Apple crisp bars pair buttery brown sugar shortbread crust and cozy apple pie filling with a rich oatmeal crisp topping. These bars are bursting with fall flavors and warm, welcoming spices that will leave you savoring every last morsel.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Packed with fall-worthy flavors and warm spices
- Buttery shortbread crust
- Sweet brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal crumble topping
- Family recipe for a delightfully crisp and cozy apple pie filling
- Family-size recipe perfect for sharing with loved ones
Ingredients
- Apples – use apples that will hold up well when baked, like Pink Lady, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Crispin, Braeburn, McIntosh, or Jonagold apples. This will ensure a crisp apple filling that doesn’t turn gluey or mushy.
- Sugar – we largely rely on the warm, molassesy flavor of brown sugar and use just a hint of granulated sugar in the crisp topping.
- Butter – we prefer to use lower-fat plant-based butters, like Country Crock olive oil butter sticks, to pack in the rich, buttery flavor with less fat. One serving of Country Crock olive oil butter (not sponsored!) has 1 gram of total fat and 2-3 grams of saturated fat less than leading brands, like Kerrygold, Land O Lakes, and Great Value unsalted butter.
- Oats – adds a touch of crunch and texture to the crumble topping.
- Flour – helps to make dense shortbread crust, thicken the apple pie filling, and bind the crumble topping.
- Spices – warm spices, like cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple pie spice, give these bars their cozy vibe.
- Vanilla – for a touch of sweetness and vanilla flavor.
- Salt – brings all the flavors together.
Tips for Making Apple Crisp Bars
- Use apples that hold their shape well when baked for tender, crisp apple filling in every bite. We recommend Pink Lady, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Crispin, Braeburn, McIntosh, or Jonagold apples.
- Peel the apples to avoid wrinkly skins coming off after baking.
- Thinly slice apples to even thicknesses for perfectly even baking. No raw or mushy apples.
- If you’re worried about the apples browning too quickly during peeling, coring, and cutting, soak peeled and sliced apples in water mixed with a generous helping of fruit fresh. Then drain and pat dry once you are ready to make the filling.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal and cutting.
How to Quickly Peel Apples for Apple Crisp
Our favorite method for peeling apples is to use a 3-in-1 apple peeler, corer, and slicer. These things are seriously magic and worth the $30 if you’re frequently baking with apples.
However, if you don’t have one on hand, then try using either a Y-shaped vegetable peeler or swivel vegetable peeler to quickly peel your apples. You have a few options from there.
Option 1: For the first option you can hold the peeler in your dominant hand and the apple in the other. Then start at the stem and peel in a circular motion, turning the apple as you peel to create one single ribbon of apple peel. This option usually has cleaner, smoother edges and less residual peel.
Option 2: For the second option, peel the top and bottom of the apple first to make it more level. Place it on the cutting board and then use the peeler to peel the skin straight down in small strokes from stem to base. This option is usually a little rougher, with some peel and uneven edges being left behind. But in a baked dish like this, it really doesn’t matter!
How to Core and Slice Apples for Apple Crisp
Once you’ve peeled your apples you’re ready to core and slice them. You can use an apple corer if you have one to punch through the center of the apple and quickly remove the core. Or you can use a sharp paring knife to slice the apples in half and then in half again, creating quarters. Make a diagonal cut in each quarter to remove the core and seeds. Then slice the quarters into thin pieces of even thickness.
Also, if you’re afraid of your apples browning too quickly after peeling them you can fill a large bowl with water and sprinkle a generous amount of fruit fresh in the water. Mix together and then add the peeled apples to the bowl. Do the same thing with a second bowl and add the slices pieces to the second bowl of water-fruit fresh until all of the apples are sliced. Then just pat dry the apples and make the filling like usual.
How to Make Apple Crisp Bars
Cinnamon Shortbread Crust
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and beat until just incorporated. Add the flour and mix until the mixture resembles wet crumbles, about 30 seconds.
Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan to form an even crust layer. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges and slightly puffed up. Remove from heat. Maintain the oven temperature.
Apple Pie Filling
Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Combine the apples, melted butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Arrange the apple mixture in an even layer on top of the partially baked crust. Set aside.
Oatmeal Crisp Topping
Combine the crisp topping ingredients in a small bowl and use your hands to incorporate the butter into the mixture until it resembles wet pebbles. Sprinkle the oatmeal topping generously over the apple layer.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Cool partially before cutting. These bars can be enjoyed warm or cold. We recommend garnishing with vanilla ice cream, caramel drizzle, or whipped cream! Enjoy!
