Apple Pie Bars With Shortbread Crust - A delicious apple pie-inspired dessert bar made with a buttery shortbread crust, gooey apple pie filling, and topped with homemade apple crisp topping.
Indulge in a bite-sized twist on classic apple pie with these irresistible dessert bars - a perfect blend of comforting flavors in every layer!
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This delicious apple pie bars recipe is the perfect easy dessert to make anytime of year, especially popular for fall baking and one of our favorite things to make during the holiday season.
This was inspired by our popular apple crisp recipe, which is one of our all time favorites! Looking for more ideas? Be sure to check out our other tasty dessert recipes, like our Peach Dump Cake, and Peach Cobbler. Love dessert bar recipes? Try our irresistible Cherry Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust or Pumpkin Squares.
How To Make This Recipe
Why you have to make this recipe... This easy recipe is an absolute show stopper. If you want a jaw dropping decadent dessert recipe that will wow your friends, this is it. One bite, and all conversation will stop and turn to how good they taste!
These dessert bars are the perfect combination sweet and savory. Every delicious bite delivers the sweet flavors of cinnamon-spiced apples, apple crisp topping, and a savory, buttery shortbread crust.
They're absolutely delicious. People will be asking you for this recipe.
Here's What You Need
These easy dessert bars are made with simple ingredients you probably have on hand right now.
Shortbread Crust
- all purpose flour - May substitute almond flour.
- salted butter, room temperature - May substitute unsalted butter.
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract or vanilla paste (optional) - Can be used interchangeably. Vanilla paste will have a slightly more intense vanilla flavor and have specks of vanilla bean.
- salt
Apple Pie Filling
- apples peeled, cored, and sliced - The best apples to use are bright and acidic in flavor and hold their texture well when baked. We used Honeycrisp, but you can use your favorite type of apples like Golden Delicious or Granny Smith.
Further Reading: Here Are the Best Apples for Baking by Sally over at Sally's Baking Addiction.
Substitution: This tasty dessert bars recipe can be made with so many other types of fruit like fresh summer peaches, pears, or plums. - all purpose flour - Used as a thickener to make a syrupy filling. May substitute corn starch.
- salted butter - May substitute unsalted butter.
Apple Crisp Topping
- brown sugar - Use light or dark brown sugar.
- oatmeal - Instant oatmeal works best here. Rolled oats take longer to cook and the texture can feel too tough and distracting for this recipe.
- all purpose flour - May substitute almond flour.
- salted butter, diced, cold - May substitute unsalted butter.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Next time, try one of these tasty variations.
Apple Crumble Bars (Dutch Apple Pie Bars)- Made with crumble topping (streusel topping) and a flaky pie crust bottom layer.
Salted Caramel Apple Bars - Drizzle the top of the bars with a decadent caramel sauce.
Choose Different Fillings - Substitute other types of fruit like peaches, pears, or plums, or even spreads like raspberry or peach jam or fruit butters for the middle filling layer.
How to Make Apple Pie Bars
Preheat Oven To 300°F and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper.
Prepare Shortbread Crust (Bottom Crust)
- Prepare the Shortbread Crust using one of the two methods below:
Food Processor Method. Place all shortbread ingredients into a food processor and pulse till just combined.
Stand Mixer Method. Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Place butter in the mixing bowl, and mix it on medium speed until smooth (approximately 30 seconds).
Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix to combine. Then on low speed, add the flour to the butter-sugar mixture a little at a time until just combined.
Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated.
See Note on butter below.
- Press Into Pan. Turn the shortbread dough out onto the center of the prepared pan.
Press the dough out into an even layer in the bottom of the pan to form the bottom crust.
- Bake Crust. Bake the bottom crust at 300°F for 20 minutes in the center of the oven. Then take it out and set the baked crust on a wire rack.
Increase Oven Temperature to 350°F.
Prepare Filling (Middle Apple Layer)
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- Prepare Filling Mixture. Peel, core, and slice apples into a medium bowl. In a separate, small bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
Add the cinnamon sugar mixture to the fruit and mix to combine.
- Stew. Transfer the prepared fruit to a large skillet and add the butter to the top of the apples.
Cover the skillet and simmer over medium-low heat until the fruit has softened and a thick, syrup has formed. (Approximately 15 minutes)
- Transfer Filling. Spoon filling onto the shortbread crust, spreading it out into an even layer.
Substitution: May substitute 4 cups of canned apple pie filling.
Apple Crisp Topping (Top Crust)
- Prepare Crisp Topping using one of the two methods below:
Food Processor Method: Place all topping ingredients into a food processor and pulse to combine.
Pastry Cutter Method: In a small bowl, combine all dry topping ingredients. Cut in diced, cold butter with a pastry cutter (pastry blender).
The resulting apple crisp topping will resemble course crumbs.
- Sprinkle on Topping. Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the middle layer of fruit.
- Bake. Bake for 60 minutes at 350°F.
Then take out of the oven when the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Set the whole pan on a wire rack to cool.
