If you’re looking for a quick and easy Fall treat that packs amazing flavor and will keep everyone wanting more, these apple streusel bars are it! They are light, moist, tender and full of apple flavor! Enjoy them for breakfast, dessert, or just a snack – just be sure not to miss these tasty bars.
These apple streusel bars have been on my site for years now, but have been a bit of a sleeper. They’ve been overlooked – even by me – because I kind of forgot what they were like. Well, no more! I decided to make them again and see if it was a recipe I wanted to keep or change, and it was a resounding KEEP from all around. I can’t believe I’d forgotten how good they are! (They had even inspired my apple streusel cheesecake bars!)
Apple streusel bars are the kind of bars that are so good, you have to hide some. If you take them to a party, they will disappear quickly. And they’re so good that you’ll want to sneak another and promise yourself it’ll be your last – but it won’t.
These bars are on the cakier side, but still perfect for a hand-held bar. They are light, moist, tender, and full of apple and spice flavor. Think apple pie, but way easier to make and share. They make a great dessert or snack and even pair well with your morning coffee. If you think you aren’t a dessert fan, these may just change your mind.
Why Everyone Should Make These Apple Streusel Bars
- Warm fall flavors. In addition to the diced apples, I used some of my favorite fall flavors in these bars. You can’t go wrong with cinnamon and apples, and the nutmeg and cloves give a little more fall “oomph”.
- Apples in every bite. Diced apples are stirred into the batter and the streusel topping in these apple streusel bars. That means two layers of crunchy apples and lots of apple flavor in every single bite.
- Easy to share. One great thing about bars is that they are easily portable and shareable. Fall (and the upcoming holiday season) is the perfect time for sharing, gifting and gathering, and these bars are easy to make and easy to share. It’s a great recipe to have in your back pocket.
Ingredient Notes
One of the great things about these bars is that they’re made with basic ingredients and pantry staples. Here’s an overview of what’s that’s needed and why; the exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour – Use the spoon and level technique as outlined in my post How To Properly Measure Flour or a food scale for accurate measuring. Over measuring your flour will give you dry bars, which would be a bummer.
- Baking powder – Gives the bars just a bit of lift and contributes to the cakey texture.
- Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves add warm fall spices to the bars and streusel topping.
- Salt – Enhances the overall flavor. Don’t leave it out.
- Butter – I recommend unsalted butter, especially with the added salt. If using salted butter, just leave out the added salt.
- Light brown sugar – I opted for brown sugar over granulated sugar as the molasses flavor pairs nicely with the apples and spices. It also adds more moisture and adds some chewiness to the texture. Brown sugar is also used in the streusel.
- Vanilla extract – Adds another layer of flavor to the bars.
- Eggs – Help bind the ingredients together and add some chewiness. Be sure to use large eggs, not medium or extra large.
- Apples – I used Granny Smith apples. Feel free to use one sweeter and one more tart variety if you want more variance in flavor. Granny Smith often pairs well with Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Gala apples.
How To Make Apple Streusel Bars
Let’s take a look at just how easy these bars are to make! All you need is a couple of bowls and a whisk. The printable instructions are in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Prepare by preheating the oven to 350°F and lining a 9-inch pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides with non-stick baking spray.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a bowl. Set aside.
Combine the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla in another bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk until combined.
Spread half of the batter evenly in the pan. Fold 3/4 of the apples into the remaining batter.
Spread the batter with the apples evenly in the pan, on top of the other half of batter.
Come the flour, sugar, and spices. Stir in the melted butter to form a crumbly mixture. Add the apples.
Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the top of the bars.
Bake for 33-38 minutes. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Tips for the Best Bars
Before you start baking these apple streusel bars, take a second to read through these tips.
- Use parchment paper + non-stick spray. To ensure these bars can be easily removed from the pan, line the pan with parchment paper and leave an overhang. Then, spray the sides with non-stick baking spray as well. It’ll make clean-up a breeze!
- Measure properly. Nothing is worse than dry treats. One of the biggest culprits of this is over measuring your flour. To avoid this, use the spoon and level technique or better yet, a food scale, for accurate measuring.
- Don’t over mix. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until everything is combined and no streaks of flour remain. Over mixing can over develop the gluten in the bars and make them too dense.
- Don’t overbake. Keep an eye on the bars toward the end of the baking time. Every oven is slightly different and while you want a toothpick inserted in the center to come out clean, you don’t want to end up with dry, overbaked bars.
Proper Storage
You can store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two, but then they should be refrigerated to keep the fruit fresh. Store in the fridge for another 2-3 days. Enjoy cold, at room temperature, or pop them in the microwave for about 15 seconds to enjoy warm. They are best when eaten within 4-5 days.
More Apple Desserts
Apple Streusel Bars
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Ingredients
Bars
- 1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (168g) unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 cup (225g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups (272g) chopped apple (1–2 large apples)
Streusel
- ⅔ cup (87g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter (melted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9-inch pan with parchment paper that sticks up above the sides of the pan, so that you can remove the bars later for easy cutting. Grease the sides with non-stick baking-spray.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt to a medium sized bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk together to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together until combined. Don’t over mix.
- Spread about half of the batter evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Fold about 3/4 of the chopped apples into the remaining batter, then spread evenly into the pan.
- In another bowl, make the streusel. Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add the melted butter and stir together until it forms a crumbly mixture. Stir in the remaining apples.
- Sprinkle the streusel over the top of the bars.
- Bake the bars for 33-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
- Cut into bars and serve. Bars are best stored in an airtight container in the fridge and eaten within 4-5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Enjoy!
Can you please verify the baking time and temperature? Every time I make these bars, I follow the directions and the batter in the middle of the pan is almost raw. I’ve continued baking over 45 minutes, and I get the same result. I use an 9×9 aluminum pan, put parchment in the bottom and butter the sides. Do you use a glass pan? Trying to understand the issue.
Thanks for your help!
That’s what I used, but there can certainly be variation between ovens. I’m really not sure what the issue would be. You could try baking them longer. I’m sorry.
Have you doubled the recipe to make in a 13 x 9 pan?
Any difference in cooking time?
This recipe sounds delicious! I was wondering if you think that the recipe would still turn out if I made it with peaches instead of apples?
Yes, it should be fine with peaches. The only thing to keep in mind is that peaches have a lot more moisture. Fresh peaches, especially. So if using fresh peaches, I’d chop them and then really pat them dry as much as you can. Canned peaches aren’t quite as moist, but I’d still pat them dry.
Fantastic fall recipe.
What a perfect fall dessert! My whole family loved it. I baked it in a 7×9 brownie pan and it turned out great!
So glad to hear that!
Made this once and it was so yummy, the whole family enjoyed it immensely. Thanks for the recipe! Wanted to check if it can be made in a 9” round pan and unmoulded like a normal cake if I use parchment paper?
Glad you enjoyed them! I would think that’d be fine, it just might not be sure tall. All depends on what you’re looking for. But it should bake fine.
Can you make these bars the day before?
Definitely!
Is it ok to use dark brown sugar instead of light?
That should be fine.
I had the same problem. Baked it in a 9″ square pan and had to keep adding time to it because it wasn’t done. Took about an hour to bake completely
Hey Lindsay! So interesting find..I made this once in a normal pan and it was perfect. I had to take it to a party so I made it in foil pan and it was about 85% undercooked after a full bake time. It still tasted amazing but it was amazing mush haha.
Hmm, that is interesting. Sometimes that can happen with a bigger pan but I wouldn’t have expected it with these. I’ll have to try it out! 🙂
Just made these Apple Streusel Bars. They are delicious – a little taste of fall 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! Thanks Margret!