If you’re a fan of homemade apple pie but want something that’s easier to serve at parties, potlucks, and holiday gatherings, our apple pie bars are the perfect solution. They have everything you love about a classic apple pie. Buttery homemade crust, warmly spiced apples, and a beautiful lattice top are all baked into easy-to-cut dessert bars.
Made with a combination of tart Granny Smith apples and sweet Golden Delicious apples, these bars have the perfect balance of flavor and texture. Every bite is filled with tender cinnamon-spiced apples tucked inside a flaky, buttery crust that’s simply irresistible.
If you love fruity desserts like this one, be sure to check out our peach crumb bars and strawberry cheesecake bars.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Everything you love about apple pie in easy-to-serve bars
- Made completely from scratch with homemade pie crust
- Perfect balance of sweet and tart apples
- Beautiful lattice top that’s easier than it looks
- Great for holidays, family gatherings, and potlucks
- Easy to make ahead of time
- Delicious served warm or chilled
Key Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and their exact amounts is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Apples: A mix of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious gives you the best of both worlds. Granny Smith apples add a tart flavor and hold their shape, while Golden Delicious apples bring natural sweetness and a softer texture.
- Butter: The key to a flaky, buttery homemade pie crust that melts in your mouth.
- Cinnamon & Nutmeg: The classic warm spices that make apple pie taste cozy and comforting.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the apple filling so it stays perfectly set instead of becoming runny.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: Adds a rich vanilla flavor that enhances both the crust and the apple filling.
- Egg Wash: Gives the lattice crust a beautiful golden finish and helps the coarse sugar stick for a bakery-style look.
Variations
- Add Nuts: Chopped pecans or walnuts add an earthy, nutty flavor and crunch.
- Add Cranberries: Dried cranberries add a classic touch of tart flavor.
- Caramel Apple Pie Bars: Sprinkle caramel bits over the apples before adding the lattice.
- Extra Fall Flavor: Add a pinch of cloves or allspice.
- Semi-Homemade: Use store-bought pie crust for an easy shortcut.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pie crust.
How to Make Apple Pie Bars
Step 1: Whisk the dry crust ingredients. Then, cut in the cold butter until coarse and crumbly.
Step 2: Add ice water and vanilla bean paste and mix until a dough forms. Knead until smooth. Divide, cover in plastic wrap, and chill.
Step 3: Roll out one of the dough balls to fit a prepared 8×8 baking dish. Then, bake until lightly golden. Cool.
Step 4: Cook the filling ingredients until the apples are softened and the mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla bean paste, and cool slightly.
Step 5: Spread the apple filling over the crust. Then, dot with butter.
Step 6: Roll out the rest of the dough and cut into strips. Then, create a lattice over the filling.
Step 7: Brush with egg wash and bake until golden and bubbly.
Step 8: Cool completely, slice, and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Keep the butter cold while preparing the crust.
- Chill the dough before rolling to prevent shrinking.
- Slice the apples evenly so they cook at the same rate.
- Let the filling cool slightly before assembling the bars.
- Cool completely before slicing for clean, bakery-style squares.
Apple Pie Bars FAQs
Apple pie bars are a handheld version of classic apple pie. They feature a flaky homemade crust, a warmly spiced apple filling, and a lattice topping, all baked in a square pan and cut into easy-to-serve bars.
A combination of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples creates the best balance of tartness, sweetness, and texture. Granny Smith apples hold their shape well, while Golden Delicious apples become soft and naturally sweet.
Absolutely. Homemade pie crust provides the best buttery flavor and flaky texture, but refrigerated pie crust is a convenient shortcut when you’re short on time.
They can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer freshness, refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Yes! Wrap individual bars tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or warm gently before serving.
Chilling firms the butter, making the dough easier to roll out and helping create a flaky, tender crust during baking.
Fall Mains to Pair with Your Apple Bars
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Apple Pie Bars
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup butter, COLD, grated
- ½ cup ice water
Apple Filling
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 tablespoons apple juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 tablespoon butter, sliced
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- Coarse sugar, optional
Instructions
Pie Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Grate the butter into the flour mixture and use clean hands or a pastry cutter to combine together until crumbly.
- Add in ice water and vanilla bean paste, and mix until dough forms.
- Knead dough until smooth.
- Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out one half of the dough to fit the 8×8 dish.
- Place dough into the prepared dish and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool while you make the pie filling.
Apple Pie Filling
- In a large pot, add in apples, apple juice, lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat until the apples are slightly tender.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Stir in vanilla bean paste.
- Pour apple filling on top of baked bottom crust.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the other half of the pie dough.
- Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut 14-16 strips of dough.
- Lay half of the strips horizontally and fold back every other one, place a strip vertically and unfold the strips. Repeat the process weaving the dough over and under until complete.
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water.
- Brush mixture over lattice crust and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the top crust is slightly golden.
- Allow to cool before cutting.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream and enjoy.
Notes
- Keep the butter cold while preparing the crust.
- Chill the dough before rolling to prevent shrinking.
- Slice the apples evenly so they cook at the same rate.
- Let the filling cool slightly before assembling the bars.
- Cool completely before slicing for clean, bakery-style squares.
This is so good! It’s everything I love about apple pie without nearly as much work! Yay!
I’m officially replacing my apple pie recipe with these bars. They are so good, and I love how easy they are to make.
These apple pie bars are everything you love about a classic apple pie in an easy-to-share dessert. The buttery crust, warm spiced apple filling, and beautiful lattice top make them perfect for any gathering.