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Perfect Cozy Friendsgiving Apple Pie Bars with Oat Crumble

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These apple pie bars feature a buttery shortbread crust, a soft cinnamon-spiced apple filling, and a crunchy oat crumble topping. They’re the happy accident that turned into a favorite dessert—easy to make, perfect for sharing, and full of cozy fall flavor.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
  • 4 cups peeled and sliced apples (about 4 medium apples; Honeycrisp or Granny Smith recommended)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of overhang on the long sides.
  2. Make the shortbread crust: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add the cold, cubed butter. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse sand with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Prepare the apple filling: In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice. Add ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Mix well until every slice is coated. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
  4. Make the oat crumble topping: In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup rolled oats, ½ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Pour the melted butter over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until everything is moistened and clumps together.
  5. Assemble the bars: Spread the apple mixture evenly over the pre-baked crust. Sprinkle the oat crumble topping evenly over the apples.
  6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the topping is deep golden brown and the apple filling is bubbly around the edges. If the topping browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
  7. Cool completely before cutting: Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. For clean slices, refrigerate for another hour before cutting. Use the parchment overhang to lift the block out onto a cutting board. Slice into squares or rectangles.

Notes

For best results, use a mix of tart and sweet apples (e.g., Granny Smith and Honeycrisp). Old-fashioned rolled oats are essential for a crunchy topping. Let bars cool completely before slicing to avoid a soupy mess. Bars taste even better the next day. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and certified gluten-free oats. For vegan, use vegan butter sticks.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple pie bars, oat crumble, Friendsgiving dessert, apple dessert, fall baking, easy apple bars

Find it online: https://coracooks.com/perfect-cozy-friendsgiving-apple-pie-bars-with-oat-crumble/