Apple Bars

Enjoy the flavors of autumn with this delightful Apple Bars recipe which are bursting with the natural sweetness of fresh apples and a melt-in-your-mouth shortbread.

Perfect for any occasion, these bars are a crowd-pleasing treat that can be enjoyed as a snack, dessert, or even for breakfast. Get ready to savor the taste of fall with these irresistible Apple Bars.

Ingredients and substitutions for the best Apple Bars

• Apples: The best apples for any baking are granny smith's thanks to their firm texture and sweetness that doesn't overpower a dish. You could replace in equal measure with Royal Gala or Honeycrisp.
• Butter: Plain unsalted was used here, though you could substitute with salted, though you might want to omit the salt from the dough. You could substitute in equal measure with non dairy butter, however, I have not tried this so cannot be sure of the outcome.
• Flour: Plain or all purpose flour is best for a nice light pastry, though you could use bread flour, if that is all you have on hand.
• Sugar: The confectioner’s/icing sugar contributes to our melt-in-your-mouth texture in the base and crumble. Whilst the superfine or caster sugar helps not only add sweetness to our filling, draw the liquid from the apples resulting in a tender center.
• Corn starch: Sometimes termed cornflour in certain parts of the globe. Corn starch is what gives our crumb that tender texture.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Apple Bars:

Step 1: Make that shortcrust base: Stir the dry ingredients together in a bowl and toss in the butter.

Step 2: Butter crumble: Cut or rub the butter until it resembles rough breadcrumbs.

Step 3: Base it: Pour two thirds of the shortcrust mix and press firmly to smooth out.

Step 4: Bake: Bake the crust until lightly golden.

Step 5: Cook the apples: Place the apples and sugar into a saucepan on low heat until lightly soft.

Step 6: Toss em: Add the apples to the cooled shortcrust base and spread out evenly.

Step 7: Crumble: Press the remaining shortbread mix together and crumble over the apples evenly.

Step 8: Golden bake: Bake until golden.

Step 9: Cool down: Allow to cool fully before sprinkling over powdered sugar.

Step 10: Slice and serve: Slice it up evenly and serve. Enjoy!

FAQ's for the best Apple Bars

More apple recipes you'll enjoy

Pwdin Eva - Welsh Eve’s Pudding

Appletaart - Dutch Apple Pie

Apple Crumble

Apple Bars

Sylvie Taylor

Enjoy the flavors of autumn with this delightful Apple Bars recipe is bursting with the natural sweetness of fresh apples and a melt-in-your-mouth shortbread for an easy Fall dessert.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine British, New Zealand

Servings 12 -16 bars

Calories 190 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Shortbread

• 240 grams / 1 ½ cups plain flour
• 18 grams / 2 tablespoons corn flour
• 50 grams / ½ cup confectioner’s/icing sugar
• 170 grams / 6 ounces butter chilled and cubed

Apple filling

• 5 medium gala or granny smith apples peeled, cored and cubed
• 60 milliliters / ¼ cup water
• 30 grams / 2 tablespoons superfine/caster sugar

Instructions

 

Shortbread

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350F and line a 18×18 cm or 7×7 inch square baking tin with parchment paper.
• Place the flours and confectioner’s sugar in a bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the center and add the butter. Combine with a fork until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Pour two thirds of the crumb mixture into the base of a slice tin and flatten down tightly. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Remove and set aside.

Apple filling

• Place the apples, sugar and water into a saucepan on low to medium heat and cover.
• Cook until simmering and the apples are beginning to look translucent on the edges, approximately 10 minutes.
• Spoon the apples over the base and spread evenly.
• Press the remaining crumb mixture together and sprinkle over the apples. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden on top.
• Remove and allow to cool.
• Slice and serve.

Notes

• Using different apples: One of the great things about our Apple Bars recipe is that you can use a variety of apple types. Experiment with different varieties like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji to find your favorite flavor combination.
• Sweetening up your apple bars without sugar: There isn't much sugar in these bars to try and keep that natural apple flavor as strong as possible so the best option is sweeter apples available in your area which will naturally sweeten these up without any extra sugar.
• Baking tin: A square baking tin was used, though a rectangle tin would also work well. Note, the larger the tin from the one used here, the thinner your base and apple filling will be.
• Make ahead: This recipe can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. They also freeze well, allowing you to prepare a batch ahead of time for future enjoyment.

Recipe by Roamingtaste

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcal

Keyword apple, eggless, fall dish

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!