This dessert is an apple pie in bar form! The buttery and flaky crust pairs perfectly with the sweet apple pie filling. They are then topped with a light layer of frosting!

This is a family recipe that is made in our household every year! The apple bars can be eaten with your hands, so they’re that much easier to enjoy. They are also coated with a light frosting layer, which is JUST the touch of sweetness you need.

Quick Tips

Use Macintosh apples or Honeycrisp apples – those are best for pies!
Use a 9×13 cookie sheet for these bars. If you don’t have one, you could try making them in a 9×13 bar pan. The bars should only be 1-2 inches thick, so don’t line the entire edges with pie crust if using that pan.
For this recipe, I used Sally’s Baking Addiction’s all-butter pie crust recipe. If you’d like additional tips on making the best pie crust, visit here site here!

Equipment

Apple peeler or potato peeler (I love using the peeler/corer/slicers like this, but they are optional)
9×13 rimmed cookie sheet
Mixing bowls
Rolling pin

Ingredient Notes

All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Butter – I recommend using unsalted. If you use salted, decrease added salt by 1/4 teaspoon
Salt
Apples – macintosh or honeycrisp apples are best for baking
Brown sugar – I recommend using light brown sugar
Cinnamon
Lemon juice
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract
Water

Apple Pie Bars

This dessert is an apple pie in bar form! The buttery and flaky crust pairs perfectly with the sweet apple pie filling. They are then topped with a light layer of frosting!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple bars, apple pie, apple pie bars, apple pie squares

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1

1 30

Servings: 24 bars

Ingredients

For the crust

3¾ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups unsalted butter cold
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup ice water add more as needed

For the filling

10-12 apples thinly sliced and quartered about 12 cups
⅓ cup brown sugar packed
⅓ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon lemon juice

For the frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the crust

Place dry ingredients (flour, salt and sugar) in a large bowl and whisk together.
Cube the cold butter into 1-2 centimeter cubes and add to dry ingredients.
Use your fingers, forks, or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Any leftover butter chunks shouldn't be larger than a pea.
Add the water to the flour mixture and mix together until all of the dry ingredients have been coated. *I usually use my hands at the end of mixing to make sure everything is well incorporated
Form the dough into a ball and cut it in half. Set one half aside.
Place the other half on a well-floured surface and roll it out in a rectangle shape, about ½ cm thick.
Place the dough over an ungreased ~9×13 cookie sheet. Set aside.

To make the filling

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Peel and thinly slice apples into quarter-sized or larger pieces.
Place apples in a medium bowl and add remaining ingredients (sugars, lemon juice, flour). Use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix well.
Place the filling over the dough-lined pan and evenly spread it throughout.
Roll out the remaining dough into a rectangle shape (~½ cm thick) and carefully place it over the apple filling.
Leave an excess of ~1-inch of pie crust around the edge of the pan, trim off the rest.
Pinch the edges together and use your finger to crimp the edges, if desired.
Use a kitchen shears or knife to cut 6-8 holes throughout the top of the crust.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top and edges are browned and the apples are soft & bubbling.
Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

To make the frosting

Place powdered sugar in a medium bowl and add vanilla extract.
Add 3 tablespoons of water and mix well. Add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you have reached desired consistency (the frosting should be drippy and spreadable).
Evenly spread the frosting over the cooled apple pie bars. Enjoy at room temperature or heat in the microwave!