Apple Shortbread Bars

Don’t let these simple Apple Shortbread Bars fool you! While they are “just a bar” they are quite possibly the most amazing apple dessert you’ll ever taste.

Craving shortbread? Try our peanut butter shortbread cookies next. Or give our chocolate chip walnut bars a try for something different.

Why This Recipe is Best

These bars start with an easy shortbread cookie crust that you top with a delicious cinnamon apple mixture.

Baked to perfection and then drizzled with a cinnamon glaze, this dessert is a delicious combination of shortbread and apple pie in bar form.

Based on the sheer number of apple recipes and pumpkin recipes on this site, you’ve probably gathered that fall is my favorite baking season.

Bake sales, Halloween parties, Mondays… all great reasons to bake some delicious apple bars! And we all know Thanksgiving isn’t complete without at least one Dutch Apple Pie.

While I love the classic apple recipes, sometimes you need something just a little bit different.

These Apple Shortbread Bars are the perfect balance of tradition and novelty. With the familiar apple cinnamon flavor at the center, the crispy shortbread makes them different from your typical apple pie bars.

• THREE layers of deliciousness
• Super easy to make
• Great for serving a big group

Apple Recipes: Apple Cinnamon Bread | Apple Hand Pies

Ingredient Notes

• Butter – I use and prefer unsalted butter in my recipes so I can control the amount of sodium. If you only have salted butter, that’s fine, just reduce the amount of salt you add to the crust to 1/4 teaspoon. Either way, be sure to let it soften at room temperature using our tips on how to soften butter quickly.
• Powdered Sugar – This helps make melt-in-your-mouth shortbread. We’re also using it in the glaze on top.
• Light Brown Sugar – We use this in the apple streusel mixture to sweeten things up. Dark brown sugar would be fine to use as well if that’s what you have on hand.
• Flour – Regular all-purpose flour works great for this recipe. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly!
• Apples – I prefer using Granny Smith or Pink Lady apples for this recipe. They need to be peeled and diced small.

Easy Instructions

Step 1. Make the crust. Cream together the butter and powdered sugar then add the flour, salt and vanilla until combined. Press the crust into a 9×13 baking pan.

Step 2. Make the apple crumble. Use your hands to combine the brown sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon and oats in a bowl until coarse crumbles form.

Mix in the diced apples. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the crust.

Bake the bars at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes. Cool on the counter then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.

Step 3. Cut and glaze. Cut the bars. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and cinnamon. Drizzle the glaze over the bars. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• I recommend dicing your apples into VERY small pieces. The smaller pieces pick up more of that delicious brown sugar crumble and will stay on the shortbread better than larger chunks.
• The shortbread crust will still look a little soft or under baked when you take it out of the oven. That’s OK. It will harden as the crust cools!
• It helps to wait to cut the bars until AFTER they have chilled in the refrigerator. They slice so much easier!
• I found these taste best COLD. Which is odd for me, since I LOVE warm apple crumble! But, having made these a couple times, I can tell you for sure: try them cold. You won’t be sorry!

Of course, I like mine with a warm cup of dalgona coffee or pumpkin cream cold brew on the side.

Recipe FAQs

More Easy Dessert Recipes

• Lemon Bars
• Coconut Shortbread
• Cinnamon Roll Cake
• Snickerdoodles
• Buckeyes
• Sugar Cream Pie Recipe

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Apple Shortbread Bars

4.88 from 8 votes

By: Aimee

Irresistible apple crumble meets buttery shortbread in these Apple Pie Bars. A layer of sweet cinnamon glaze on top makes these one of my favorite fall treats of all time. You're going to love these bars!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 18 bars

Ingredients 

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Crust:

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ ½ cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

• ▢ 1 ½ cup apple slices peeled and diced
• ▢ ½ cup light brown sugar packed
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ cup quick cook oats

Glaze:

• ▢ 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons milk
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon

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Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add 2 cup flour, salt and vanilla until combined. Press into a 13×9 baking dish.
• In a mixing bowl, using your hands, combine brown sugar, 2Tbsp flour, 2 Tbsp butter, cinnamon and oats. Mix until coarse crumbles. Add diced apples (you want to make sure your apples are diced very very small. Sprinkle mixture over top of crust. Bake for about 25 minutes (crust may appear to be under cooked, that’s okay).
• Cool on counter, then move to refrigerator for at least 2 hours until chilled.
• Cut bars into squares (or triangles). In a small bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle over cut bars. Glaze will harden slightly in fridge. Enjoy!

Notes

• I prefer using from granny smith or pink lady apples. Peel the apples completely and dice.
• I recommend dicing your apples into VERY small pieces. The smaller pieces pick up more of that delicious brown sugar crumble and will stay on the shortbread better than larger chunks.
• The shortbread crust will still look a little soft or under baked when you take it out of the oven. It will harden as the crust cools!
• Keep bars covered loosely in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar, Calories: 234kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 39mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 18g

Course: Brownies and Bars

Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

Irresistible apple crumble meets buttery shortbread in these Apple Pie Bars. A layer of sweet cinnamon glaze on top makes these one of my favorite fall treats of all time. You’re going to love these bars!