- Cut Into Bars and Serve. Let the freshly baked bars cool before cutting them into 24 bars.
Expert Tips
Note on Butter - Make sure to use room temperature butter for the shortbread crust. If cold butter is used, the shortbread dough will be flaky and a little more crumbly than desirable for the bottom crust.
The smoother texture created by using room temperature butter is also more easily spread out into the bottom of the baking dish.
Stew Apples at Medium-Low Heat - Be sure the temperature doesn't get too hot as the apples are stewed. Keep the lid on and stew them low and slow so that the moisture released by the apples as they cook down doesn't evaporate. The moisture released will create the syrup and prevent the apples from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Make Ahead Tips
- Make the three different layers ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze them so they can be assembled and baked fresh later.
- Make a batch of apple pie filling and freeze it until ready to use.
- Make crisp topping ahead of time (dry ingredients only) and keep it in an airtight container in the pantry for easy access to use later in apple pie bars, pies, crisps, and muffin topping. Add the butter when ready to use.
Time-Saving Tips
- Kill two birds with one stone. Make the apple pie filling while the crust is baking.
- Work Ahead. Measure out ingredients the night before you bake.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these delicious dessert bars by themselves or warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Top them off with some homemade caramel glaze like the recipe we use for our Apple Bundt Cake Recipe.
If you love apples, you're gonna love our other apple desserts! Here's a little playlist of our favorites.
More Apple Dessert Recipes
- Mini Apple Pies - Individual pies made in a muffin tin with store-bought pie crust, and sweet and syrupy apples. Quick and easy dessert recipe with all the classic apple pie flavors.
- Old Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake - Easy apple cake with Apple Crisp Topping and a Bourbon Caramel Glaze.
- Homemade Applesauce - Easy applesauce recipe without sugar.
- Apple Crisp - Fresh sliced apples topped with a mixture of oats, cinnamon, brown sugar, and butter and baked into sweet, syrupy perfection.
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📖 Recipe
Apple Pie Bars Recipe
Equipment
- 8x11 baking dish
- large skillet
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup salted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 4 apples peeled, cored, and sliced
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
Apple Crisp Topping
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup oatmeal
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup 1 stick salted butter diced, cold
Instructions
Preheat Oven To 300°F and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper.
Prepare Shortbread Crust (Bottom Crust)
- Prepare the Shortbread Crust by using one of the two methods below:Food Processor Method. Place all shortbread ingredients into a food processor and pulse till just combined.Stand Mixer Method. Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Place butter in the mixing bowl, and mix it on medium speed until smooth (approximately 30 seconds). Add the sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix to combine. Then on low speed, add the flour to the butter-sugar mixture a little at a time until just combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated. Note on butter below.2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup salted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- Press Into Pan. Turn the shortbread dough out onto the center of the prepared pan. Press the dough out into an even layer in the bottom of the pan to form the bottom crust.
- Bake Crust. Bake the bottom crust at 300°F for 20 minutes in the center of the oven. Then take it out and set the baked crust on a wire rack.
Increase Oven Temperature to 350°F.
Prepare Filling (Middle Layer)
- Prepare Apple Mixture. Peel, core, and slice apples into a medium bowl. In a separate, small bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Add the cinnamon sugar mixture to the apple slices and mix to combine.4 apples, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- Stew Apples. Transfer the prepared apples to a large skillet and add the butter to the top of the apples. Cover the skillet and simmer over medium-low heat until the apples have softened and a thick, syrup has formed. (15 minutes)2 tablespoons salted butter
- Transfer Filling. Spoon filling onto the shortbread crust, spreading it out into an even layer.
Apple Crisp Topping (Top Crust)
- Prepare Apple Crisp Topping using one of the two methods below:In a small bowl, combine all dry topping ingredients. Cut in diced, cold butter with a pastry cutter. The resulting apple crisp topping will resemble course crumbs.¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup oatmeal, ¼ cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ cup 1 stick salted butter
- Sprinkle on Topping. Sprinkle the apple crisp topping evenly over the middle apple layer.
- Bake. Bake for 60 minutes at 350°F. Then take out of the oven when the top is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling. Set the whole pan on a wire rack to cool.
- Cut Into Bars and Serve. Let the freshly baked apple bars cool before cutting them into 24 bars.
Lisa Hatfield
Seanna hosted a dinner party and served these apple pie bars, oh my goodness they are amazing!!! And thank you for sending me home with a few I shared with more friends and they adored the shortbread crust and apple filling topped with that scrumptious crumb topping!! I am still thinking about these….so good Seanna. Thank you for sharing your recipe and baking skills with us.
Seanna Borrows
Lisa thank you so much! I'm so happy you liked them. And I'll bake for you anytime Girlfriend!! Looking forward to many more happy times with you my friend!
Meg
Love love love these apple pie bars! Especially the flaky crust.
Seanna Borrows
Thanks so much Meg!! So glad you loved them!
Russ B
Dangerously good!!
Seanna Borrows
You got that right!