Description
Delight in these homestyle Apple Crisp Bars, featuring a buttery oat and flour crust layered with tender cinnamon- and nutmeg-spiced apples, topped with a crunchy walnut crumb. Perfect for a comforting dessert or snack, these bars bake to golden perfection in just over 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust and Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Apple Filling
- 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal.
- Mix Dry Ingredients for Crust and Topping: In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture forms coarse crumbs.
- Form the Crust: Reserve about 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to create the crust layer.
- Prepare Apple Filling: In a separate bowl, toss the diced apples with lemon juice, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until the apple pieces are evenly coated with the spices and sugar.
- Assemble the Bars: Spread the apple mixture evenly over the crust layer in the pan.
- Add Topping: Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture and chopped walnuts (if using) evenly over the apples.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool at least 20 minutes. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars from the pan, transfer to a cutting board, cut into squares, and serve.
Notes
- Use tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for a nice balance of flavor and texture.
- To make walnut-free bars, simply omit the chopped walnuts.
- Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- For extra crispness, chill bars before cutting.
