In this article
The day my father carried in the first big bag of apples from the orchard stand, my mother looked at it and said one pie was not going to be enough for our house. So she baked the whole pie in a 9x13 pan. Apple pie bars are a buttery shortbread crust pressed into the pan, a thick layer of sliced apples with cinnamon and sugar, a crumb topping scattered over the top, and a thin vanilla glaze drizzled across once they cool. They taste exactly like apple pie, but you cut them in squares and eat them by hand, and one pan feeds a whole table of boys plus anyone who knocks at the back door.
My mother had one rule about them: the crust had to stay crisp under all those apples. A soggy bottom, she said, and it is just apple pudding on a plate. She kept it crisp with two simple steps that most recipes skip. The crust goes into the oven alone first, until it is set and pale gold. And the apples go into a skillet for a few minutes before they ever touch the crust, so their juice cooks down into a thick syrup instead of soaking into the shortbread. Here is exactly how to keep the crust crisp under all those apples.
Why this apple pie bars works
- A pre-baked crust. Twenty minutes alone in the oven sets the shortbread so the apple filling cannot soak in.
- Apples cooked first. A few minutes in a skillet releases the apple juice, and a little cornstarch turns it into a thick syrup before it goes on the crust.
- One dough, two jobs. Part of the shortbread dough is kept back and turned into the crumb topping, so there is nothing extra to mix.
- Thin, even slices. Apples sliced the same thickness bake soft together and cut into clean squares.
- A thin glaze. A drizzle of vanilla glaze adds the sweetness of a bakery bar without hiding the crumb.
Ingredients
Makes one 9x13 inch pan, about 24 bars. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the shortbread crust and crumb
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cups cold unsalted butter, cut in cubes (280g)
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (45g), for the crumb
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (50g), for the crumb
For the apple filling
- 6 medium firm apples, about 3 pounds (1.4kg), peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (50g)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Use firm apples that hold their shape, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn or a mix. Soft apples turn to sauce in the skillet.
How to make apple pie bars
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees (190°C). Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment, leaving the long sides hanging over for handles.
- Make the dough. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingertips, or cut it in with a pastry blender, until the mixture looks like damp sand and holds together when squeezed.
- Scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the mixture into a small bowl and stir in the oats and brown sugar. This is the crumb topping. Put it in the refrigerator.
- Press the rest of the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Prick it all over with a fork.
- Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes, until it is set and pale golden at the edges. Leave the oven on.
- While the crust bakes, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apple slices, both sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice.
- Cook, turning the apples gently, for 5 to 7 minutes, until they just begin to soften and give up their juice. They should still hold their shape.
- Stir the cornstarch mixture, pour it into the skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the juice turns thick and glossy. Take the skillet off the heat.
- Spread the apples evenly over the hot crust, laying the slices flat. Scatter the crumb topping over the top, squeezing some of it into small clumps.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crumb is golden and the apple syrup bubbles at the edges.
- Cool in the pan on a rack for at least 1 hour. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla into a thin glaze and drizzle it over the bars in lines. Let it set, then lift the bars out by the parchment and cut into squares.
Tips that make the difference
- Do not skip pre-baking the crust. It is the step that keeps the bottom crisp.
- Stop cooking the apples while they still hold their shape. They finish softening in the oven.
- Let the bars cool before cutting. Warm filling slides; cooled filling holds a clean edge.
- Use a sharp knife and wipe it between cuts for neat squares.
Variations
- Caramel. Drizzle warm caramel sauce over the bars in place of the vanilla glaze.
- Walnut crumb. Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the crumb topping.
- Pear. Use firm ripe pears in place of half of the apples.
- Sheet pan. For a crowd, multiply everything by 1 1/2 and bake in a 12x17 inch sheet pan, checking 5 minutes early.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the bars covered at room temperature for 1 day, then in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Warm a bar for 10 seconds in the microwave and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Freeze unglazed bars, wrapped well, for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and glaze before serving.
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep the crust from getting soggy?
Bake the crust alone first until it is set and pale golden, and cook the apples in a skillet with a little cornstarch so their juice turns into a thick syrup before it goes on the crust.
Do I have to peel the apples?
Peeled apples give the softest, most pie-like filling. Unpeeled slices work but the skins stay a little chewy.
Can I make them a day ahead?
Yes. They cut even more cleanly the next day. Keep them covered in the refrigerator and glaze them before serving if you like the glaze fresh.
What are the best apples for apple pie bars?
Firm apples that hold their shape: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Jonagold, or a mix of tart and sweet.
Bake them on the day the first big bag of apples comes home, and save the corners for whoever carried the bag.
Apple Pie Bars (Shortbread Crust, Cinnamon Apples and a Crumb Top)
Old-fashioned apple pie bars baked in a 9x13 pan: a buttery shortbread crust baked first, a thick layer of pre-cooked cinnamon apples, a crumb topping and a thin vanilla glaze. Crisp crust, no soggy bottom.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cups cold unsalted butter, cut in cubes
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (45g), for the crumb
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (50g), for the crumb
- 6 medium firm apples, about 3 pounds (1.4kg), peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees (190°C). Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment, leaving the long sides hanging over for handles.
- Make the dough. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingertips, or cut it in with a pastry blender, until the mixture looks like damp sand and holds together when squeezed.
- Scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the mixture into a small bowl and stir in the oats and brown sugar. This is the crumb topping. Put it in the refrigerator.
- Press the rest of the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan. Prick it all over with a fork.
- Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes, until it is set and pale golden at the edges. Leave the oven on.
- While the crust bakes, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apple slices, both sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice.
- Cook, turning the apples gently, for 5 to 7 minutes, until they just begin to soften and give up their juice. They should still hold their shape.
- Stir the cornstarch mixture, pour it into the skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the juice turns thick and glossy. Take the skillet off the heat.
- Spread the apples evenly over the hot crust, laying the slices flat. Scatter the crumb topping over the top, squeezing some of it into small clumps.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the crumb is golden and the apple syrup bubbles at the edges.
- Cool in the pan on a rack for at least 1 hour. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla into a thin glaze and drizzle it over the bars in lines. Let it set, then lift the bars out by the parchment and cut into squares.
