Apple Pie Bars

These easy glazed apple pie bars combine classic apple pie flavors in a simple, shareable bar perfect for fall gatherings.

There’s something about the fall season that calls for apples and warm spices, right?

These apple pie bars are like apple pie but so much easier to share, making them a hit for family gatherings, potlucks, or just a cozy weekend treat. This recipe gives you all the comfort of apple pie in a convenient bar form, and the sweet vanilla glaze takes it to the next level. Perfect for fall, or anytime you’re craving something homey and delicious!

How to Make Apple Bars Perfect for Fall

Here’s the breakdown of how to create these amazing bars, from the buttery pastry crust to the spiced apple filling and that irresistible vanilla glaze.

Ingredients Needed

Pastry Dough:

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Butter
• Egg yolks
• Milk

Filling:

• Rice Krispies cereal
• Tart cooking apples (Granny Smith, Jonathan, Honeycrisp, etc.)
• Sugar
• Ground cinnamon
• Ground nutmeg
• Egg whites

Vanilla Glaze:

• Vanilla
• Powdered sugar
• Cream or milk

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the Pastry Dough
Start by combining the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cold butter is cut into small cubes and worked into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs. Then, the egg yolk and milk mixture is stirred in to form a dough. Wrap the dough and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.

2. Roll Out the Dough
After chilling, divide the dough in half. Roll each half to fit your 13×18-inch baking pan. One half will serve as the bottom crust, and the other will go on top.

3. Make the Filling
Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Peel and slice the apples, getting them ready to layer on top of the bottom crust. Before adding the apples, sprinkle a layer of Rice Krispies over the dough in the pan—this helps soak up any extra apple juices and keeps the crust from getting soggy.

4. Assemble the Bars
Lay the apple slices over the bottom crust and sprinkle with most of the sugar mixture. Place the second layer of dough on top, and brush it with whisked egg whites for that perfect golden-brown crust. The remaining sugar mixture is sprinkled over the top for extra sweetness and crunch.

5. Bake
Bake at 350°F for about 40–50 minutes until the top crust is golden and crisp.

6. Glaze and Serve
While the bars bake, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream (or milk) to make the glaze. Once the bars come out of the oven, let them cool slightly before drizzling the glaze over the top. Slice into squares and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does butter need to be cold in pastry dough?
Cold butter helps create a flaky texture in the pastry. As it melts in the oven, it creates steam, which lifts the layers of dough, making the crust light and crisp.

Can I use dairy-free substitutions?
Absolutely! You can use a dairy-free butter alternative and almond milk, coconut or even oat milk in place of the regular milk and cream. Just make sure your butter substitute is solid and cold before cutting it into the dough. Please not that the flavor will be differ

Can I make this with different fruits such as peaches?
Yes! You can definitely substitute apples with peaches or other fruits like pears. Just keep in mind that softer fruits may release more juice, so you might want to increase the amount of Rice Krispies or even add a tablespoon of cornstarch to the filling to help absorb the extra liquid.

Storage and Leftovers

If you’re lucky enough to end up with leftovers, these apple pie bars can be stored covered at room temperature for 2 days after which they should be refrigerated. If you refrigerate from the get-go, these bars can be stored in the fridge for 5+ days.

Once the bars are covered to store, moisture from the filling will soften the crust. They won’t be as crisp but will still taste delicious!

Printable Apple Pie Bars Recipe

Now that you know the secrets to these amazing apple bars, here’s the printable recipe to make it easy to bring this fall treat to life any time you’re in the mood!

Rachel Koller

Apple Pie Bars

5 from 1 vote

These easy glazed apple bars combine classic apple pie flavors in a simple, shareable bar perfect for fall gatherings.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings: 13 x18 pan or 35 squares

Calories: 215

Ingredients

  

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PASTRY

• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 450-480g
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups butter 340g
• 2 eggs separated, yolk beaten with enough milk to equal 1 cup, reserve white

FILLING

• 1 1/2 cups rice Krispy cereal 110g
• 5 lbs 10-12 cups tart cooking apples, peeled, sliced (Granny Smith, Jonathan, Honeycrisp, etc)
• 1 3/4 cups sugar 350g
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 reserved egg whites

GLAZE

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 170g
• 2 tablespoons good vanilla
• 3 tablespoons cream OR 2 tablespoons milk

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
   

Pastry Dough:

1. 1. Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into small 1/2 inch cubes to speed up "cutting." Using a fork or pastry cutter, cut in butter until flour mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs. Butter pieces should be about the side of peas to lima beans.
   2. Beat egg yolks in a 1 cup measuring cup. Add milk to yolks until the amount reads 1 cup. Stir in milk mixture to flour mixture using a fork until dough ball forms. Wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Filling:
   3. In a small bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Peel and slice apples.
   Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Roll each half out to about a 13×18 (size of baking pan) rectangle.
   4. Place one dough rectangle into the bottom of an ungreased 13×18 inch pan with high sides. Sprinkle rice krispy cereal evenly over the dough. Top with the apple slices.
   5. Set aside 1/2 cup of the cinnamon sugar mixture then sprinkle the remaining sugar over the sliced apples. It will seem like a lot but trust the process. Top the sugar covered apples with the second layer of dough.
   6. Whisk egg whites until frothy. Using a basting brush, coat the top layer of dough with egg whites. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cinnamon sugar mixture on top.
   7. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 40-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Glaze:

1. 8. In a small bowl add glaze ingredients. Stir until smooth. If too thick, add small amounts of milk or cream until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over warm bars.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 3gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 191mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18g

Notes

For beautiful handleable squares, let bars cool for at least an hour before serving OR serve warm al a mode (with ice cream).

Leftovers? Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for 5+ days.

FYI-Once covered the moisture in the filling will soften the crust.

This recipe can be halved and baked in a 9×13 baking dish. Bake time will be similar but begin checking for doneness at 35 minutes.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Enjoy making these apple bars as a perfect fall dessert that’s easy to share and sure to please!