Name: Thomas's Apple Pie Bars
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Yield: 16 bars
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes (two sticks); 4 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp); 1/2 cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for the filling); 1 tablespoon lemon juice (keeps the apples from browning)

Recipe 61 · Dessert

Thomas's Apple Pie Bars

All the cozy apple pie flavor in easy bar form — buttery crust, cinnamon apples and a golden crumb topping. No pie dish needed.

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Prep25 minutes

Bake40–45 minutes

Serves16 bars

Nutritionabout 260 cal · 2g protein per bar

Apple pie bars with golden crumb topping stacked showing layers of cinnamon apple filling, on parchment paper

Let them cool completely before cutting or the bars will fall apart.

What you need

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes (two sticks)
4 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
½ cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for the filling)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (keeps the apples from browning)

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All-purpose flour Granulated sugar Salt Salted butter Brown sugar Cinnamon

Also grab: a 9x13 baking pan, parchment paper, two mixing bowls and a pastry cutter or fork.

How to make it

Heat the oven to 350°F.. Line the baking pan with parchment paper, letting it hang over the sides so you can lift the bars out later.
Make the crust.. Stir the flour, sugar and salt together. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until it looks like coarse crumbs. Press two-thirds of it firmly into the bottom of the pan.
Toss the apples.. In a big bowl, toss the apple slices with the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 2 tablespoons flour and lemon juice until every slice is coated.
Layer it up.. Spread the apples evenly over the crust. Crumble the remaining crust mixture over the top like a streusel topping.
Bake 40–45 minutes.. It is done when the topping is deep golden and you can see the apple juices bubbling around the edges.
Cool completely.. Let the whole pan cool on the counter for at least 1 hour. Warm bars fall apart — cool bars cut clean.
Cut into bars.. Lift them out by the parchment paper and cut into 16 bars with a sharp knife.

How to serve it

Serve plain or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Tastes like fall in a bar.

Save the leftovers

Keep in a sealed container at room temperature for 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.