Julie Clark
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Buttery Apple Oatmeal Bars, Ready in Under an Hour
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Apple oatmeal bars are an easy apple dessert with thinly sliced apples. They bake between a buttery brown sugar and oat crust that doubles as the crumb topping. It’s like sliceable apple crisp bars.
A lot of apple oat bars are a healthy breakfast recipe, but these are dessert all the way. Buttery brown sugar flavor that is perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. There’s no cinnamon, so the apple flavor stays front and center.
These apple oatmeal squares are one of the best green apple recipes to make during the fall apple picking season.
What kind of apples are the best for baking?
Granny Smith or Honey Crisp apples are the best choice for apple oatmeal bars. They balance the sweet crumb and firm enough to hold their shape during baking.
Gala apples are another good option!
How to Make Apple Oatmeal Bars
Plan about 50 minutes to make this recipe. Only about 20 minutes of hands on time. And if you have an apple peeler/slicer/corer, you’ll get it made even faster.
In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, brown sugar and oats. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter cubes until the mix resembles coarse crumbs.
Spray an 11×7″ or 8×8″ pan with cooking spray. Press half the crumbs in the bottom of the prepared pan.
Arrange the apple slices on top of the pressed crumbs. Sprinkle the white sugar on top of the apples, then drizzle the 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the sugar.
Top with the remaining crumbs and press down gently on the top with your hand. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Why did my apple oatmeal bars fall apart?
The usual reason is cutting them too soon. The bars need to cool and set before slicing. Let the pan cool to room temperature, or chill for 20 minutes to cut clean squares.
Another option is to line the pan with parchment paper so you can lift the bars out.
Can I make apple oatmeal bars ahead of time?
Yes. Bake them a day ahead, cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They also freeze well for up to 2 months.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these bars with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce or pure maple syrup.
Buttery Apple Oatmeal Bars
Layered Apple Oatmeal Bars make an easy apple dessert. Apple slices are stuffed between a soft, buttery, brown sugar and oatmeal crust and topping.
Servings 10
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup cold salted butter cubed
- 2 large apples* peeled and sliced thinly (about 2 ½ cups)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons salted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, brown sugar and oats. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter cubes until the mix resembles coarse crumbs.
- Spray an 11×7" (or 8×8") baking dish with cooking spray. You can also line the pan with parchment paper so that it comes out cleanly if you'd like.
- Press half the oat mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer.
- Arrange the apple slices on top of the pressed crumbs.
- Sprinkle the white sugar on top of the apples, then drizzle the 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the sugar.
- Top with the remaining oat mixture and press down gently on the top with your hand.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- Make it gluten-free with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and certified gluten-free oats.
- Use dairy-free butter for a vegan dessert recipe.
- For clean squares, cool completely before slicing.
Nutrition
Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1.1mg
yum, looks delish, going to make this. thankyou for recipe
I’ve made this almost 10 times. I think it works better if you make 50% more oatmeal mix. So I make a 1 and 1/2 recipe. There is way more ‘bar’ to work with. you will get a more substantial bar that is easier to cut and holds together better. Give it a go!
These are so good! Very sweet. I used dried apricots instead of apples because I have been looking for an apricot oat bar recipe for years. The kind of oat bar served at all of my favorite coffee shops. I would make this with the apples though next time. Not what I was looking and hoping for but really amazingly delicious.
Ooh these bars look fabulous!
These look delicious and super easy to bake and then take on the go! Your pictures look amazing as well. It makes me want to jump through the screen and try to eat them. I will give this recipe a try.