Apple crisp bars are a simple and delicious fall dessert recipe. A crisp, buttery shortbread crust with cinnamon apple filling, and cinnamon streusel topping. These easy apple crisp bars taste amazing on their own or drizzled with my homemade salted caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!
Ingredients for Apple Crisp Bars
Shortbread Crust
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to fluff the flour before scooping and level the measuring cups.
- Granulated sugar – To add a bit of sweetness to the shortbread crust.
- Salt – Salt provides some contrast to the sweetness and enhances the buttery flavor of the shortbread.
- Unsalted butter – Cubed into small pieces and at room temperature. You could also use salted butter and omit the additional salt in the recipe.
Apple Filling
- Apples – My favorite baking apples are Crispin, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady apples. You will want to use an apple that is tart, crisp, and firm. For this recipe, I used Crispin. Peel and thinly slice the apples.
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- All-purpose flour – A bit of flour helps to soak up additional moisture let out by the apples during the baking process.
- Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon adds great warm flavor to the apples.
Streusel Topping
- Unsalted butter – Melted. You could also use salted if you prefer.
- Light brown sugar – Adds sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor.
- All-purpose flour – Creates a crumbly streusel.
- Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon adds great warm flavor to the crumb topping.
Tools & Supplies for Making Apple Crisp Bars
How to Make Apple Crisp Bars
These apple crisp bars are incredibly easy to make. There are three components to this recipe – shortbread crust, apple filling, and streusel topping.
Shortbread Crust
To make the shortbread crust, you will need a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer. Simple add all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt to a medium bowl and mix to combine. Add cubed, room temperature butter. Mix on low speed until the mixture becomes crumbly and resembles coarse sand.
Pour the crumbs into a prepared 8×8 baking dish and spread evenly. Firmly press the crumbs with a flat-bottomed measuring cup or glass to create an even layer. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before adding the filling.
Apple Filling
Combine peeled and sliced apples, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and ground cinnamon. Toss to combine. Pour the apples into the baked shortbread crust and spread into an even layer.
Streusel Topping
For the crisp topping, combine melted butter, light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and ground cinnamon. Mix until the ingredients are well combined and the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the apple filling.
Baking
Bake the apple crisp bars in a 350 degree F oven for approximately 45 minutes until the apples are tender and the streusel is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool to room temperature in the pan. Once cooled, remove the bars from the pan and cut into squares.
My favorite way to enjoy these apple crisp bars is with a drizzle of my homemade salted caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Apple Crisp Bars Recipe Tips
Preparing the baking pan
For this recipe, use an 8×8 square baking pan. To prepare the pan, spray nonstick cooking spray on the bottom and sides of the pan. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper so the bars are easily removed from the pan when cooled. Cut the parchment paper so it fits the width of the bottom of the pan. Be sure that the parchment paper is long enough to extend up the sides of the pan so you can simply lift up on the parchment paper to remove the apple crisp bars.
Use baking apples for the perfect taste and texture
For this recipe, you will want to select a variety of apple that is ideal for baking. Essentially, you are looking for an apple that is crisp, firm, and has a tart flavor so that it maintains shape and does not become mushy. Some of my favorite baking apples include Crispin apples, Golden Delicious apples, Granny Smith apples, Honeycrisp apples, or Pink Lady apples. For this recipe, you will want to peel and thinly slice the apples for the best texture.
Blind baking the crust
To create a crisp shortbread crust, we are using a technique called “blind baking”. Blind baking simply means that the crust is baked before the filling is added. This allows the crust to bake and brown slightly before the wet filling is added. Blind baking helps prevent the shortbread crust from getting soft and soggy.
Storing and serving
The apple crisp bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days. The longer it sits, the more likely that the crust and streusel topping can become soggy from the juices from the apple filling, so the sooner you enjoy it, the better! I love drizzling the bars with my homemade salted caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Enjoy the apple crisp bars chilled, at room temperature, or warmed slightly.
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Apple Crisp Bars
Equipment
- 8×8 inch baking pan
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
Apple Filling
- 24 oz apples peeled and sliced thin (crispin, granny smith, golden delicious, honeycrisp, and pink lady varieties are great for baking)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare an 8×8 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer. Combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and salt. Mix on low to combine.
- Add cubed, room temperature butter to the flour mixture. Mix on low speed for a few minutes until the butter is dispersed throughout the batter and resembles coarse sand.
- Pour the shortbread crumbs into the prepared 8×8 baking pan and spread evenly. Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of the baking pan with a flat-bottomed measuring cup or drinking glass.
- Bake the shortbread crust for 15 minutes until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool for 5 minutes.
Apple Filling
- In a large bowl, combine peeled and thinly sliced apples, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and ground cinnamon. Mix to combine.
- Pour the apple mixture into the baked shortbread crust and spread evenly.
Streusel Topping
- In a bowl, combine melted unsalted butter, light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and ground cinnamon. Mix to combine.
- Crumble the streusel topping evenly over the apple filling.
- Bake the apple crisp bars for approximately 45 minutes until the apples are tender and the streusel topping is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool in the pan to room temperature. Once cooled, remove the bars from the baking pan and cut into squares.
Notes
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Comments & Reviews
I made this today with fresh Crispin apples from our local apple farm. It is delicious and will make it again! Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi Suzanne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Crispin apples are perfect for these bars! I love baking after going to the apple orchard!