Description
Warm and comforting apple crumble bars bring sweet memories of grandma’s kitchen straight to your plate. Buttery oat crust cradles tender cinnamon-spiced apples, creating a simple dessert perfect for sharing with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Filling Ingredients:
- 3–4 Granny Smith apples
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Base & Topping Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
- Melt ½ cup unsalted butter and combine it with 2 cups flour, ½ cup sugar, ½ tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl.
- Add 1 large egg to the mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.
- Set aside ⅓ of the dough for topping and press the remaining ⅔ evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake the base for exactly 15 minutes until it turns light golden. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Dice 3-4 Granny Smith apples to yield 4 cups and mix them with ¼ cup flour, ¼ cup sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon, and ¼ tsp nutmeg.
- Fold ⅓ cup rolled oats into the reserved dough to create a crumbly texture.
- Spread the apple mixture uniformly across the cooled crust.
- Scatter the oat-mixed dough over the apples in small, uneven pieces.
- Return to the 350°F oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until the topping turns deep golden brown.
- Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing into squares.
Notes
- Choose firm baking apples like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith for the best texture and minimal liquid release during cooking.
- Let the bars cool completely before cutting to help them set and prevent crumbling, which gives you clean, neat slices.
- For a gluten-free version, swap regular flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend and ensure your oats are certified gluten-free.
- Enhance the crumble’s flavor by adding chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts to the topping for extra crunch and depth.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
- Category: Dessert Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 203 kcal
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 33 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 22 mg