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Apple Crisp Bars

Apple crisp bars with a buttery oat crumble base and topping, layered over spiced, bubbling apple filling. Baked at 375°F until the top is golden and the bars slice clean after cooling.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 300
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For oat crumble base and top
  • 2 cup rolled oats
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
For apple filling
  • 4 cup apples, peeled and finely diced
  • 0.33 cup granulated sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and make the oat crumble
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F, and line a 9x13 pan with parchment.
  2. In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  3. Drizzle melted unsalted butter over the oat mixture and toss until evenly moistened.
Bake the base, then add apples and topping
  1. Press 2/3 of the oat mixture firmly into the prepared pan, then bake for 10 minutes.
  2. Toss apples with granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and lemon juice, then spread over the hot base.
  3. Scatter the remaining oat crumble over the apples.
  4. Bake for 30 more minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling bubbles.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool completely before slicing into bars for clean layers and firm texture.

Notes

Pro tip: press the base firmly so it becomes a cohesive layer that won’t crumble when cut. Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days; freeze bars up to 2 months. For a different diet option, you can replace half the all-purpose flour with oat flour for a slightly heartier crumb while keeping the bar structure.