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Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Bright, tart Granny Smith apples are perfectly balanced with brown sugar and spice, just like your favorite apple pie filling.
Texture: Like an apple pie and shortbread cookie bar had a baby!
Ease: About 1,000x faster and easier than apple pie to make, transport, and serve, but just as tasty.
Why you’ll love this recipe: Satisfy your homemade apple pie craving with a fraction of the work.
These Apple Pie Bars offer everything you love about apple pie, but in an easy sliceable bar that takes just over an hour to make from start to finish.
No finicky pie dough, no fussing over lattice, no awkward slicing and serving at the party. But they still taste amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!
If you’re up for a challenge, do try out my Dutch Apple Pie recipe. It’s a staple at my Thanksgiving table!
Key Recipe Ingredients
Granny Smith Apples: Be sure to use large apples, and weigh them if you can to guarantee you will have enough for a jammy filling. Weigh before peeling, coring, and dicing. Aim for ¼-inch chunks so they bake into an even layer that’s easy to slice.
Light Brown Sugar: Initial testing included only granulated sugar, but a mix of white and brown sugar created more of a caramel flavor that made these bars SO much tastier.
Cornstarch & flour: These both act as thickeners in the filling so it bakes up luscious without being dry or watery. Don’t skip!
Heavy cream: This adds richness and amplifies that caramel flavor in the filling.
Spices: The cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice are all essential! My first tests included only cinnamon and the flavor fell flat. Be sure your spices are fresh for maximum deliciousness.
How to Make Apple Pie Bars (Step by Step)
Prepare the crust: One batch of shortbread dough makes up the bottom crust and the crumble topping for easy prep. Press ¾ of the dough into the pan.
Par-bake the crust: Until the edges are just set but the center is still underbaked, about 12 minutes.
Cook the apple filling: While the crust bakes, cook the filling in butter over medium-high heat. Stir often. The mixture should be thick and jammy.
Add filling: Pour the hot filling over the par-baked crust, scraping every last bit of sauce into the pan.
Spread: Into one even layer. This is where having ¼-inch diced apples helps!
Top: Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the top, allowing large chunks to remain. It’s okay if some of the filling peeks out.
Final bake: Return to the oven and bake for another 28-30 minutes. The crust should be golden brown on top.
Cool completely: This is a test of patience, but letting it cool completely to room temperature will make for easier slicing and serving.
Tessa’s Tip
- Don’t step away from the apples cooking on the stovetop. They need to be stirred frequently to avoid scorching and sticking to the bottom.
- I prefer to bake in a metal pan, not glass or ceramic. You get cleaner edges and the bars bake through more evenly. If you only have glass or ceramic, drop the baking temperature to 325°F and increase the baking time by a few minutes for the par-bake, and by 5-10 minutes for the final bake.
- Don’t skip the parchment overhang! This makes it WAY easier to remove the entire slab and cut clean, even slices without scratching your pan.
Storage & Make ahead
Room Temperature & Fridge: Store for up to 2 days in an airtight container. The bars will soften slightly the longer they sit.
Freezer: Freeze any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. The bars will soften slightly after thawing, similar to how they soften after a couple of days at room temperature.
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Ingredients
For the shortbread crumble:
- 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups + 3 tablespoons (263 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
For the filling:
- 3 large (700 grams) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons (29 grams) unsalted butter
Instructions
Make the shortbread:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Once it's melted, add the brown sugar and vanilla, stirring to combine. Let cool until just warm. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder, stirring with a rubber spatula until a slightly sandy dough forms.
- Press about three-quarters of the dough into the pan in an even layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just set but the center is still not cooked through.
Prepare the filling:
- In a medium bowl, combine all the apple filling ingredients, except the butter. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple mixture, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the apples begin to soften and the liquid thickens, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.
- Pour the apples over the par-baked crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture evenly over the top.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 28-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Let cool in pan completely on cooling rack for slicing and serving.
- Store for up to 2 days at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator. Bars will slightly soften the longer they sit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Granny Smith is what I tested and recommend, since its tartness and firm flesh hold up during the quick stovetop cook. A firmer variety like Honeycrisp or Braeburn works in a pinch, but expect a softer, juicier filling since they break down faster.
This usually means the filling wasn’t cooked enough. Cornstarch doesn’t fully activate its thickening until the mixture reaches about 200°F. So ensure you cook the apple mixture over medium heat for the full 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid visibly thickens and coats the apples before you pour it over the crust.
Yes. Double all the ingredients, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time as needed.
The difference is the crust and topping: apple pie bars have a shortbread base and shortbread crumble on top, while apple crisp bars typically use an oat-based streusel topping with no bottom crust. If you love an oat-heavy, crunchier topping, try my Apple Crisp recipe instead.
Yes. The skins won’t soften enough during the short 8-minute cook and will make the filling, and the finished bars, noticeably stringier to bite through.
More Apple Recipes You’ll Love:
Photos by Joanie Simon.
Do you think this could be made into a round tart by bringing the crust up the edges of the pie pan? Love the way this recipe sounds, just wanted to see if I could create a more elegant presentation 🙂
We haven’t tried that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! You’ll just want to keep an eye on both bake times, depending on the size of the tart pan you use. Please let us know how it turns out! 🙂
For the filling you say to melt the butter separately, but then what do you do with it, I don’t see where it is added?
Hi Barbara! In step 2, you actually add all the other ingredients to the melted butter in the large bowl. I’ll update the instructions so it reads a little more clearly. Thanks for asking!