Love apple pie? Hate rolling dough? Meet apple pie bars. A buttery shortbread crust gets pressed into the pan—no rolling pin required. Top it with tender cinnamon apples and a brown sugar oat crumble. Bake, cool, and slice into perfect portable squares. They taste exactly like homemade pie, but you’ll finish making them in the time it takes to chill pie dough. This is apple pie for lazy geniuses.
Makes one 9×13 pan (15-20 bars).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
- Beat softened butter and sugar until creamy. Mix in flour and salt until crumbly.
- Press mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden.
Prep the Apples
- In a bowl, toss diced apples with sugars, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch.
Make the Crumble Topping
- In a separate bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
- Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Assemble and Bake
- Spread apple filling evenly over the baked crust.
- Sprinkle crumble topping all over the apples.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until apples are bubbly and topping is golden brown.
Cool and Slice
- Let bars cool completely in the pan (at least 2 hours).
- Lift out using parchment paper. Slice into squares.
- Dust with powdered sugar if feeling fancy. Devour.
Summary
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Cooling: 2 hours | Total Time: ~3 hours
Yield: 15-20 bars
Difficulty: Easy (no rolling required)
Storage Notes
How to Store:
Keep apple pie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. They’re delicious cold, room temp, or warmed up.
Reheating:
Microwave a bar for 15 seconds and top with vanilla ice cream. You’re welcome.
Freezing:
Freeze baked and cooled bars (whole or sliced) for up to 3 months. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap then foil. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Pro Tip:
- Don’t skip the cooling step. Cutting into warm bars = crumbly mess. Patience yields perfect clean slices.
