Homemade Apple Crisp Shortbread Bars Recipe
These Homemade Apple Crisp Shortbread Bars feature a tender, buttery shortbread base topped with a spiced apple filling and a crumbly brown sugar streusel topping. Perfect as a dessert or sweet snack, they combine the comforting flavors of baked apples with a deliciously crisp, buttery crust and crumb topping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes plus chilling time
- Yield: 16 bars (4x4-inch squares) 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Base:
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (about 70°F)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Apple Filling:
- 3 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/8-inch thick)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (freshly ground preferred)
- 2 tbsp sugar
Streusel Topping:
- 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Shortbread Base: Preheat your oven to 300°F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a mixer, beat the room-temperature butter for about 5 minutes until pale and fluffy to incorporate air and create a tender shortbread texture. Add sugar, vanilla extract, and salt, mixing until well combined. Add flour and mix just until dough forms—avoid overmixing to keep the shortbread tender. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes until set but not browned. This prevents sogginess when adding the apple filling.
- Prepare the Apple Filling and Streusel Topping: While the shortbread bakes, combine peeled and thinly sliced apples with 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg—flour helps absorb apple moisture. In a separate bowl, mix together flour and brown sugar, then add the melted and cooled butter. Use your fingers to knead until mixture is crumbly and resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Freshly ground cinnamon is recommended for best flavor.
- Assemble and Bake the Bars: Once the shortbread comes out of the oven, increase oven temperature to 350°F. Quickly sprinkle half of the crumb topping over the warm shortbread base, pressing gently to adhere. Spread apple filling evenly over this layer, then top with remaining crumb mixture, distributing evenly. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F until the topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced.
- Cool and Set the Bars: Remove from oven and cool completely at room temperature for 1-2 hours to allow bars to set properly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm the shortbread for cleaner cutting and better texture. Cut into squares with a sharp knife, wiping blade between cuts for neat edges.
Notes
- The pre-baking of the shortbread base is essential to prevent sogginess from the apple filling’s moisture.
- Use freshly ground cinnamon for more pronounced spice flavor.
- Allow bars to cool and then chill before cutting to achieve cleaner slices and better texture.
- Parchment paper lining makes removal and cleanup easier.
- Use a sharp knife and wipe blade between cuts for the neatest bar edges.
Keywords: apple crisp bars, shortbread bars, apple dessert, crumb topping, homemade apple bars, baked apple dessert, spiced apple bars, easy dessert bars
