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a square of apple crisp cookie bar with vanilla bean ice cream on top

Apple Crisp Cookie Bars

Apple Crisp Cookie Bars feature a simple chewy cookie crust covered with cinnamon apples and a crispy sweet oat topping for an easy fall treat! Ready in just over 1 hour.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword apple, apple crisp, cookie bars, fall, fall baking, quick apple dessert
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 37 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
Yields: 9 bars
Recipe by Tessa Arias

Ingredients

For the bars:

  • 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (200 grams) dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons molasses
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the apple mixture:

  • 2 small Granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the oat topping:

  • 1/3 cup (42 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup (30 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled

Directions

Make the bars:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch metal baking pan with parchment or foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

  3. In a large heatproof bowl melt the butter. While the butter is still hot, add the brown sugar and stir until combined. Allow to cool slightly before adding the molasses, milk, eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Gently stir in the dry ingredients.

  4. Smooth the mixture into the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake for 17 minutes, or until the edges are just set but the center is still undercooked.

Make the apple mixture:

  1. While the crust is baking, combine the apple ingredients a medium bowl. Carefully arrange the slices over the par-baked crust in one even layer.

Make the topping:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredient mixture until a coarse meal forms. Sprinkle all over the apples.

  2. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until the topping is golden and the apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing and serving. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.