These apple crumble bars are one of my favorite fall desserts. It’s the perfect combination of flavors and textures – a soft shortbread dough, spiced apple filling, and crisp crumble topping. I shared the video to this last fall but realized I never shared on here SO here it is now! Recipe is adapted from this apple slab pie recipe from Allrecipes, except I cut some of the sugar and add lemon for some acidity.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1.5 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 4 tbsp water

Filling:

• 8 medium apples (use a mix if you can – I used Snapdragons and Ginger Golds)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Crumble Topping:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup butter

Directions:

1. For the crust: combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until a crumbly mixture forms.
2. Add in the egg yolk and 1 tbsp of water at a time (you may not need all the water) until a smooth dough forms. Press the dough into a 9×13 pan lined with parchment paper.
3. For the filling: peel, core, and slice the apples. Toss the apples with the sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until well-combined, and pour filling on top of the crust.
4. For the crumble: mix flour, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle over the apples.
5. Bake at 350 for an hour, or until the crumble is golden brown and the filling is thickened and bubbly. I also find it helpful to put the pan on a larger baking sheet in case the filling bubbles over.
6. Cool completely and drizzle with caramel if desired. Cut into bars and enjoy!

For a video tutorial of how I made this, watch my TikTok below!