Learn how to make the easiest fall dessert—Fresh Apple Crumble Bars. Yes, that’s apple crumble pie in bar form! Made with fresh apples and a butter crumble, this is a tasty treat for the fall season.

Crust and Topping:

Ingredients1 cup all-purpose flour1 cup old-fashioned oats3/4 cup brown sugar1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon salt10 tablespoons (1-1/4 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter an 8x8-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a blender or food processor, add flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and pulse to mix. Scatter butter over dry mixture and pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal and holds together when pressed between your fingers. 

Press a little more than half of the mixture in the prepared dish to form a level layer on the bottom with a lip extending about 1/2 inch up the sides of the dish. Refrigerate for 10 minutes, along with remaining crust/topping mixture. Remove crust from the fridge and bake on the center oven rack for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

Filling:

Ingredients2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter3 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks1/2 cup raisins2 tablespoons brown sugar2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in apples and cook for 2 minutes, or until soft. Add raisins, brown sugar, and lemon juice and heat for 1 minute. Remove skillet from the heat and stir in flour. Transfer the apples to a plate and cool.

Spread cooled filling over crust. Sprinkle reserved crumble topping over apples and press it down gently. Bake for 40 minutes. 

Serve warm, for a pie-like dessert. Otherwise, cool bars completely in the pan. Refrigerate bars for 30 minutes before slicing.