If you need a simple and stress-free Thanksgiving dessert recipe, give these easy apple pie bars a try! You can whip them up in no time. And the best part? No crust! Homemade crust is delicious but can be difficult to get right. But with this apple pie bar recipe, you’ll be using a few simple ingredients for a buttery and delicious shortbread crust!
I love pie at Thanksgiving, especially pumpkin pie. When I was little, I used to eat it for breakfast during Thanksgiving break. Breakfast! I would totally still do that though…
But what I don’t love about pie is getting the crust just right! It can be tough and a lot of work. It can be done, but pie bars are just SO MUCH EASIER!
Enter these easy apple pie bars. They are just as amazing as the real deal and take much less work! Plus, they’re easy to cut into squares and bring to a party or gathering. So , read on for how to make these buttery apple pie bars!
The Secret to Easy Apple Pie Bars
I love these apple pie bars mainly for their buttery shortbread crust. It’s almost a cookie-like crust that just melds so well with the large cinnamon sugar apple chunks!
You won’t need to chill this shortbread crust and it comes together quite quickly, unlike traditional pie crust! You will just need a few simple ingredients:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla Extract (this is my absolute favorite vanilla extract!)
- Salt
- All-Purpose Flour
That’s it! You’ll mix all of the ingredients together and press into the bottom of an 8×8 inch baking dish, and then top with your cinnamon covered apples and cinnamon crumble topping. Simple!
The Best Apples for Apple Pie Bars
Choosing the best apples for apple pie bars really comes down to your taste preference. Do you like sweet or tart? For me, I like to use a mixture of apples – one tart and one sweet. I like how the mixture of the two types of apples balance each other out to give the dessert the perfect amount of sweetness!
Here are my favorites for these pie bars:
- Tart Apple – Granny Smith
- Sweet Apple – Honeycrisp
I would suggest a mix of the two so that you get a balance of sweet and tart. So delicious!
If you’re on a time crunch and need a delicious and easy Thanksgiving dessert recipe, give these apple pie bars a try! Just don’t eat them all before your guests arrive – trust me, it’s tempting!
Check out my other recipes below if you are looking for some Thanksgiving dessert inspiration!
- Pumpkin Spice Bars
- Caramel Apple Coffee Cake
- Easy Buttermilk Spice Cake
- Caramel Coffee Sheet Cake with Chocolate Espresso Buttercream
- White Chocolate Pumpkin Bread with Crumbly Streusel Topping
As always, be sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram if you make my recipe or use #bucketsofyum in your photos! I love to see what you are baking.
Easy Apple Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter (melted)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the Apple Pie Filling
- 2 large apples (peeled and sliced thinly)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
Cinnamon Crumble Topping
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (cold and cubed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300° F. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhanging on the sides to lift the bars out once they are cooled. Set aside.
For the Shortbread Crust
- Stir the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir until everything is evenly combined. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
For the Apple Pie Filling
- While the crust is baking, combine the sliced apples, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Toss until the apples are well coated. Set aside.
For the Cinnamon Crumble Topping
- Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour together. Using a pastry blender or two forks, cut in the chilled butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside
To Assemble the Apple Pie Bars
- Remove the crust from the oven and increase the temperature to 350°F. Evenly layer the apple slices on top of the crust. Sprinkle with the cinnamon crumble topping and bake for 30 -35 minutes until the crumble topping is browned.
- Remove the bars from the oven and cool for 20 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cutting and serving. You can cut these into 12 or 16 pieces. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe was tested at high altitude (5,800 feet in elevation) and works perfectly as is!
