medium speed until light and creamy. Then add the vanilla and beat until combined.
- Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture on low speed and mix until a smooth, soft dough forms.
- Press 1/3 of the dough into the prepared baking pan. Make sure the dough is equal thickness using a tart tamper or measuring cup to smooth it out. Place the remaining ? of the dough in the refrigerator
- Bake the base in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown.
- Prepare the apple filling:
- Peel, core, and slice apples to about 1/8th inch thick. Scatter the apples in a saucepan.
- Mix the apples with the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and lemon juice, then add the flour. Cook in the pan or pot over medium heat, stirring frequently until the apples release their juices and are cooked through.
- Combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl with a whisk to create a slurry. Stir this into the hot apple mixture and continue cooking for an additional minute.
- Cool on a plastic-lined sheet pan or spread on the par-baked crust. The filling doesn’t need to be cool to assemble and finish baking, but you can make it ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze it until ready to assemble.
- Assemble and Bake:
- Pour the apple filling over the crust and crumble the remaining dough (two-thirds of the dough) over top.
- Return the bar to the pre-heated oven to continue baking. Bake until the filling is bubbly and the topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25-30 minutes.
- Let it cool before cutting into squares. Serve as they are or like you would apple pie, with salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream, of course ?.
Notes
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this professional chef-tested apple pie bar recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed brownie and bar recipes, or get inspired by more fall pie recipes!
Most interesting! I see that you’re an executive pastry chef so I have to ask. Most crumble recipes you find on the internet suggest baking at 350*F. A fair number go as high as 375*F. You’re the first I’ve seen to recommend a 325*F bake. What is the reasoning for such a low temperature?
Hi Bryan! This temp allows the crust and crumble topping to bake more evenly and gently–which is especially crucial when you have a shortbread crust (+crumble in this case) that you want to keep from burning! It balances with the cooking of the filling really well, so that it bakes up just right. ~gvd team
This looks delicious, if I use the almond cream should I use it uncooked? Just spread a layer on the crust? Love your blog!
How lovely to hear, Doreen! Yes, I would spread the uncooked almond cream onto the cooled, pre-baked crust, and then proceed with the filling and topping. The only difference is I would cook the bottom crust slightly less and let it cool completely. That will give you more time to bake the 2 fillings and crumb topping without the base over baking! Happy baking! I hope you do try it!