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These Apple Butter Bars are just an easier way to make apple pie! These bars are basically a slab pie and represent an apple pie so well. They have a crumble topping and are great for fall!

brown layered bars stacked on a white plate.


Best Apple Butter Bars

Have you ever had apple butter? If you don’t know, it’s basically a thick applesauce. The smell and taste of it is incredible! I cannot stress to you enough how incredible it is and it makes this recipe even better!

If you’re a fan of pie, but are looking for something slightly different–this is the recipe for you. Every single bite you take will be like a bite into fall heaven!

Ingredients Needed

  • Unsalted butter softened
  • All purpose flour
  • Granulated sugar
  • Salt
  • Cinnamon: Makes your kitchen smell great and the recipe taste amazing.
  • Apple Butter: The best part of this recipe!
  • Walnuts: Chopped; they taste great with this recipe!

How to make Apple Butter Bars

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9×13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
  • Make the crust & crumble: add butter, flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon to a large bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until it becomes crumbly. (You may need to use your fingers to break up any larger chunks of butter.) Press into half into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, remove crust from the oven. Spread the apple butter over the crust in an even layer. Sprinkle with walnuts. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling and press gently to compact. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until topping starts to turn golden.
  • Cool completely before removing from pan. Cut into squares.
brown layered bars stacked on a white plate.

Expert Tips

  • Pre-baking the crust will help the bars be crunchy.
  • Use a good quality apple butter; the better it tastes from the jar the better it will taste in the bars!

FAQs

Can I freeze these bars?

Yes you can! In an airtight container!

Do I have to refrigerate apple butter bars?

Yes I recommend refrigerating them to keep them good! 

brown layered bars stacked on a white plate.

Apple Butter Pie Bars

4.08 from 25 votes
Apple Butter Pie Bars – an easy way to make an apple pie! Slab pie or pie bars are so much easier to serve and these are full of rich apple butter with a crumble topping.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield 16 bars
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

For the Crust & Crumble:

  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cups (372g) all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the Filling:

  • 1 ½ cups Apple Butter about 12 ounces
  • ½ cup walnuts chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9×13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
  • Make the crust & crumble: add butter, flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon to a large bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until it becomes crumbly. (You may need to use your fingers to break up any larger chunks of butter.) Press into half into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, remove crust from the oven. Spread the apple butter over the crust in an even layer. Sprinkle with walnuts. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling and press gently to compact. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until topping starts to turn golden.
  • Cool completely before removing from pan. Cut into squares.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 79mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 362IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

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Last Updated on September 28, 2023



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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66 Comments

  1. I’m so excited to try this recipe! In the fall, my boyfriend made a ton of pear butter, which at the time was very cute and exciting, but it’s been sitting there for months because we don’t actually know what to do with it. This recipe sounds perfect.

  2. I made the Apple Butter Pie Bars last night – let me say – they are amazing! I was looking for something exactly like this when I found your recipe. Thanks so much for another GREAT recipe!

  3. Yummm those look amazing! They almost look like (but definitely don’t taste like haha) Carmelita bars – have you ever had those before?

  4. Thank you for sharing your recipe at Cast Party Wednesday! Have a GREAT week! ~Sheryl @ Lady Behind The Curtain~

  5. I love November just because I really do think of it as “pie month”.

    I think you should make coconut cream. I’ve made 3 kinds in the last year or two and can’t find “the one” for the life of me.

    Your bars look yummy!

  6. I have an idea for you … same recipe using pumpkin butter in place of apple butter. I have an unopened jar of pumpkin butter … it’s getting opened right now!

  7. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of apple butter before! These bars sound amazing! You must have so much control to not eat them straight away!

  8. I love the way you think…pies all month long:-) There is something about November that just makes you think pie! I adore apple butter on everything too. So good on hot biscuits! I’m loving the idea of it in this crazy good looking slab pie! I even have a jar sitting here waiting to be finished off;-)

    1. I never thought to call it slab pie. Totally true!!! I really do need to try apple butter on biscuits, yum!