Note: we have used both cold and melted butter for the crisp topping and have enjoyed both results. Cold butter does yield a bit of a crispier topping, while melted butter tends to create a more moist crumble.
How to Store
Store leftover apple crisp bars in their original baking container with a tight seal of plastic wrap and tin foil over the top (or a fitted lid if you have it!) or in an airtight container. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Please note that these bars are best enjoyed within a few days, as the crumble and shortbread crust will become more moist the longer it is stored. We personally do not recommend freezing this recipe.
To reheat, place individual bars in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30-45 seconds for perfectly warm (but not too hot!) bars.
Recipe Variations
- Fruit – sub in seasonal fruit. Plums, peaches, cherries, blackberries, and raspberries for summer. Apples, pears, and cranberries for fall and winter. And apricots, blueberries, rhubarb, and strawberries for spring.
- Spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple pie spice are great, but try adding more depth and warmth with ginger, cardamom, cloves, or allspice. If you make changes to the fruit used, be sure to try different spices too to match the flavor profile.
- Nuts – try blitzing pecans or walnuts into the shortbread crust or fold into the crumble topping. Candied pecans and walnuts are also a delicious additional topping in place of, or in addition to, the crumble topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both apple crisp and apple crumble feature a fresh fruit filling that is covered in a streusel topping made of butter, sugar, flour, and spices and then baked. Crisp topping tends to be looser and also contains oats, which crisp up when cooked. Crumble topping does not contain oats, may include nuts, and tends to be more clumpy than crisp topping.
Use apples that will maintain their shape and texture when cooked, like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji, Crispin, Granny Smith, Braeburn, McIntosh, or Jonagold apples.
The crisp topping will appear golden brown and the apple filling should be bubbling along the edges.
The main reasons why your crisp may be soggy could be that you cooked it too long, you used the wrong apples, or you didn’t use a thickener in the filling. Look for clues that your crisp is done, like bubbling filling and golden brown topping, rather than relying on total bake time. Use apples that hold their shape well when baked, like Honeycrisps, Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Pink Lady apples. Use a thickener, like flour or cornstarch, in the apple filling layer to prevent soupy filling.
The easiest substitute is cinnamon since it is the main ingredient in apple pie spice. You can also try pumpkin pie spice, but it contains extra spices that aren’t typically in apple pie spice, like cloves and ginger. However, you can quickly make your own apple pie spice mixture by combining roughly 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon allspice.
Check out our other fall dessert recipes
- Pumpkin cheesecake brownies
- Pumpkin pecan cookies
- Maple pecan cookies
- Pumpkin snack cake
- Pumpkin pecan bars
- Healthy pumpkin brownies
Let us know what you think about our recipe for apple crisp bars by dropping a comment, star rating, and/or sharing on Pinterest/social media! We really appreciate your help in sharing and rating our recipes, as it allows us to continue to bring delicious and healthy recipes to our community!
Apple Crisp Bars
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
Cinnamon Shortbread Crust
- ½ c butter, room temperature (we prefer to use plant-based butter)
- ⅓ c light brown sugar, packed
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1¼ c all-purpose flour
Apple Pie Filling
- 5 medium apples, peeled and thinly sliced (we prefer pink lady or honeycrisp apples)
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled (we prefer to use plant-based butter)
- ⅓ c light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ c all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
Oatmeal Crisp Topping
- 1 c rolled oats
- ¾ c all-purpose flour
- ½ c light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ c granulated sugar
- 1 tsp apple pie spice or cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp butter, chilled (we prefer to use plant-based butter)
- optional garnish: vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or caramel drizzle
Instructions
Cinnamon Shortbread Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and beat until just incorporated. Add the flour and mix until the mixture resembles wet crumbles, about 30 seconds.
- Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan to form an even crust layer. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges and slightly puffed up. Remove from heat. Maintain the oven temperature.
Apple Pie Filling
- Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Combine the apples, melted butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Arrange the apple mixture in an even layer on top of the partially baked crust. Set aside.
Oatmeal Crisp Topping
- Combine the crisp topping ingredients in a small bowl and use your hands to incorporate the butter into the mixture until it resembles wet pebbles. Sprinkle the oatmeal topping generously over the apple layer.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Cool partially before cutting. These bars can be enjoyed warm or cold. We recommend garnishing with vanilla ice cream, caramel drizzle, or whipped cream! Enjoy!
Notes
- Butter temperature for crisp topping – we have used both cold and melted butter for the crisp topping and have enjoyed both results. Cold butter does yield a bit of a crispier topping, while melted butter tends to create a more moist crumble.
Delicious!!