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Buttery Flaky Apple Pie Bars with Cinnamon Glaze

Close-up of a single serving of apple pie bars with a thick layer of spiced apples, crumb topping, and vanilla glaze.
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Make the classic flavor of apple pie in an easy bar form. These buttery apple dessert bars feature a flaky shortbread crust, tender cinnamon-spiced apples, and a simple vanilla glaze. They are perfect for fall baking and sharing.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
  • 1–2 tablespoons milk (for glaze)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
  2. Prepare the crust: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined to form a soft dough.
  4. Press two-thirds of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the bottom crust. Set the remaining one-third of the dough aside for the topping.
  5. Prepare the apple filling: In a medium bowl, toss the diced apples with brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg until the apples are evenly coated.
  6. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the bottom crust in the pan.
  7. Crumble the reserved one-third of the dough over the apple layer to create a topping. This forms your apple crumble bars base.
  8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the topping is lightly golden brown and the filling is bubbly.
  9. Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. This step is important for clean slicing.
  10. Prepare the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Add milk slowly until you reach a drizzly consistency.
  11. Once cool, drizzle the cinnamon apple squares with the vanilla glaze. Let the glaze set before slicing into bars.

Notes

  • For a flakier crust, chill the dough for 15 minutes before pressing it into the pan.
  • Use a mix of tart and sweet apples for the best flavor balance in your apple pie in a pan.
  • If you prefer a richer flavor, substitute half the butter in the crust with cold, cubed butter and cut it into the flour mixture like you would for a traditional pie dough.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kitchenuser.net/apple-pie-bars-easy-recipe-buttery-dessert/