Ingredients:
For the Crust and Topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
For the Apple Filling:
- 3 cups apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (use a mix of sweet and tart apples like Granny Smith and Honeycrisp)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions:
Preheat the Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
Prepare the Crust and Topping
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the cold butter pieces and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Press the Crust
Take about 2/3 of the mixture and press it evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
Press down firmly to create a solid crust layer.
Prepare the Apple Filling
In another bowl, combine the sliced apples, granulated sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour.
Toss until the apples are well coated.
Layer the Apples
Spread the apple mixture evenly over the crust in the baking pan.
Add the Topping
Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the crust mixture over the apples, creating a crumbly topping.
Bake
Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown, and the apples are tender.
Cool and Cut
Allow the Apple Crisp Bars to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes.
Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, cut into bars.
Serve
Serve the bars on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delightful treat.
Enjoy these delicious Apple Crisp Bars as a perfect fall or anytime dessert!