PrintEasy Apple Pie Bars with Graham Cracker Crust
Make delicious apple pie flavor in a simple, shareable bar format using a buttery graham cracker crust. This is an easy dessert perfect for potlucks or a mid-week treat.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 60 min
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 4 medium apples (like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and diced
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (for topping)
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (for topping)
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal.
- Prepare the crust: In a medium bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Pour in the 1/2 cup melted butter and mix until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press this mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the apple filling: In a separate bowl, combine the diced apples, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and water. Toss gently to coat the apples.
- Spread the apple mixture evenly over the pre-baked crust.
- Prepare the crumble topping: In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup brown sugar for the topping. Cut in the 2 tablespoons of cold butter using your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into squares.
Notes
- For a richer flavor in the crust, substitute 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs with finely crushed vanilla wafers.
- If you prefer a softer topping, skip the final crumble step and instead pour the lightly beaten egg over the apples before sprinkling with the dry topping mixture.
- These bars are excellent served slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 240
- Sugar: 22
- Sodium: 110
- Fat: 13
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 35