These apple crisp bars are made with a shortcrust base, topped with a spiced apple mixture, crumble topping and caramel sauce.
These bars start with a buttery shortcrust base that provides a sturdy foundation and a delicious cookie-like texture with a buttery flavor.
On top of this, you'll find a spiced apple mixture, where slices of fresh apples are mixed with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, creating a sweet and aromatic layer.
The crumble topping adds texture with its blend of oats, flour, sugar, and butter baked to golden perfection.
To finish it off, these bars are drizzled with caramel sauce, adding an extra touch of sweetness that perfectly complements the tartness of the apples.
This dessert is like the ultimate cozy treat that just screams fall and holiday vibes!
For more apple desserts, check out my apple pie cookies, apple cinnamon rolls, apple crumble cake, apple fritters, and apple crumble muffins.
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Why this recipe works
- Texture- these delicious bars are like a mix of apple pie and apple crumble or apple crisp. The juicy apples are spiced with delicious flavors and are topped with a buttery and flavorful crispy crumble topping.
- Spiced apples- these tender apple pieces that bake up beautifully add not only flavor but also enhance the overall texture with their slight juiciness.
- Shortbread crust- one of the best parts about this recipe is that it's made with a buttery shortbread crust that makes this recipe even more decadent.
- Crumble topping- these are topped with a simple but delicious crumble topping that you will fall in love with. Made with butter, sugar, and flour, it bakes up golden brown for an added touch of sweetness and crunchy texture.
- Caramel drizzle- each bar is topped with homemade or store bought caramel sauce. It adds just the right amount of sweetness and complements the spiced apples beautifully.
Ingredients
Before making this apple crumble bars recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and efficiently.
The total measurements are in the recipe card below.
For the shortbread crust
Flour– I used all-purpose flour for this recipe. cake flour will work great as well.
Butter- use unsalted butter for this recipe. Only butter will work for this recipe, no margarine, and no coconut oil. Margarine has a weird taste and can ruin the flavor of this delicious crust.
Sugar- you can use granulated sugar or caster sugar for this.
For the apple filling
Apples- I like to use Granny Smith apples for this recipe, they are a little bit less sweet and sturdy, but any kind of your favorite apples will work!
Granulated sugar– I like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Spices- my favorite spices for these fritters are cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Lemon juice- use fresh lemon juice for this recipe. Fresh lemon will give you the best result. I don't recommend using store-bought lemon juice. This will make the flavor pop!
Butter– you will need to melt the butter. I used unsalted butter for this.
Lemon juice– helps to balance the sweet flavor.
For the crumble topping
Rolled oats- I used rolled oats for this recipe, you can use old-fashioned oats or quick oats. Make sure that you are using gluten-free oats if you are gluten-free.
Brown sugar– I use brown sugar for this recipe. Brown sugar adds a deep caramel flavor. You can use dark brown sugar as well.
Cinnamon- cinnamon is a must for the crumble!
Butter- you will need to melt it either on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Flour- I used all-purpose flour for this.
Instructions
Prepare an 8 by 8-inch pan with parchment paper and preheat an oven to 180c (350f).
Into a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, and salt, and mix with a spoon until combined.
Add the melted butter and vanilla extract, then mix with a spoon until the mixture is uniform.
Transfer the dough to a parchment paper lined 8 by 8-inch pan and spread an even layer using your clean hands or a spoon.
Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Peel, core, and cut the apples into thin slices. Into a large mixing bowl, add the apple slices, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, flour, and sugar. Mix with a spoon until well combined.
Make the crumble! Into a small mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and mix with a spoon until well combined.
Add the melted butter and mix well.
Top the baked shortbread crust with the apple mixture and spread an even layer of it with a spoon.
Sprinkle the crumble on top. Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until the apples are cooked through and the crumble topping is golden brown and crispy.
Let it cool in the pan for at least an hour to prevent it from crumbling up. Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve!
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture.
- Use an apple corer and slicer to make this process easier and faster. I use this apple corer and slicer from Amazon and it is a lifesaver for making apple desserts and especially apple pies!
- Don't skip baking the crust first. This will ensure your crust will stay firm and not turn soggy.
- Choose the right apples. Opt for firm, tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Their natural tartness balances the sweetness of the caramel sauce and complements the spices.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Be patient! I know it’s incredibly tempting to eat these bars as they are pulled out of the oven, but let these bars cool for at least 30 minutes so they will be firmer and won’t crumble up.
- Don't slice the apples too thinly, I recommend slicing them into medium thickness, because in the cooking process, they will shrink, and we want to feel the texture of the apples in every bite.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce last. Allow bars to cool slightly before drizzling caramel sauce over them so it doesn’t soak through too much but still adds that luscious sweetness on top.
Faq's
Use your favorite kind of apples! We like using granny smith apples, but any apple kind will work. If you like sweet apples, use Honeycrisp, or pink lady.
