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Apple Crisp Bars

Apple crisp bars with a buttery oat crumble base and top sandwiching a spiced apple filling. Bake until the topping turns golden and the apple layer visibly bubbles for that classic crisp-bar texture.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For oat crumble base and top
  • 2 cup rolled oats
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
For apple filling
  • 4 cup apples, peeled and finely diced
  • 0.33 cup granulated sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prepare and pre-bake the crust
  1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment for easy lifting.
  2. Combine rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Drizzle melted butter over and toss until the mixture looks evenly moistened.
  3. Press 2/3 of the oat mixture firmly into the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Add the apple filling and finish baking
  1. Toss apples with granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch, and lemon juice until evenly coated. Spread the mixture over the hot base.
  2. Scatter the remaining oat crumble over the apples in an even layer. Bake for 30 more minutes, until the topping is golden and the filling bubbles.
  3. Cool completely before slicing into bars. The layers will set up as they cool.

Notes

For clean bar slices, lift the slab out using the parchment and chill until fully set; it also improves the crumb-to-filling structure. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days and warm briefly at 300F for best texture. Freezing is yes—freeze individually wrapped bars up to 2 months. For a different dietary approach, use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in the oat mixture.