Apple Pie Bars
You have to try these healthier apple pie bars! These bars taste just like apple pie but with a fraction of the work! Oat based crust with seasoned apples.
This recipe was first published in September 2016 and updated September 2021.
Count me in for any dessert that tastes like pie, with a fraction of the effort. These loaded apple pie bars are so, so good and the perfect way to welcome in Fall.
As a dietitian, I get asked all the time about dessert. What are healthy baking swaps? How can I make my family’s favorite recipes more nutritious? Can I have dessert everyday? As someone who loves chocolate as much as I do broccoli, I understand the desire to make treats part of a healthy lifestyle.
Surprisingly enough, I don’t always recommend the healthier options. Yes, there are ways to make treats a little more wholesome: subbing in whole-wheat pastry flour, switching to natural sweeteners, and so on. There is a time and a place for those versions and for the most part, I try to sneak in a small change to even my most decadent desserts. However, it’s also completely OK to enjoy the real thing. Real sugar, regular flour and all.
As I’ve mentioned a few times before, allowing yourself to eat what you truly want is powerful, and I bet you eat less of it when you do. If you know that you will always be able to eat a brownie (or these apple pie bars), then the desire to “sneak” one while no one is looking or eat a few because “the diet begins tomorrow” doesn’t happen. Knowing this also allows you to choose what you truly want. I eat dessert, often, though it’s usually just enough to keep me satisfied and of course, it’s what I really, truly want. The want to overeat them is gone, as I know I can always have more later. (PS- if this sounds just crazy enough for you to consider eating this way, consider joining my Joyful Eating, Nourished Life group.)
Now, let’s make some pie bars.
I’ve officially crossed the one year anniversary of my time in St. Louis, which completely boggles my mind. I know I’ve been here long enough to establish a routine, finish the updates on our house and able to get to at least 20 places without the need for GPS. At the same time, it feels like only yesterday we left California.
My family came out to visit me a few weeks ago, and it felt really good to be able to take them to our usual “spots.” The bar where BL and I often walk to after a long day, my favorite place for coffee and donuts and to Eckert’s Farm, just outside of town where we can pick our own fruits and vegetables.
I love farm tours and getting to pick items straight from the tree, vine, bush or ground. There is such a visceral connection to seeing how food is grown, especially for young kids. We had my three-year-old niece with us and watching her light up as she yanked an apple off the tree was priceless. Of course, the adults had fun too- mostly talking about all the yummy treats we were planning on making with our bounty. Homemade apple sauce, apple chips, apple cake and of course- these apple pie bars.
Healthier Apple Pie Bars
Similar to my peach pie bars from earlier this year, these apple pie bars are almost foolproof. Make a quick dough using oats, walnuts and enough vegan butter and water to hold it together. Since I want everyone to be able to enjoy these bars, I opted for vegan butter from Earth Balance. It tastes just like regular butter, but completely dairy-free and free from trans fats. Press half of the crust into a square baker, then top with gently cooked, spiced apples and the rest of the crust. Bake until golden brown, then remove and let cool completely.
Honestly, that’s the hardest step in this whole recipe- letting the bars cool completely. It’s so tempting to cut into them when they are still barely warm, but you risk the filling oozing out. Once they bars have cooled all the way, they are set! Ready to be sliced and eaten.
The best way to eat these Apple Pie Bars
These apple pie bars are delicious on their own, but even yummier with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream on top and a drizzle of homemade salted caramel sauce. Wow! I made these for dessert for friends a few nights ago and we couldn’t get enough. The ice cream melted into the nooks and crannies of the bars and the salted caramel sauce made every bite even more luxurious.
If you are looking to elevate your apple pie bars, I definitely recommend serving them this way.
I hope you enjoy these bars as much as we did! We ended up making a few batches of these (had to be sure they were just perfect), ate a few then gifted them to friends and neighbors. That’s my favorite thing about making desserts, everyone loves receiving them! It’s the perfect way to say hi, you’re great, and thinking of you. xo
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Apple Pie Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons vegan butter
- 3 1/2 cups chopped apples
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 8×8″ baking dish with cooking spray or overlapping parchment paper for easy removal.
- Make the oat crust. Place 1 cup of the oats in the base of a food processor and process until a fine flour forms. Add in the remaining cup of oats, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup walnuts, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and salt and pulse until well combined. Add in the butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles wet sand. If the mixture is too crumbly, add in a tablespoon or two of cold water. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to stop and scrape down the sides to help mix.
- Remove ¾ cup of the dough and set aside. Press the rest of the dough into the prepared pan.
- Make the apple filling. Place the apples, remaining teaspoon cinnamon, 3 tablespoons sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cornstarch and nutmeg into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until apples are soft and mixture has come together, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly then pour on the prepared crust.
- Crumble the reserved oatmeal mixture over the apple topping and gently press the oat crumble down with your hands to adhere.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown then remove and let cool completely for the filling to set.
- Slice into 12 bars and serve.