Print

Buttery Apple Pie Bars with Flaky Crust

A close-up shot of a single serving of delicious apple pie bars topped with white vanilla icing.
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Make these easy apple pie bars featuring a rich, buttery shortbread crust and a tender, cinnamon-spiced apple filling. This recipe delivers classic pie flavor in a simple, sliceable format perfect for gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 3 tablespoons ice water
  • 6 medium tart apples (like Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup milk (for brushing)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
  • 2 tablespoons milk or cream (for glaze)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (for glaze)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the crust dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  2. Mix in the egg yolk and ice water until the dough just comes together. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Prepare the apple filling: In a separate bowl, toss the sliced apples with the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch until the apples are evenly coated.
  4. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy removal.
  5. Press one disk of chilled dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the bottom crust.
  6. Spread the cinnamon apple filling evenly over the bottom crust.
  7. Remove the second disk of dough from the refrigerator. You can either grate it over the apples or roll it out and cut it into strips to create a lattice or crumble topping.
  8. Brush the top crust or crumble lightly with milk and sprinkle with a little extra granulated sugar if desired.
  9. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbly.
  10. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cooling is essential for clean slicing.
  11. Prepare the vanilla glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk or cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add more liquid, one teaspoon at a time, if the glaze is too thick.
  12. Once completely cool, drizzle the vanilla glaze over the top of the bars. Let the glaze set before slicing into squares.

Notes

  • Use tart apples for the best flavor balance against the sweet crust and glaze.
  • For the flakiest crust, keep your butter and water very cold when mixing the dough.
  • These bars slice cleanly after they have cooled for at least two hours.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookerycommand.com/apple-pie-bars/