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Apple Crumble Bars are just like an apple pie, but in bar form. Sweet and juicy apples with cinnamon are inside a crumbly crunchy crust and topping. They’re perfect with caramel sauce or ice cream – a great fall dessert.
These apple bars are the perfect recipe for the fall season. I love to top them with caramel sauce and cool ice cream because it goes great with this warm dessert. These Apple Crumb Bars are super easy because the recipe starts out with cake mix and has only 6 ingredients as well. It is a must make recipe.
Ingredients Needed
- Yellow cake mix: This is the base of the recipe. You can use any brand, yellow or white cake mix.
- Unsalted butter: melted
- Apples: You can use whatever kind you would like. I prefer baking with Granny Smith.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds flavor and makes your kitchen smell amazing.
- Quick cooking oats: Gives the bars some more texture and is a classic crumble ingredient. Make your own quick oats if you only have old fashioned!
What are the best apples for baking?
When you think about it, there are so many apples and they all have diverse tastes. So many apples are great for baking and at the end of the day it is really personal preference. That being said, my favorite to use while baking are Granny Smith, Gala, Fuji, and Braeburn.
How to make Apple Crumble Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13” pan with foil or parchment and nonstick cooking spray (optional for easy release).
- Stir together cake mix and melted butter until crumbly. Using a fork makes this easy.
- Place apples in a microwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup of water. Heat in the microwave on high power for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the apples are just starting to get soft. (Length of time varies by microwave.) Drain the apples very well, then toss with cinnamon and sugar.
- Press half the cake mix into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a crust. Spread the apples over the top of the crust.
- Stir oats into the remaining cake mixture and sprinkle over the top of the apples.
- Bake 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and bottom is cooked through. Cool completely before slicing. Serve with ice cream and caramel sauce.
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Expert Tips
- These bars are very crumbly, so it is very important that you let them cool before slicing them.
- This recipe asks that you place the apples in the microwave for 2 minutes. This is an important step and should not be skipped, otherwise you’ll have crunchy apples.
- It is best to eat these on a plate with a fork because they crumble easily. Top with ice cream for a delicious fall dessert.
Storing Apple Bars
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze apple bars for several months.
FAQs
Because of these bars’ crumbley nature, I would recommend serving them with a fork to avoid a mess.
Apple Crumble Bars
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 (approx. 15 ounce) box yellow cake mix
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter melted
- 6 apples your favorite kind, peeled, cored, and diced
- 1 tablespoon (13g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (85g) quick cooking oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13” pan with foil or parchment and nonstick cooking spray (optional for easy release).
- Stir together cake mix and melted butter until crumbly. Using a forks makes this easy.
- Place apples in a microwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup of water. Heat in the microwave on high power for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the apples are just starting to get soft. (Length of time varies by microwave.) Drain the apples very well, then toss with cinnamon and sugar.
- Press half the cake mix into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a crust. Spread the apples over the top of the crust.
- Stir oats into the remaining cake mixture and sprinkle over the top of the apples.
- Bake 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and bottom is cooked through. Cool completely before slicing. Serve with ice cream and caramel sauce.
Recipe Notes
- These bars are crumbly and are best served on a plate with a fork.
- You can make your own quick oats from old fashioned by pulsing them in a food processor.
- Store bars in refrigerator or freeze for up to 3 months.
How would I cook the apples with no microwave? Thanks!
You can place them in a pot with 1-2 inches of water and partially boil (like when you’re making mashed potatoes) but make sure they’re not mushy – they should be a little crisper than fork tender.
Everything u post looks delicious ,I can’t wait to make all of the recipes .I don’t know where to start . Thank you .
These were pretty easy, I had to cook my apples for 3 1/2 minutes in the microwave and I added a bit more cinnamon, but these are delicious!!!!
Hi Dorothy
In the description, you mention adding an egg, together with the margarine, to the cake mix. However there is no mention of an egg in the actual recipe. Which is correct – egg or no egg?
Thanks,
Sue Berry
No egg – in the post I was describing how that recipe inspired this one.
think we need the word “cup” after the “1/4” in step #3 ???
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