Apple Crumble Bars
These Apple Crumble Bars combine a buttery brown butter crust with a cinnamon-spiced apple and honey filling and a generous crumble topping. They’re easy to make, perfect for fall, and delicious served on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Brown Butter Crust + Crumble
- 1¾ cups (3½ sticks / 400g) unsalted butter
- 3½ cups + 2 tablespoons (480g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (120g) light brown sugar
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅝ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Apple-Honey Filling
- 4-5 medium apples (about 850g before peeling and coring, peeled, cored and diced - about 5 cups / 700g prepared)
- ⅓ cup (75g) honey
- ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons (about 16g) cornstarch
For Serving
- Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch light-colored metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the sides to lift the bars out later.
- Brown the butter. Add the butter to a light-colored saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring or swirling often. The butter will melt, foam, and eventually develop golden-brown milk solids on the bottom and a nutty aroma. As soon as it is deeply golden, remove it from the heat and pour it into a heatproof bowl, scraping in all those browned bits. Let cool slightly.
- Make the crust and crumble: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Make a well in the center and add the browned butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix until a crumbly dough forms.
- Reserve the crumble: Set aside about 2 cups of the dough for the topping. Press the remaining dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Par-bake the crust: Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the crust looks set and is just beginning to turn lightly golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Make the apple filling: Add the diced apples, honey, brown sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch to a large skillet or saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften and release their juices but still hold their shape and the juices thicken and become glossy. Remove from the heat.
- Assemble the bars: Spoon the apple filling evenly over the par-baked crust. Scatter the reserved crumble over the top, squeezing some of it together with your fingers to create a few larger crumbles.
- Bake again: Return the pan to the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crumble is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling around the edges. Start checking at 28 minutes if it's your first time making these.
- Cool completely: Let the bars cool in the pan for at least 2 hours. Use the parchment overhang to lift them out of the pan, then slice into bars.
- Serve: Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve at room temperature or slightly warm.
Notes
- Apples: Use firm baking apples that will hold their shape, such as Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn or Granny Smith. I love combining a sweeter apple with Granny Smith for a nice sweet-tart balance.
- Weighing the apples: You’ll need about 850g whole apples before peeling and coring, which should give you approximately 5 cups (700g) diced apples.
- Brown butter: Keep a close eye on the butter once it begins to foam as it can go from beautifully browned to burnt quickly! Be sure to scrape all those flavorful browned milk solids into the dough.
- Pan: For best results, use a light-colored metal 9x13-inch baking pan. Glass, ceramic and dark metal pans conduct heat differently and may affect baking time and browning.
- Don’t overcook the apples: Cook them just until they begin to soften but still hold their shape. They’ll continue cooking in the oven.
- Cooling: Allow the bars to cool completely - at least 2 hours - before slicing. The filling needs that time to set, or the bars may fall apart when cut.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring refrigerated bars to room temperature before serving or warm briefly in the microwave.
- Freezing: Freeze the cooled bars in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar, Calories: 282kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 42mg, Sodium: 127mg, Potassium: 75mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 440IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 1mg