easy Apple Pie Bars – with crumble topping

If you have never been to NellieBellie or haven’t heard, I am the oldest of 10 children. We are now, for the most part, grown and gone into our adult lives. But, sometimes we haul our butts into one location at the same time to eat, chat, and laugh. Usually at my house. Okay, almost always at my house. It is a perk (or not, depending) of being the oldest, I don’t have to move. Build it and the siblings will come.

Or rather, make apple pie bars and they will come.

These are my preferred method of serving apple pie for family functions, events, and potlucks. They have all the taste and comfort of traditional apple pie with the ease of eating and storing of a bar. Add the crumble topping and you get to smoosh the favorites of apple crisp and apple pie TOGETHER!

A tip from the older of a whole slew of youngers….

Whenever possible, forget compromising and go with the COMBINING method for getting agreement. Case in point, some of my siblings prefer apple crisp while the others prefer apple pie. This method COMBINES them. No arguing! None. And Neapolitan ice cream? Absolutely created by a mum of a giant family. I’m convinced of it.

The beauty of pie crusts in today’s day and age (I said that like I’m really, really old, didn’t I. My 17 year old would think I was, at least) is that there is never a reason you HAVE to make the crust. The prepared ones you buy in the fridge section of the local grocery store are really, really good. Don’t ever feel like you are cheating by buying those. Not cheating. Using your time and energy wisely, rather.

I should mention, however, that we didn’t have any purchased pie crusts when I made up this recipe. We have a rule in our house… if we don’t have it, we have to make it instead of running to the store. My hubby makes a mean pie crust!

Can I make these apple pie bars with apple pie filling?

Of course! In fact…what a great idea! Use purchased pie crust and canned apple pie filling for a crazy easy dessert that every one loves. So smart!

Apple Pie insides are super easy to make. You need sliced apples, flour, spices, lemon juice, and brown sugar.  That’s all. Of course, the slicing of all of those apples might make you crack open a beer or two. But sitting about the table drinking beer and slicing apples is really a fantastic way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

Pour that ooey gooey apple pie insides over your crust that you lovingly pressed on to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Push your crust up the sides about an inch to allow for the filling and the crumble.

Don’t skip the butter dots on top. Those make the whole thing extra tasty. For real, butter does that.

Pour a couple tablespoons of cream right on top of the filling on the crust for even MORE caramel and creaminess. But only do this if you are putting the bars into the oven directly after making them up. If they sit too long the cream soaks into the crust making it less than crisp and flaky.

We are all about the Bob’s Red Mill steel cut oats up in this house. We eat them for breakfast, eat them for dessert, even put them on our face. I love the crunchy texture they give the crumble topping. Crumble topping should be required on all baked goods, don’t you think? Muffins without crumble topping is like a donut without sprinkles. Wrong. Just take it back and put the crumble on top, will ya!

Although I often serve these easy apple pie bars on plates with ice cream they do cut and serve absolutely beautifully when they have cooled. Cut them into squares and serve them up like any other sort of bar. Expect these apple pie bars to entice moans, groans, and squeals. (insert grin)

Apple Pie Slab Bars

| 24 squares

Prep Time | 30 minutes mins

Cook Time | 1 hour hr

Total Time | 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

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An easy way to serve apple pie to a crowd of people! Delicious, easy to make, and easy to serve!

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 recipe for double crust pie or 1 pkg purchased pie crusts
• 12 apples cored peeled, and sliced
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 tablespoons butter cut into chunks
• optional- 3 tablespoons whipping cream

Topping:

• 2 cups oats
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Check out our Kitchen Reference Guide for help with unfamiliar terms.

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Press prepared pie crust dough into the bottom of a lined cookie sheet.
• Mix sliced apples, lemon juice, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in large bowl.
• Pour apples on to the pie crust.
• Dot with butter cubes.
• In small bowl mix flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, and oats together. Cut in the butter. (alternately you can use a food processor for creating the crumble.)
• Pour the crumble on top of the apples and spread it about.
• Bake the bars for 60 minutes or until golden brown on top.
• Cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Notes

These bars store beautifully in the fridge. You can store them in layers with parchment or waxed paper between each layer.

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Other Apple Pie Recipes you should try:

Wade’s Brandy Apple Crumble Pie

Spiced Pear & Apple Pie