Dutch Apple Pie Bars

Dutch Apple Pie Bars. Cause why should pumpkin get all the glory this season??

The bottom crust is tender and delicate. A perfect vehicle for crisp, spiced apples, and a nutty, crunchy crumb topping.

Now let's talk apples. For snacking, I prefer Gala. But for baking, it's all about balancing flavor and texture! Granny Smith apples are my go-to for pies and cakes. They are tart and maintain their structure. For a little appley sweetness, I like mixing in Golden Delicious or Honey Crisp.

I'm also a Crust Gal. So there's a pretty significant crust to apple ratio on this bar. For a bigger apple punch, double the filling mixture. Be sure to slice these apples super thin so they cook in the time the crust will brown and crisp.

Dutch Apple Pie Bars

Ingredients

For the filling

· 1 granny smith apple, peeled and sliced thin

· 1 honey crisp apple, peeled and sliced thin

· Zest of ½ lemon

· 1 tsp lemon juice

· ½ tsp vanilla extract

· ½ tsp cinnamon

· 2 tsp flour

· ¼ cup brown sugar

· 2 tbsp white sugar

For the crust

· 6 oz flour

· 2 1/3 oz sugar

· ¼ tsp salt

· 8 tbsp butter, chilled & cubed

· 1 tsp vanilla

· ½ tsp almond extract

· 1 egg

· 2 tbsp brown sugar

· 1/3 cup pecans

· ¼ cup rolled oats

Preheat oven to 375F. Line an 8x8in pan with parchment paper; leave a 2in overhang of parchment for easily lift bars from the pan. Lightly coat the parchment with non-stick spray.

For the filling… combine all ingredients with a spoon in a large mixing bowl. Ensure all apples are coated in the sugar and flour. Set aside.

For the crust…Using a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter one piece at a time. Blend on medium speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and egg. Blend until the dough begins to clump together. Reserve about ½ cup of the dough in a separate bowl and chill.

Sprinkle the remaining dough into the 8x8in pan. Press the dough firmly into an even layer using your fingers or the bottom of a greased juice glass. Prick the crust with a fork to keep the dough from rising. Bake for 15 minutes until the edges start to brown slightly.

While the crust is baking, add the brown sugar and nuts to the food processor and pulse until the nuts are chopped fine. Add the oats and pulse 3-4 more times. Add the mixture to the bowl with the reserved dough. Mix with your fingers or a fork – you want to ensure the dough is still clumpy but well distributed.

Scatter the apples evenly over the par-baked crust. Discard at liquid in the bowl from the apples. Sprinkle the crumble topping liberally over the apples.

Return to the oven and bake for another 30-35 minutes until the crumb topping is golden brown and the apples are cooked through. Let the bars cool completely in the pan for at least 2 hours. Lift the bars out of the pan and cut into 9 large or 16 small square bars. If desired, dust powdered sugar over the top of the bars.

Makes 9-16 bars

Gluten Free Friendly!

Substitute the flour for a GF flour blend. I recommend Better Batter for a delightfully crumbly texture. Double check your ingredient labels on the nuts and oats to ensure they are manufactured in a GF facility.