Apple Crisp Bars Recipe (2024)

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by Haley//July 12, 2016 (updated November 18, 2020)

Apple Crisp Bars are easy to make from scratch. This recipe uses a basic shortbread crust topped with apple slices and a simple flavorful crisp.

Sliced apples and crumble topping with a shortbread crust—now that’s a dessert I can get behind. This recipe for apple crisp bars is one of my go-to’s.Warm, cold, with ice cream, for breakfast, any way you eat them, they are delicious.

For those of you who usually reach for the boxed apple crisp topping, I think it’s worth trying to make it from scratch. I’ll break the homemade recipe down for you.

What inspired me to make this recipe? Well, my mom made apple crisp all the time when I was growing up. I loved it so much, especially the crumble topping. I wanted to replicate the dessert, but make it mobile. The simplest answer is to make apple crisp into bars. All it took was making a shortbread crust for the apples to sit on.

Step by step instructions

Start with the shortbread crust: The base of these apple crisp bars is a shortbread crust⁠—butter, brown sugar, vanilla and flour. Beat those ingredients together and press the dough into a baking pan. Pre-bake the crust at 350° F so it’s sturdy enough to hold the apple filling and crumble topping.

Make the apple crisp filling: Peel, core and slice apples to make the filling. The job is made easy with this apple peeler. Then toss the apples in flour to prevent a runny filling and sugar for extra sweetness.

Prepare the crumble topping: Crumble topping requires sugar, flour, cinnamon and cold butter crumbled together. When butter is cold, it won’t get completely incorporated into the mixture (which we want). Use a pastry cutter to obtain pea size crumbles. The butter will melt in the oven to create a crispy topping.

More apple recipes

I have a slew of apple recipes in the archive, but here are a few of my favorites from my blog and others!

• Apple cheesecake bars – similar to this recipe, but with a layer of cheesecake in the center
• Homemade apple pie recipe – My go-to recipe for apple pie!
• Easy apple crumble pie – a pie version of these bars.
• Easy apple crisp – Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
• Apple galette – thinly sliced apples in a rustic presentation.

Apple bars are a must try during the fall season. The layers of sweet apples are crisp and tart, which complement the shortbread crust and streusel topping perfectly. Honestly, they are truly delicious!

I’d love to see how you apple crisp bars turned out! If you try one of my recipes, be sure to tag @ifyougiveablondeakitchenon social media!

Get the Recipe: Easy Apple Crisp Bars

Yield: 16 bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 57 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 12 minutes mins

Apple Crisp Bars are easy to make from scratch—promise. This recipe uses a basic shortbread crust topped with apple slices and a simple flavorful crisp.

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See Also

Prime Rib 500 Rule: The Closed Oven Method (Prime Rib Recipe)

Equipment

• ▢

  1 Kitchen scale

• ▢

  1 8×8 metal baking pan

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  1 apple peeler

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  1 pastry cutter

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

• ▢ ½ cup (113 g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ▢ ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups (147 g) all-purpose flour

Apple Filling

• ▢ 4 cups (500 g) apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (about 4-5 medium apples)
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

Crisp Topping

• ▢ ½ cup (100 g) packed light brown sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 6 tablespoons (85 g) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Instructions

Shortbread Crust

• Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a 8×8 pan with parchment paper, leaving extra hanging over the ends, spray with cooking spray.

• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour and mix until combined and dough is crumbly.

• Press dough evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until dough is slightly puffed. Remove from oven and set aside, maintain oven temperature.

Apple Filling

• Peel, core and chop apples into slices (this apple peeler/corer does the job in minutes). In a large bowl, combine apples, flour and sugar. Mix until apples are thoroughly coated. Arrange apples on baked crust.

Crisp Topping

• In a medium bowl, mix together first five ingredients. With a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Spread topping over apples in an even layer.

• Bake uncovered at 350º F for 45 minutes, or until topping is golden and apple mixture is bubbly. Let cool, lift apple crisp using the extra parchment paper at the ends as handles, and cut into bars.

Notes

Best apples for baking: Use crisp or tart apples such as Granny Smith and Honeycrisp (or mix them!) Avoid sweeter or softer apples as it will make the filling mushy.

Store apple crisp bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Freeze for up to 1 month. After the bars have cooled completely, wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Defrost in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature.

Serving: 1bar, Calories: 229kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 78mg, Potassium: 64mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 20g, Vitamin A: 325IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 1mg

Author: Haley D Williams

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Recipe adapted from The Merry Thought.

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