Apple Bars
There’s no question – apple is my favourite fruit for cooking. From magic Self Saucing Caramel Baked Apples to classic Apple Crumble, Apple Cake and stay-moist Apple Muffins, it is the single most used fruit in my dessert world. Perhaps because I always have them – an apple a day keeps the doctor away! Perhaps because apple desserts tend to be less sweet than rich chocolate desserts (not that I’ve ever been known to turn away a slice of chocolate cake). Or perhaps simply because I just really love cooked apples, cooked until soft with a touch of sugar and hint of cinnamon so they become juicy and syrupy. I don’t delve too deep into reasoning. I just make. And EAT!!!🤩
I use twice the amount of apples compared to similar recipes so there’s plenty of juicy apple filling!
What you need for Apple Bars
Everything I use in Apple Crumble makes an appearance in this Apple Bars recipe. It’s a simple recipe, with one mixture doing double duty as the base and crumbly topping. My favourite is Granny Smith apples, same as what I use for Apple Crumble. I love the combination of slight tartness with the sweet, and also it’s a firmer apple so it holds its shape once cooked rather than collapsing into mush (though mush would still be nice 😂).
The making part
A very easy apple recipe made using cooked fresh apples, here’s how it goes down:
- Oats – in my world, Apple Crumble isn’t a crumble unless there’s oats in the topping. But I like having a clean shortbread-like base. So I use one dough mixture but I only add oats in for the topping.
Salted Caramel Sauce for Apple Bars!
I like to make sweet treats so they’re tasty enough to eat plain – and certainly these bars are scoffable as they are. But a little drizzle of Salted Caramel Sauce would certainly not go astray! It’s a 7 minute job, easy enough to do while the Apple Bars are in the oven. That recipe will make more than you need, but you won’t be short of things to use it for!
Hands as a treat – or plates for dessert
Like Raspberry Jam Bars, Strawberry Bars and Lemon Bars, these Apple Bars are great for eating with your hands. But they also make a terrific dessert! There’s always a place for a rustic Apple Crumble but sometimes I’m after something a bit “neater” looking for a dinner party, something easier to make than Apple Pie {coming soon!}. Plus, I have many people in my life who aren’t a huge fan of really sweet, rich desserts so an apple dessert is an ideal option.
Here’s how I serve Apple Bars as a dessert
Warm slice in the microwave for just 30 seconds (just to get the inside going) Pop under grill/broiler for 2 minutes on medium high to get the top really nice and crispy again (because the juicy apple filling underneath makes the top lose its crispy edge after ~18 hours or so. Still delish, but recrisping makes it oven-fresh again) Place on plate, plonk on big scoop of ice cream and drown in Caramel Sauce.
I say “place on plate”, but to be honest, I ate that piece in the photo below with my hands 2 seconds after I snapped the photo…… 😂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Life of Dozer
Always very concerned when I start packing bags…until he sees his stuff being packed too! Belated Mother’s Day weekend away with the RecipeTin Family to Rick Stein’s Bannisters in Port Stephens, a couple of hours north of Sydney. Every car is packed with more food than luggage… And Dozer’s bag is as big as mine! 😂
