Grandma’s Apple Crumb Bars
A buttery crust, tender spiced apple filling, and a golden crumb top — just like Grandma used to make.
Ingredients
Crust & Crumb
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (65 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Apple Filling
- 3 medium apples (about 1 lb / 450 g) — peeled, cored & diced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (to thicken)
- Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat & prepare pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch (23×23 cm) pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- Make the crust/crumb mixture: In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, brown sugar and salt. Add cold cubed butter and rub or cut it into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Stir in vanilla. Reserve about 1 1/4 cups of the mixture for the crumb topping; press the remaining mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.
- Prepare the apple filling: Toss diced apples with lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, flour and nutmeg (if using). Let sit 5 minutes so juices begin to release.
- Assemble: Spread the apple mixture evenly over the pressed crust. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the apples, pressing lightly in places to help it adhere.
- Bake: Bake 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden and the apple filling is bubbling. If top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Cool & slice: Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack (at least 1 hour) so filling sets. Use the parchment overhang to lift from pan and cut into bars. For cleaner slices chill 30 minutes before cutting.
Tips:
- Best apples: use a mix of sweet-tart and firm apples (e.g., Honeycrisp + Granny Smith) for texture and balanced flavor.
- Make-ahead: these hold well in the fridge 3–4 days (cover tightly). Warm briefly before serving.
- Serving: excellent with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a light dusting of powdered sugar.
Variations
- Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans into the crumb topping for extra crunch.
- Mix in 1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries with the apples for a chewy note.
- For a richer bar, fold 2–3 tbsp melted butter into the reserved crumb before sprinkling.
