Apple Squares

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Fresh from the oven and bursting with real apples, these Apple Squares are the perfect cross between a cookie bar and a tasty fall dessert. Soft, buttery, and topped with a deliciously crunchy layer, every bite is packed with homemade flavor that tastes just like autumn!

Fall is in the air and I’ve been wanting to make everything I can with pumpkin, apples, and spices.  Fall is definitely my favorite foodie season because I love all of the fall flavors.

Apples have been on sale for around a dollar a pound and I’ve been buying them by the giant tote bag so that I can make desserts, preserve apple recipes, and even use them in my savory recipes.

One thing I make a lot is Easy Apple Crisp because it only takes a few minutes and makes a warm and tasty dessert.  I can’t get enough of this Bourbon Apple Butter on my toast, English muffins, and even on top of pancakes. For breakfast you can’t beat these Caramel Apple Scones.  Then for a savory meal an Apple Gouda Grilled Cheese sandwich is so delicious.

I wanted to make an easy dessert that had big apple flavor in it.  I’ve made these apple squares before and decided that they sounded like the perfect easy to make dessert.

Do I have to peel my apples?

Many people prefer to have their apples peeled but I tend to leave the peel on because it gets super soft during the cooking process.  It’s really personal preference and you can leave the peels on or peel your apples if you prefer.  Often times I’ll do half and half because it makes it easier.

While a lot of apple desserts have the apples layered in between the batter or are used as a filling this one has the apples mixed right into the batter.   Often times that means the apple flavor is more subtle in the dessert but that isn’t the case with these apple squares.

The thing that stands out in these bars is that the actual bar is a cross between a cookie and a cake but the top is nice and crunchy which is unusual for this type of dessert.   I love the nice crunch when you bite into these.

What type of apple should I use?

The best apples for baking are usually ones that hold their shape and are both sweet and tart.  My top picks are honeycrisp apples, gala apples, Granny Smith apples, pink lady apples, or fuji apples.  Of course this is all personal preference and you can use whatever apples you enjoy most.

Ingredients:

• all purpose flour
• baking powder
• salt
• apple pie spice (or a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg)
• salted butter (or unsalted if you prefer)
• brown sugar
• granulated sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• apples

While you can enjoy the bars as they are I sometimes like to fancy them up.  One way is to drizzle caramel sauce over top of the bars.  Another way is to use an apple pie flavor finishing sugar on top.  You can even just use sparkling sugar to make the top sparkle. 

These bars are delicious!   The top has a nice crunch, the bars have great apple flavor, and they are soft like a mixture between a cake and a cookie. 

They are truly a taste of fall and we couldn’t get enough of them!  Plus, they are so easy to make and can be ready from start to finish in under an hour. 

How do you store apple squares?

Store the apple squares in an air tight container with parchment paper in between the layer for up to 3 days.  You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

If you’ve tried my Easy Apple Squares or any other recipe on  Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:

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Apple Squares

Soft, buttery, and topped with a deliciously crunchy layer, every bite is packed with homemade flavor that tastes just like autumn!

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 bars

Author: Hezzi-D

Equipment

• 1 Mixing Bowl
• 1 9 x 13 baking pan
• 1 Wire Cooling Rack

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
• 1/2 cup salted butter melted
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 large apples cored, peeled, and diced

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.
• In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and apple pie spice.
• In a large bowl mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
• Blend the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the apples.
• Spread the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes