Apple Pie Bars are the quintessential autumn delight, offering a delectable way to savor the flavors of the season. These irresistible bars combine tender, cinnamon-spiced apple slices with a rich, buttery lattice crust, all baked into a convenient slab that’s perfect for feeding a crowd. Often referred to as Apple Slab Pie or Cinnamon Apple Squares, this recipe transforms the beloved classic double-crust apple pie into an easily shareable and utterly delicious treat.
There’s something uniquely comforting about the aroma of apples and cinnamon wafting through your kitchen, especially as the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp. This recipe for apple pie bars captures that cozy essence perfectly. Whether you’re hosting a fall gathering, preparing for a holiday feast, or simply craving a homemade dessert that tastes like a warm hug, these apple squares are sure to appease any pie lover and become an instant favorite.
Why These Apple Pie Bars Are a Must-Make Fall Dessert
As autumn arrives, bringing with it a desire for warm, spiced treats, these apple pie bars stand out for several compelling reasons:
- The Ultimate Fall Dessert: With their comforting blend of sweet apples and aromatic cinnamon encased in a flaky, golden crust, these bars embody the very spirit of fall. They are a delightful celebration of autumn’s bounty and an essential addition to your seasonal baking repertoire.
- Effortlessly Feeds a Crowd: Unlike traditional round pies that yield only 6-8 slices, this slab pie is baked in a larger jelly-roll pan, producing numerous square bars. This makes it incredibly practical for parties, potlucks, family gatherings, or any event where you need to serve a delicious dessert to many people without the hassle of baking multiple pies.
- Unbeatable Flavor Combination: The magic truly lies in the marriage of a perfectly homemade, rich pie crust and a filling of tender, sweet, cinnamon-spiced apples. This classic pairing creates a harmonious symphony of textures and flavors that is simply irresistible. Each bite offers a satisfying crunch from the crust, followed by the soft, warm burst of spiced apple goodness.
- A Delightful Twist on a Classic: While it boasts all the beloved flavors of a traditional apple pie, presenting it in bar form adds a modern, convenient twist. The slab format makes it easier to cut, serve, and enjoy, encouraging guests to grab a piece without needing plates and forks.
- Comforting and Nostalgic: For many, the taste of homemade apple pie evokes cherished memories and a sense of warmth and comfort. These apple pie bars deliver that same nostalgic experience, making them a perfect dessert to share with loved ones during the holidays or a cozy evening at home.
Just a few days ago, the weather was hot and humid, but today there’s a distinct nip in the air – a sure sign that autumn is upon us. To welcome this beautiful season, I instinctively turn to recipes featuring apples and cinnamon. This particular pan of cinnamon apple squares was whipped up for a recent neighborhood ‘Fall Crawl,’ and it was an absolute sensation, disappearing quickly with rave reviews from everyone who tried a piece.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Delicious Apple Slab Pie
Creating this crowd-pleasing apple slab pie is surprisingly straightforward, especially considering its impressive taste and presentation. The delightful combination of apples and cinnamon truly shines when autumn arrives.
- Prepare the Pie Crust: Begin by making your homemade pie crust. Divide the dough into two equal halves, wrap each half in plastic, and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Chilling is crucial for a flaky, easy-to-handle dough.
- Prepare the Apple Filling: While the dough is chilling, peel, core, and slice your chosen baking apples. Aim for slices of even thickness to ensure uniform cooking. In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with sugar, cinnamon, and any other spices or flour as specified in the recipe. This coating helps thicken the juices and evenly distribute the flavors.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC). This initial high temperature helps to crisp the crust before the filling has a chance to make it soggy.
- Assemble the Bottom Crust and Filling: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one ball of chilled dough large enough to fit the bottom of a standard jelly-roll pan (approximately 10×15 inches or 9×13 inches, depending on your desired thickness). Carefully transfer the rolled dough to the pan, pressing it gently into the corners and up the sides. Evenly arrange the seasoned apple slices over the dough in the pan. Lining them up in neat rows can help keep the filling level.
- Add the Top Crust: Roll out the second ball of dough. You have two main options for the top: either cover the apples with a solid sheet of crust, or cut the dough into strips to create an elegant lattice crust. A lattice top not only looks beautiful but also allows steam to escape naturally during baking.
- Seal and Prepare for Baking: Once the top crust is in place, carefully pinch the edges of the top and bottom crusts together to seal them. If you’ve opted for a solid top crust, cut several small vents (slits) in various places to allow steam to escape, preventing a soggy crust and ensuring even cooking of the apples. If you are making a lattice topping, there will already be plenty of vents.
- Apply Optional Topping: For a golden, shiny finish and a touch of sweetness, whisk an egg white until frothy and brush it lightly over the top crust. If you prefer a sparkling, slightly crunchy finish, sprinkle a generous amount of coarse or sanding sugar over the egg-washed crust. (Note: if you plan to use a powdered sugar glaze later, skip the coarse sugar topping).
- Bake to Perfection: Place the slab pie in the preheated oven. Bake until the crust is beautifully golden brown and the apples are fork-tender. This typically takes around 35-45 minutes, but keep an eye on it.
- Prepare and Apply Glaze (Optional): If you chose not to use the coarse sugar, you can prepare a simple powdered sugar glaze while the pie cools slightly. Whisk powdered sugar with a touch of vanilla and hot water until it reaches your desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle or brush this glaze generously over the warm pie.
- Serve and Enjoy: Allow the apple pie bars to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. This helps the filling set, making for cleaner cuts. Serve warm, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, or enjoy them cold – they are delicious either way!
Expert Tips for the Best Apple Pie Bars
Achieving the perfect apple pie bar is all about attention to a few key details. These expert tips, many passed down through generations, will help you create a truly spectacular dessert:
- Embrace the Homemade Crust: This recipe, a treasured family heirloom from my mom, highlights the importance of a homemade crust. While I recently started making a lattice crust for a more decorative touch, for years, I topped it with a solid crust, much like a traditional large apple slab pie. Whichever style you choose, a good homemade crust is foundational.
- The Butter vs. Shortening Debate: When it comes to pie crusts, the choice between butter and shortening makes a difference. Butter imparts an incredibly rich, unmatched flavor and results in a wonderfully flaky texture. Shortening, on the other hand, makes the dough easier to work with, provides more defined edges, and can yield a very tender crust. For the best of both worlds, I often use a combination, as specified in the recipe, to get both great flavor and ease of handling. Always ensure your fats are very cold!
- Selecting the Perfect Apples: The apples are the star of the show. It’s crucial to use good baking apples that hold their shape and flavor when cooked. I highly recommend using a combination of apples for the most complex and delicious flavor profile. If you have access to local orchards or farmer’s markets, don’t hesitate to ask the proprietors for their favorite pie apple recommendations. They often have unique insights into regional varieties.
- PRO-Tip: Combine Apple Varieties: For a truly dynamic apple filling, I often combine firm, tart Granny Smith apples with a few sweeter, softer Golden Delicious apples. The tartness of Granny Smiths provides a necessary balance to the sweetness of the dessert, while the Golden Delicious apples offer a lovely sweetness and a softer texture that melts delightfully. This blend of sweet, tart, firm, and tender creates a multi-layered apple flavor that is simply divine. Other great baking apple combinations include Honeycrisp and Braeburn, or Gala and Fuji.
- Arranging Your Apple Slices: To ensure the filling bakes evenly and the top crust lays flat, I like to line up my apple slices in neat rows across the bottom crust. This technique helps keep the filling level and provides a stable base, which is especially helpful if you’re attempting a woven lattice topping. Remember, a solid top crust is always a simpler, equally delicious option – just don’t forget those crucial steam vents!
- Efficiency for Entertaining: One of the biggest advantages of this apple slab pie recipe is its efficiency. It’s significantly easier than baking two separate round apple pies, making it the perfect choice for any gathering, big or small. You get all the same delectable, comforting flavors of classic apple pie, but with less effort and a much simpler serving process.
- Don’t Overwork the Dough: When making the crust, be gentle. Overworking the dough can lead to a tough crust. Pulse just until the mixture comes together and handle it as little as possible.
- Patience is a Virtue (for Cooling): While tempting to slice right away, allowing the apple pie bars to cool for at least 30-60 minutes before cutting helps the filling set. This ensures clean, beautiful slices that hold their shape.
Frequently Asked Questions About Apple Slab Pie Bars
A slab pie is a large-format pie that is typically baked in an oblong pan, such as a jelly-roll pan or a large baking sheet with sides. Unlike traditional round pies, which are cut into wedges, slab pies are cut into squares or rectangular bars. They are designed to serve a larger crowd with ease, featuring a bottom crust, a generous filling, and a top crust, often a lattice design. This style of pie is incredibly popular for gatherings due to its practicality and the sheer volume of delicious servings it yields.
These apple pie bars will generally keep well at room temperature for a day or two, especially if covered loosely. However, due to the moisture content in the fruit filling, the crust will eventually soften. For optimal freshness and to prolong their shelf life, it’s best to store any remaining bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator after the first couple of days. When you’re ready to enjoy them again, gently warm the slices in a microwave or oven for a few minutes to revive the crust and filling. This method helps maintain both texture and flavor.
Absolutely! These apple pie bars freeze exceptionally well, making them a fantastic make-ahead dessert option. To freeze, ensure the bars are completely cooled, then wrap individual slices or the entire slab tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. This double wrapping helps prevent freezer burn. Store them in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. When you’re ready to serve, simply defrost the bars overnight in the refrigerator, then rewarm them in a low oven (around 300°F/150°C) until heated through, or briefly in the microwave for individual servings. Rewarming brings back that wonderful fresh-baked taste and texture.
The ideal apples for these squares are those that maintain their structure during baking and offer a balanced flavor. My mom’s original recipe specifically called for Jonagolds, which are excellent baking apples known for their sweet-tart flavor. However, I often find that a combination yields the most interesting and delicious filling. I personally love using a mix of tart Granny Smith apples for their firm texture and bright flavor, paired with sweeter Golden Delicious apples for their tenderness and honeyed notes. Any good baking apple will work beautifully, but combining varieties (e.g., one that’s sweet and soft with one that’s tart and firm) creates a more complex, well-rounded, and flavorful filling that will truly elevate your apple pie bars.
Explore More Apple and Bar Desserts
- Apple Nachos from Best Dessert Recipes
- Perfect Apple Pie
- Cranberry Apple Bread
- Best Apple Recipes
- Slow Cooker Apple Crisp
- Mulled Apple Cider
- More Squares and Bar Cookies
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Cinnamon Apple Squares Recipe
30 minutes
35 minutes
1 hour 5 minutes
12 servings
Cinnamon Apple Squares – an autumnal dessert that will feed a crowd. Rated 5 out of 5 stars by 51 readers.
Ingredients
Crust
- 4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¾ cup shortening, cut into pieces
- 1 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
- ¾ cup very cold water
Filling
- 6-8 cups peeled, cored, and sliced baking apples (Jonagold recommended)
- 1 scant cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon or to taste
- 1 tablespoon flour
Optional toppings:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Hot water
- OR
- 2 egg whites, whisked well
- Coarse or Sanding Sugar
Instructions
- In a food processor (or by hand), mix together the flour, salt, and sugar.
- Add shortening and butter and pulse (or cut) until it’s crumbly (and resembles coarse cornmeal).
- Slowly add and pulse the water into the flour mixture. Pulse until the mixture comes together. You may not need all the water.
- Divide dough into two balls, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
- Make the filling by mixing apple slices, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
- Preheat oven to 400º.
- Roll one ball of dough large enough to fit the bottom of a jellyroll pan. Arrange apples over dough. Roll out the second ball of dough and cover the apples. Pinch edges to seal.
- Whisk egg whites and brush over the crust (only if you don’t want to use the glaze). Cut vents in several places.
- Alternatively, you can cut strips of dough out of the rolled dough and apply a lattice topping.
- If you don’t want to use the glaze, brush the crust with the egg whites and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 35 minutes or till the crust is brown and the apples are tender.
- To make the glaze, mix powdered sugar, vanilla and add hot water till you reach your desired consistency. Drizzle or brush over the top crust.
- Serve warm or cold.
Notes
Use a variety of apples for the best flavor.
There are two options for finishing this slab pie. You can brush the top crust with egg whites and sprinkle it with coarse sugar. Or you can make the glaze and drizzle or brush over the top crust.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 540Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 215mgCarbohydrates: 87gFiber: 8gSugar: 56gProtein: 5g
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