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Apple crisp bar with a scoop of ice cream and caramel drizzle on top.
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Apple Crisp Bars

The perfect dessert for apple season - these apple crisp bars have a shortbread crust, cinnamon apples, and oatmeal crumble on top. Delicious with a drizzle of caramel sauce or scoop of ice cream.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Apple Crisp Bars, Apple Crumble Bars
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Cooling 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Servings 9 large bars
Calories 324kcal
Author Fiona Dowling

Ingredients

Shortbread Base

  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour AKA plain flour
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Apple Filling

  • 2 large apples* I like Honey Crisp, Granny Smith or Pink Lady for this recipe
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Crumble Topping

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • ⅓ cup rolled oats
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Shortbread Base

  • Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees. Line an 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang around the edges.
  • In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until combined.
  • With the mixer on low speed, mix in the flour, cornstarch and salt.
  • Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 22-25 minutes, or until the top looks set and slightly golden around the edges.
  • Remove the pan from the oven (keep the oven turned on)

Apple Filling

  • Peel and core the apples, then slice into thin slices.
  • Place the thinly sliced apples in a bowl, and toss with the flour, sugar and cinnamon.
  • Place the apple slices over the top of the baked shortbread base.

Oatmeal Crumble Topping

  • Stir together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and oats.
  • Stir in the melted butter - the mixture should feel like wet sand.
  • Crumble the topping over top of the apples.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and cool the bars fully (while in the pan).
  • When ready to slice, lift the bars out of the pan using the overhang of the parchment paper.
  • Place on a cutting board and slice.

Notes

  1. 2 large apple or 2 ½ medium/small apples work. I recommend using a type of apple that is crunchy and flavorful - such as Granny Smith, Honey Crisp or pink Lady. Do not use McIntosh or Golden Delicious.
  2. Store bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bars can be frozen for up to 2 months, then thawed in the fridge.
  3. Nutrition information is an estimate only and based on 1 bar (without caramel or ice cream), assuming the pan is sliced into 9 equal pieces. 

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 499IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg