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Apple Crumb Bars

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These irresistible apple crumb bars are a sweet, buttery fall dessert bursting with cozy flavors of apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 4 medium apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp recommended)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Juice of half a lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold, cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or fork to cut it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the beaten egg until combined.
  3. Take half of the crumb mixture and press it firmly into the bottom of your prepared baking pan to form the crust. Set the remaining crumb mixture aside for the topping.
  4. In a medium bowl, toss the sliced apples with brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until the apples are evenly coated.
  5. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the crust in the baking pan. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the top of the apple layer, ensuring it’s spread evenly.
  6. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender.
  7. Remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, use the parchment paper overhang to lift them out and slice into squares or rectangles.

Notes

[‘Cold butter is essential for achieving a perfect crumbly texture.’, ‘Granny Smith apples are ideal for their tartness, while Honeycrisp apples offer a sweeter option.’, ‘Let the bars cool completely before slicing for clean edges.’, ‘Adjust spices to taste by increasing cinnamon or adding cloves or cardamom.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: apple crumb bars, fall dessert, easy apple recipe, cinnamon apple bars, buttery crumb topping

Find it online: https://jodierecipes.com/apple-crumb-bars-recipe-easy-fall-dessert-youll-love/