These Apple Crisp Bars are a delicious fall dessert that is easy to make and guaranteed to be enjoyed by all! I adore traditional apple crisp and this recipe is similar, but you can cut them into bars once they cool.
The bottom layer is a sweet oat cake and is followed by a mouthwatering layer of apples. The topping is another layer of oats that creates a streusel-like topping.
Love dessert bars like these crazy good Apple Crisp Bars?? Then you need to try these incredible Magic Cookie Bars.
Why You’ll Love These Apple Crisp Bars
- You only need 8 simple pantry staple ingredients
- Delicious dessert ready in under an hour
- Perfect to take for parties, potlucks, get togethers, and bake sales
- Wonderful fall dessert that can still be enjoyed year round
- Great way to use up those fall apples
Ingredients
The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.
- Oats
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Baking Soda
- Apples
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
How to Make Apple Crisp Bars
- Step One: Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a square baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
Step Two: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oat mixture ingredients. Press half of the oat mixture into the prepared dish.
- Step Three: Arrange apple slices over the oat mixture in the dish. Dot with butter. Sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar.
- Step Four: Cover the apples with the remaining oat mixture.
- Step Five: Bake for 40 minutes or until the top oat mixture is a beautiful golden brown in color. Cool. Cut into squares and serve.
Equipment Needed
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What To Serve With These Crispy Apple Crisp Bars
- Caramel Rice Krispie Bars
- Drizzle some Caramel Sauce on top
- Caramel Apple Cupcakes
- Caramel Apple Dump Cake
- Caramel Coffee Milkshake
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Store them in the fridge, but heat them up before you enjoy the leftovers again.
- If you burn the apple bars, you can combine some maple syrup and honey to drizzle over the bars. This helps disguise the burnt flavor from the sweetness of the two.
- You can make these up to 2 days in advance. The top layer won’t be as crispy, but they’ll still be super delicious and flavorful.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Try one type of apple or use a variety of kinds to make each bite magical.
- You can use salted butter or unsalted butter depending on your preference.
- To the apple layer, you can also add a dash of vanilla extract if desired.
Storage Instructions
Leftover Apple Crisp Bars should be stored in an airtight container. I like to store mine in layers with parchment paper or wax paper in between the layers so they don’t stick together. You store these in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
These crisp bars are best served room temp or warm. If you want to reheat them, pop them in a baking dish in the oven at 300F for about 10 minutes, or until they’re warmed all the way through again.
Our bars never last more than a day or two though since they’re so tasty!
Can I Freeze These Bars?
Sure can! I suggest wrapping them individually in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before storing them in an airtight container that’s freezer-safe or in a freezer-safe zip top bag.
These dessert bars can be stored for up to 3 months. Let them thaw and come to room temperature before enjoying them.
What toppings can I add on top?
When I made my apple bars, I enjoyed mine with whipped cream. However, my first choice was vanilla ice cream but we were out. Vanilla ice cream and apple anything go together like peanut butter and jelly in my opinion.
You can also add some crushed nuts on top if you like them. Pecans and walnuts would be wonderful.
Don’t be afraid to drizzle on some chocolate sauce, caramel, honey, pure maple syrup, or even butterscotch sauce to really jazz these apple crisp squares up.
What kind of apple should I use?
I used Gala apples because I had them on hand. Gala Apples are mildly sweet. If you have a different variety of apples on hand, give them a try.
As long as they’re a type of apple that you typically enjoy, you’ll love them in this. Personally, if I used any of the tart apples, like Granny Smith, McIntosh, Pink Lady apples, and Cortland apples, for this recipe, I would try to add in some sweet type apples to even it out a bit.
But, you do what makes you and your belly happy!
Can I use different fruits?
By all means, if this apple crisp bar recipe sounds like something you’d like, but you don’t have apples, feel free to swap them out for other fresh fruit. Berries, peaches, or even ripe pears would all be yummy.
Why is my apple crisp runny?
If your apple layer is more runny and not letting the rest of the crisp stay together or form nice bars, it’s probably because you didn’t use the right amount of baking soda and flour in the oat layer.
Using the baking soda and flour helps absorb some of the moisture from the apple layer and helps make the apple layer thicker instead of just apples, juices and other wet runny stuff.
Remember not to dip your measuring cup straight in the flour when measuring it as that’s not the best way to get an accurate amount. Simply spoon your flour into the cup and use a knife to level it off at the top so you don’t overpack the measuring cup.
More Apple Recipes
- Apple Crisp
- Apple Raisin Cake
- Apple Magic Dessert
- Caramel Apple Cookies
- Apple Spice Cake
- Apple Cake with Butterscotch Sauce
- Maple Apple Pudding
- Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
- Apple Slab Pie
- Air Fryer Apples
- Apple Compote
- Apple Pie Egg Rolls
- Nobby Apple Cake
You’ll also like Individual Raspberry Crisp.
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Apple Crisp Bars
Ingredients
Oat Mixture
- 1 ¾ cups old-fashioned oats
- ¾ cup salted butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Apple Mixture
- 2 ½ cups apples sliced
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a square baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together ingredients in oat mixture. Press half of the oat mixture into pan.
- Arrange apple slices over the oat mixture in the pan. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
- Cover apples with remaining oat mixture.
- Bake 40 minutes or until golden. Cool. Cut into squares and serve.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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