APPLE PIE COOKIE BARS

When it comes to simple ingredients where the flavor is the top priority then you can’t go wrong with these Apple Pie Cookie Bars. They are the perfect apple dessert. The tart apples work incredibly well with e sweet crumb topping. These cookie bars are going to be something you want to have in your home. The perfect accompaniment to a warm drink on a cold day. It is a hug with every bite.

The simple cookie crust adds texture to the soft apple pie spice filling. Especially when it is apple season and there is an abundance of these gorgeous fruits available. You are going to love these homemade apple pie bars. We think that this is one of the easiest and tastiest apple recipes you can try.

Why do we love these Apple Pie Cookie Bars?

We love these apple pie cookie bars because they are a little different from a standard cookie you might ordinarily love. There isn’t a traditional pie crust, more of a cookie crumble that balances the texture perfectly with soft apples. The kind of apples you use is down to your own preference. The apple layer is flavored with beautiful spices and the cookie crumb is sweet and delicious. You will love them as much as we love them.

They are made using simple ingredients and it doesn’t take too long to put them together. It is simple and delicious, and it is a great recipe for you to have and whip up a batch when you want a sweet treat. They are the best apple pie bars and you have to try them. It gives you all of that flavor of a classic apple pie but less of a fuss.

Ingredients – What you need for the Apple Pie Cookie Bars  

Apple Pie Filling

Apples

The main star of the show when it comes to these cookie bars is the apple. You will need 4 1/2 cups of juicy apples. They will need to be cubed. Whether you peel them is completely up to you and your personal preference. It also doesn’t matter what fresh apples you use. Granny Smith apples or pink lady will both work well.

Lemon Juice

The lemon juice will help to balance the sweetness of the apples and the other ingredients. You only need 2 tsps of lemon juice to balance the flavors.

Other flavors

You will be using two other flavors to help enhance the flavor of the apple filling. Cinnamon and nutmeg are two spices that have a warming flavor and work so well with apples. It really gives a perfect balance to the apple flavor. You will need 1 tsp of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. It will taste utterly delicious.

Flour

The Flour will help bind all of the ingredients together and as the apple cooks down it will create a delicious apple filling. You will need 2 1/2 tbsps for this.

The cookie and crumble topping

Flour

When it comes to dry ingredients this is one of the staples you will find in most cookie and even crumble recipes. Flour provides the base and structure for these Apple Pie Cookie Bars. We like to use all-purpose flour and you will need 2 cups. When measuring the flour use a spoon and sift it when using the flour in this recipe.

Butter

For this recipe, you need 3/4 cup of butter. It needs to be cold and cubed. Unlike some of our other recipes which would require softened butter keep this cold. You also need 1 tbsp set aside for later in the recipe.

Granulated Sugar

The granulated sugar will give this cookie crumble the sweetness but also a little texture. You will need 1/2 cup of white sugar for this recipe.

Cinnamon

Continuing the flavors from the apple filling adding 1 tsp to this crumble cookie mixture will really elevate the whole thing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze the apple pie cookie bars?

You absolutely can! You can keep them in the freezer for up to three months as long as they are stored in an airtight container. Just thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.

Does it matter what apples you use?

It really doesn’t. It also doesn’t matter whether you leave the apple skin on or off. Just cube up the right amount of apples and you are good to go. We recommend you choose your favorite brand so that you are familiar with the flavor.

How to make the Apple Pie Cookie Bars

One of the first things to do would be to gather up all of your ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper ready to bake your apple pie cookie bars.

It is time to prepare your apples. Cut and dice the apples, you can peel them if you want, we decided to leave the skin on. Mix diced apples in a medium bowl with the flour, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg then set aside. They are ready for the next step.

To prepare the crust and crumble combine flour with the sugar, and cinnamon then add the cold cubed butter. Use your hands to combine the mixture until coarse crumbs form. 

Press ⅔ of the mixture into the prepared baking dish. This will be the bottom crust. Then you will want to add a layer of the apple mixture and then top it with the remaining buttery crumble crust to finish them off. You will want to try and ensure there is an even layer of each.

Bake for one hour. You will want the apples to have really cooked down and the crust bakes. The crumble will have a crunchy texture and be golden brown. Make sure you cool the cookie bars completely on a wire rack. Then you can slice them into 8 bars or if you want small bars you can cut them into 16. Enjoy these delicious bars at room temperature. Yummy!

Take these Apple Cookie Bars to the next level

Why not add a caramel drizzle of salted caramel sauce to these apple cookie bars? It would make these taste so decadent. Caramel apple pie cookie bars sound incredible. You could even make your own homemade caramel sauce.

Another variation would be to add some caramel to the apples. Caramel apple filling will be immense with these cookie bars.

Sprinkle with some cinnamon sugar before serving. This will add extra crunch and texture to the cookie bars.

Instead of cutting the apple cookie bars into bars you could use a cookie cutter and create some fin shapes.