How many apples you need depends on the side of your apples. We used 5 large granny smith apples for this recipe. You will need about 7 cups of sliced apples for this recipe.
Yes! You can make apple pie filling or use store-bought apple pie filling and use it for filling!
Storing
Store these bars at room temperature for up to 3 days sealed in an airtight container. After 3 days, transfer them to the fridge for another 2 days.
Freezing
Start by allowing the bars to cool completely at room temperature.
Once cooled, place the bars in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to set. Next, remove the bars from the pan and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, ensuring no air pockets remain.
For added protection, wrap the bars again in aluminum foil. Label the package with the date and contents, then place it in the freezer.
The bars can be stored frozen for up to 2 months. When you're ready to serve, thaw the bars in the refrigerator overnight.
Substitutions
Gluten-free- make these gluten-free by replacing the flour with gluten-free flour or make your favorite gluten-free crust. Also, ensure that you are using gluten-free oats.
Vegan- swap the butter with vegan butter for a dairy-free and vegan option!
Variations
Glaze- you can swap the caramel sauce with a simple glaze or a cream cheese glaze.
Nuts- add ⅓ cup of your favorite chopped nuts to the crumble mixture for extra crunch like chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts.
Fruit- swap the apples with pears and make this pear crisp bars!
Fruit- you can swap the apples with pears and make pear crisp bars!
Filling- you can use your favorite apple pie filling for this!
Serving Tips
Whipped cream- top each slice of this bar with a dollop of whipped cream.
Vanilla ice cream- add a large scoop of ice cream next to a slice of this apple crisp bar.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
- 8 by 8 baking pan
- Offset spatula
- Rubber spatula
- Apple corer and slicer
More fall recipes
Banana coffee cake- This banana coffee cake is made with soft cinnamon banana cake, filled with a cinnamon swirl filling, cinnamon crumble topping and a delicious glaze.
Butterscotch cake- This butterscotch cake is made with moist and tender brown sugar cake layers, homemade butterscotch sauce, and topped and filled with butterscotch buttercream.
Pumpkin scones- These easy and moist pumpkin scones are made with pumpkin puree, and fall spices, and are topped with a delicious glaze and chopped pecans.
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If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
Best Apple Crisp Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread crust
- 1 ¼ cups Flour
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup Butter melted, unsalted
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Apple filling
- 4 cups Apples thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Flour
- 4 tablespoon Granulated sugar
Crumble topping
- ½ cup Rolled oats
- ½ cup Flour
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 5 tablespoon Butter melted, unsalted
Instructions
- Prepare an 8 by 8 inch pan with parchment paper and preheat an oven to 180c (350f).
- Into a medium sized mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, and salt, and mix with a spoon until combined.
- Add the melted butter and vanilla extract, then mix with a spoon until the mixture is uniform.
- Transfer the dough to a parchment paper lined 8 by 8 inch pan and spread an even layer using your clean hands or a spoon.
- Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Peel, core, and cut the apples into thin slices. Into a large mixing bowl, add the apple slices, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, flour, and sugar. Mix with a spoon until well combined.
- Make the crumble! Into a small mixing bowl, add the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and mix with a spoon until well combined.
- Add the melted butter and mix well.
- Top the baked shortbread crust with the apple mixture and spread an even layer of it with a spoon.
- Sprinkle the crumble on top. Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until the apples are cooked through and the crumble topping is golden brown and crispy.
- Let it cool in the pan for at least an hour to prevent it from crumbling up. Drizzle with caramel sauce and serve!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture.
- Use an apple corer and slicer to make this process easier and faster. I use this apple corer and slicer from Amazon and it is a lifesaver for making apple desserts and especially apple pies!
- Don't skip baking the crust first. This will ensure your crust will stay firm and not turn soggy.
- Choose the right apples. Opt for firm, tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Their natural tartness balances the sweetness of the caramel sauce and complements the spices.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Be patient! I know it’s incredibly tempting to eat these bars as they are pulled out of the oven, but let these bars cool for at least 30 minutes so they will be firmer and won’t crumble up.
- Don't slice the apples too thinly, I recommend slicing them into medium thickness, because in the cooking process, they will shrink, and we want to feel the texture of the apples in every bite.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce last. Allow bars to cool slightly before drizzling caramel sauce over them so it doesn’t soak through too much but still adds that luscious sweetness on top.
SJ says
This recipe is superb! I have shared it with friends. After reading the recipe again, just came across an auto correct mistake, homoginist is supposed to be homogenous I believe.
Moxie says
Where in the recipe are there instructions to make the caramel sauce, store-bought is disgusting and if you’re taking the time to make this recipe that sounds delicious, don’t ruin it by store bought caramel sauce!
RichandDelish says
Hi! Here is the link for my caramel sauce recipe: https://richanddelish.com/salted-caramel-sauce/