Name: Apple Pie Bars for the Table
Yield: 12

Apple Pie Bars, soft, chewy, packed with cinnamon-spiced apples, and finished with a rich caramel drizzle!

Make sure to add Applesauce Cake or Apple Turnovers to your list for your next baking day.

Stack Apple Pie Bars on top of each other.

The Best Apple Pie Bars

Apple Pie meets Carmelitas in these incredible Apple Pie Bars, and I’m totally obsessed. These bars are the reliable apple treat—gooey, chewy, and packed with just the right amount of cinnamon.

Top a warm bar with vanilla bean ice cream, drizzle on some caramel sauce, and get ready to meet your new favorite apple dessert!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make these Apple Pie Bars:

Ground cinnamon and nutmeg: Warm spices that go evenly with apples.
Unsalted butter: Adds rich flavor. Use room-temperature butter to avoid greasy bars.
Light brown sugar: Sweetens and makes the bars soft and chewy.
Flour: Provides structure for the crust and topping.
Old-fashioned oats: Adds texture. Avoid quick or steel-cut oats.
Baking soda: Helps the crust rise slightly for a softer texture. Sift your baking soda first if it is at all clumpy.
Vanilla extract: Enhances the overall flavor.
Salt: Balances sweetness and highlights flavors.
Granny Smith apples: Tart and firm, great for baking without becoming mushy.

Mix the base and crumble topping for these apple pie bars.

How To Make Apple Pie Bars

Heat Oven: Heat to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment.
Make Crust & Topping: Mix butter, sugar, flour, oats, baking soda, vanilla, and salt into a thick dough. Press 1-1/2 cups into the pan and bake for 7 minutes.
Prep Apple Filling: In a bowl, mix apples, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Assemble Bars: Sprinkle apple mix over crust. Crumble the rest of the dough on top.
Bake: Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges turn golden and set.
Cool & Serve: Let cool for 1 hour before cutting. Serve with ice cream and caramel.

Quick Tip

Don’t forget to line the pan with parchment paper—it makes removing the Apple Pie Bars and cleanup so much easier! Leave extra parchment hanging over the edges so you can lift the bars out to cut them.

The filling being tossed together with spices and the topping being crumbled on top.

Tips For Making Apple Pie Bars

Press the crust evenly in the base for even baking.
Dice apples evenly and in small pieces to ensure they cook at the same rate.
Don’t overbake to keep bars soft—remove when the top is golden and no longer looks gooey on top.
Crumble topping lightly without pressing it in to keep the topping crisp.
Cool completely before cutting to keep bars from crumbling.