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The Ultimate Easy Apple Pie Bars: Buttery Crust and Cinnamon Streusel Topping

Two stacked, gooey apple pie bars with a crumb topping served on a white plate.
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Make classic apple pie flavor in a simple bar format with this easy recipe featuring a buttery shortbread crust, spiced apple filling, and a crumbly cinnamon streusel topping. Perfect for potlucks or family desserts.

Ingredients

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  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 3 cups peeled, cored, and diced apples (about 6 medium apples)
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (for topping)
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (for topping)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for topping)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for topping)
  • 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (for topping)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
  2. Prepare the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and salt. Cut in 1 cup of cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  3. Press two-thirds of the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust. Reserve the remaining one-third of the crumbs for the topping.
  4. Prepare the apple filling: In a separate bowl, toss the diced apples with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice until coated.
  5. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the crust in the pan.
  6. Prepare the streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in the remaining 1/4 cup cold butter until crumbly.
  7. Sprinkle the reserved one-third of the crust mixture and the streusel topping mixture evenly over the apples.
  8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with a fork.
  9. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting them out using the parchment paper overhang.
  10. Cut into squares. For extra flavor, consider these bars as part of your weekly meal planning for satisfying comfort food.

Notes

  • For a richer flavor, substitute half of the all-purpose flour in the crust and topping with finely ground oats.
  • If you prefer a softer topping, you can skip the final streusel step and instead mix the remaining crust mixture with 1/4 cup cold water to form a dough, then crumble it over the apples.
  • These bars pair well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://delicerecipe.com/easy-apple-pie-bars-recipe/