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Lighter Friendsgiving Apple Pie Bars with Oat Crumble

Lighter Friendsgiving Apple Pie Bars with Oat Crumble - featured image
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These apple pie bars are a lighter, simpler take on traditional apple pie, featuring a tender oat crumble base and topping with spiced apple filling. Perfect for sharing at Friendsgiving or any gathering, they come together in under an hour with no rolling pins required.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups (240g) oat flour
  • 1 cup (90g) rolled oats
  • ½ cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (113g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 4 medium apples (about 600g), peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith recommended)
  • 3 tablespoons (36g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon (8g) cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides.
  2. Make the oat crumble mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together oat flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add cold butter cubes. Using a pastry cutter or fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized butter lumps. Set aside 1 cup for the topping.
  3. Press the base: Transfer the remaining oat mixture into the prepared dish. Press down firmly and evenly. Bake for 12 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Let cool slightly.
  4. Prepare the apple filling: In a medium bowl, toss sliced apples with granulated sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon until evenly coated.
  5. Layer the apples: Arrange apple slices evenly over the pre-baked crust.
  6. Add the topping: Sprinkle the reserved oat crumble mixture evenly over the apples, creating some larger clumps with your fingers.
  7. Bake: Place dish on the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes, until topping is deep golden brown and apple juices are bubbling at the edges. If topping browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
  8. Cool completely: Let bars cool in the dish on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm up. Use parchment overhang to lift the block out onto a cutting board. Slice into 9 or 16 squares.

Notes

Don’t skip chilling the butter—cold butter is key for a crumbly texture. Slice apples evenly (¼-inch thick) for uniform cooking. Let bars cool completely before slicing for clean, bakery-style pieces. If apples are very juicy, let bars cool fully; cornstarch will thicken the juices into a glaze. For best results, make a day ahead and refrigerate overnight.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple pie bars, oat crumble, Friendsgiving, lighter dessert, apple bars, oat flour, fall dessert

Find it online: https://gleamgulp.com/lighter-friendsgiving-apple-pie-bars-with-oat-crumble/