Packed with the flavors of Fall, Apple Spice Bars make a perfect treat as a snack, dessert or even breakfast! Plus, they’re the perfect Pumpkin Spice Latte accompaniment.
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If you want to make your house smell like fall, just throw a batch of these Apple Spice Bars in the oven. And then, when you’re ready for a taste of fall, take a bite and you’ll instantly be transported.
How do I make Apple Spice Bars?
This recipe does require a little effort in the form of peeling and cutting a few apples, but it is so worth it!
The base of this recipe is similar to many other baked goods – you begin by combining butter and sugar until creamy. Then you add eggs, vanilla, flour and oats to create a hearty batter. Added spices – cinnamon, cocoa powder, nutmeg and allspice – provide that unique “spicy” fallish flavor to the batter.
Then, you stir in chopped apples and walnuts and really create the full fall flavor. Additionally, the apples and walnuts give the bars an awesome crunch and texture that really set them apart from other baked goods.
You can’t go wrong with this recipe!
Can I freeze the bars?
These bars freeze beautifully and I highly recommend you double or even triple the recipe when you have an abundance of apples.
To freeze, I like to bake and then fully cool the bars. Then I cut them into individual-sized helpings and place on a cookie sheet. I toss the cookie sheet into the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes to flash freeze.
Next, I wrap the flash-frozen bars individually in waxed paper and place in gallon sized freezer bags. They’ll stay good in the freezer without losing any quality or taste for about 6 months.
To defrost, I just pull out the number of bars we want, put them on a plate, and let them sit on the counter for about an hour before digging in.
Apple Spice Bars
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Butter (softened)
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 cup Oats (old-fashioned or quick-cooking, depending on which texture you prefer)
- 1 Tablespoon Cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon Allspice
- 2 cups Peeled apple cubes
- 1/2 cup Walnuts (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- Powdered sugar for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Beat the butter with the sugars until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, except the apples and walnuts. Stir well and add to the mixing bowl. Beat just until combined.
- Combine the apples and walnuts and toss with the lemon juice.
- Fold the apple-walnut mixture into the mixing bowl. Spread into a greased 13×9 casserole dish.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool completely and cut into bars. Dust bars with powdered sugar, if desired.
Notes
- I prefer to use green apples in this recipe, but have successfully used many different varieties of both red and green apples over the years. Feel free to use your favorites or whatever you have on hand.
- For an awesome dessert option, warm an apple spice bar for a few seconds in the microwave and top with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Lightly drizzle on some caramel and enjoy!
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