Vegan apple pie bars are a little bit of apple pie and a little bit of cookie with a splash of streusel thrown in for good measure. These sweet, delicious bars combine homemade apple pie filling with a buttery shortbread crust and a crumbly streusel topping to create a sweet treat for everyone to return for more!
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I love making apple recipes of all kinds. Apples are a classic fruit for making all kinds of delicious dishes, from baked apple oatmeal for breakfast to air fryer cinnamon apples as a stand-alone dessert or topping.
I decided to take that love of apples and whip up a creative take on apple pie by turning it into bars. I combined sweet apple pie filling with a shortbread crust and a little streusel. It’s easy to make, and it hits all the highlights for classic fall apple flavor.
Why You’ll Love These Apple Pie Bars
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses basic ingredients found in almost any kitchen.
- Easy: These bars are ready in just about an hour.
- Delicious Fall Flavor: The sweet apple filling, buttery cookie base, and streusel topping create delicious fall flavor in every bite.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: It’s ideal for parties of all kinds or just a weeknight dessert.
Ingredients and Notes
For the Shortbread Crust
- Vegan Butter: Butter gives the shortbread cookie base its rich flavor.
- Sugar: Sugar gives the shortbread its sweetness.
- Salt: Just a hint of salt accentuates the flavors of the crust.
For the Apple Filling
- Medium Apples: Thinly sliced apples become velvety and tender as they cook in the oven.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice’s acidity accentuates the other flavors in the filling and helps balance its sweetness.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup adds sweetness and rich, deep flavor to the filling.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg create the classic apple pie flavor profile we all love.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens the apple pie topping as it cooks. You could also use arrowroot powder.
For the Streusel Topping
- Rolled Oats: Rolled oats give the streusel topping a wonderful texture. Be sure to use rolled oats, not quick oats.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds a deep, sweet flavor to the topping.
- Vegan Butter: Vegan butter adds rich flavor and the moisture needed to bind the topping together.
- All-Purpose Flour: Flour binds the oats, sugar, butter, and spices together, creating a streusel texture.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact quantities.
Substitutions
- Use your favorite apples for this recipe. Each apple variety lends its own unique flavor to the bars, so experiment with all your favorites.
- Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour to make gluten-free bars.
- Use apple pie spice in place of cinnamon and nutmeg if you prefer.
How to Make Vegan Apple Pie Bars
- Preheat your oven to 350° F and line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Mix all the dry shortbread crust ingredients in a food processor, then add the cold butter and pulse until combined.
- Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan and par-bake the shortbread for 20 minutes.
- Toss the thinly sliced apples with the other apple topping ingredients, ensuring the apples are evenly coated. Then, spread them evenly over the baked shortbread.
- Mix all the streusel ingredients in a mixing bowl until combined, then add it evenly over the apple mixture.
- Bake the dish for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden, the apples are tender, and the edges are slightly crisp.
- Let the dish cool until warm, then slice it into bars with a sharp knife.
FAQ
The classic apple for apple pie filling is the Granny Smith. This apple is very firm and more tart than sweet. Other popular apple pie filling apples include Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, and Braeburn.
That being said, any apple can work, and many people often use a mix of apples to create different flavor profiles for their filling.
Yes, it is. If your shortbread dough is crumbly, it’s exactly the right texture. Although it feels like it will fall apart, the baking process binds it together nicely to create that classic, crumbly, slightly crunchy texture we all know and love.
You can use quick oats for streusel if you don’t have rolled oats, but the texture won’t be the same. Rolled oats give streusel the classic, crunchy, chewy texture, while quick oat give streusel a smoother texture.
Thinly slicing the apples allows them to get very soft and tender as the bars bake. It also gives the bars a more rustic feel than classic, cooked-down apple pie filling.
You don’t have to peel apples for baking. Many people just prefer it. Unpeeled apples will give apple filling a chewier texture, while peeled apples give filling a softer, smoother texture.
Expert Tips
- Cube your butter and keep it chilled until just before cutting it into the shortbread mixture. This gives the shortbread its crumbly texture after it’s baked.
- Don’t try to bake the shortbread and apples at the same time. Par-baking the shortbread ensures it doesn’t get soggy and is fully baked when the apple topping is soft.
- Never scoop flour out of the container with your measuring cup to accurately measure flour. This compacts the flour. Instead, loosely spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the flat of a knife.
- Let your apple bar cool until it’s warm, not hot, to ensure even, neat bar edges.
Serving Suggestions
These delicious apple bars make a tasty, sweet breakfast with an almond milk latte or a lavender tea latte.
You could also pair them with items like a vegan breakfast casserole or a veggie-packed omelette for a sweet and savory start to the day.
Of course, they make a delicious dessert after a hearty meal, like roasted carrots potatoes and chickpeas, crispy tofu chicken nuggets, or black bean quinoa burgers.
Video
Storage
Fridge: Store these bars in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Wrap the bars in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Reheat: If the bars are frozen, defrost them in the refrigerator overnight. Then, microwave them at 15-second intervals until they’re as warm as you’d like.
More Vegan Apple Recipes!
Recipe
Vegan Apple Pie Bars
Equipment
- 9×9 baking pan
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Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup cold vegan butter cut into cubes
Apple Filling
- 3 medium apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Vegan Streusel
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup cold vegan butter cut into cubes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare the shortbread crust. Place the flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add cubed cold butter, and pulse until a crumbly texture forms.
- Transfer the shortbread to the prepared baking pan. Press the dough into the pan, and par bake for 20 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, toss the apple slices with maple syrup, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch. Make sure the apples are evenly coated.
- Prepare the streusel topping. Combine the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the vegan butter. Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until a crumbly texture forms.
- Spread the apple filling evenly over the shortbread crust in the baking pan.
- Spread the streusel topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 30–40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the apples are tender. The edges should be slightly crisp.
Video
Notes
- Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze in an airtight container for 2-3 months.
- Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up if desired.
- Serve topped with vegan vanilla ice cream or vegan whipped cream.
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