Apple Pie Bars
Founder / Chef / Everyone’s Best Friend
Andy Hay
Welcome to my kitchen. I hope to inspire you to grow as a home cook!
I have another pie square recipe for you folk today! This recipe is based on the classic flavours of an apple pie.
Just like my previous Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Squares recipe, this apple pie dessert has the same flavour of the pie we know and love, but way easier to make and much easier to eat while on the go!
All the pie flavour, none of the headache!
Pies can be intimidating and are a big undertaking at times. With this recipe, you can have that delicious apple pie flavour without the stress. The crumb itself is really cool as it follows some of the same cooking processes as a pie dough, where you use shredded cold butter – which gives it a lovely flakey texture. The crumb mixture acts as the bottom layer as well as the top layer. They both take on different textural elements, as the bottom layer is sturdy while the top layer is more crumbly.
Let’s Breakdown The Ingredients!
The Crumble
Starting with the crumble, as I mentioned above, this crumb is a bit different as its goal is to act and taste like a pie crust, which we can achieve by adding shredded cold butter. I simply use frozen butter and cheese grater. Other ingredients used in the pie dough crumb are flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, egg, vanilla, milk, and a pinch of salt.
The Filling
The apple filling is really simple to make with only 6 ingredients! For these pie squares, you will need 4 apples – usually, granny smith or delicious golden apples are best for making pies and tarts!
To add that warm and earthly flavour, I used cinnamon. And, of course, you can’t make a pie filling without some sweetness, so I used sugar when cooking the apples on the stovetop. To help thicken the filling, I used cornstarch and butter.
Ingredients:
Pie Dough Crumble Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups Flour
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tso Cinnamon
- pinch Salt
- 2/3 cups Frozen Butter, shredded using cheese grater
Pie Dough Crumble Wet Ingredients
- 1 Egg
- 1/8 cup Milk
- 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
Apple Pie Filling
- 4 Apples, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- Pinch Salt
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 tbsp Corn Starch
- 2 tbsp Butter
Instructions:
- Line a 9X9 inch brownie pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350F
- In a large bowl mix together all of the dry pie dough crumble ingredients. Using your hands, mix together and make sure all of the shredded butter is coated with flour.
- Add all of the wet ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk. After whisking, pour the wet mixture into dry bowl and stir. The mixture should be clumpy and feel like wet sand.
- Scoop about 2/3rd's of the pie dough crumble into the prepared brown pan. Press mixture down using a spatula or bottom of measuring cup. Be sure to really press down on the corners and sides of the crust. This will help it be very sturdy.
- In a bowl, toss together the apples, cinnamon, salt, sugar, and cornstarch. Place a pan over medium-high heat and drop in the butter. Once the butter is melted, toss in the apples and saute for 4 minutes until the apple is slightly softened.
- Spread the cooked apples evenly over the crust, then sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over top.
- Place pan in preheated over and bake for 50 minutes. When done, remove from oven and allow to fully cool. This is key or it will just fall apart. It needs time to congeal.. just like a pie! I let mine cool for 1 hour and then popped it in the freezer for 15 minutes. If you can leave it for a couple hours on the counter you should be good to go!
Andy Hay
Andy is the founder of ECK, Chef, and let’s admit it… the reason you’re here. He taught himself to cook, and it all paid off when he secured his spot in the season 5 Finale of Master Chef Canada. Now, Andy uses his big energy to showcase recipes that actually make people want to cook. His brand was built on butter and East Coast charm, and Andy’s kept that same energy ever since. Off-camera, you’ll find him doing what started it all: cooking for his two daughters, wife and the people he loves.
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Is there a step missing between 5 and 6?
Placing the cooked apples over the base crust and sprinkling the remaining crumble on top. Then put in oven to bake?
Hi Marleen, spread the cooked apples evenly over the crust, then sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over top and then bake! Hope that helps!
recipe for apple pie bars is missing some steps in the method after #5…layer apples in pan and top with remaining crumble…….
Hi Marty, spread the cooked apples evenly over the crust, then sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture over top and then bake! Hope that helps!
On the apple pie recipe, once you make he pie dough, and put it in the pie plate. Then you make the apple pie filling. Then do you dump the apples on top of the pie crust and then bake it all, the it all cools…
Hi Bernice, after sautéing the apples, spread them over the pressed crust, then sprinkle the remaining crumble on top before baking. Thanks for catching that!
So I place th4 leftover 1/3 crumble on top when I bake it or the last few minutes
Right. Its missing in the original recipe Andy. Thanks for the clarification.
You’ll want to sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the crumble on top right before baking—it bakes along with the filling and crust so it gets golden and crisp!