These vegan apple pie bars have all the flavors and textures of classic apple pie but with less effort! Buttery shortbread crust, gooey cinnamon apples and an oat crumble topping. These apple bars use one main dough for the base and crumble, which them really easy to make.
Simple ingredients you’ll need
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Notes about the ingredients
Apples. I used a mixture of sweet snacking apples (for example Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp) and Granny Smith apples. Snacking apples are softer and natural sweetness whereas Granny Smith apples hold their shape better and add tartness. You can use a mixture of apples, or choose one variety.
Rolled oats for the crumble topping. Alternatively, you can use walnuts, pecans or simply omit them (your crumble will be thinner).
Vegan butter. I recommend using stick butter for the apple bars as it holds better. If you use a spreadable butter (margarine), you’ll need to add more flour.
Brown sugar, ground cinnamon and nutmeg adds depth of flavor to the apple pie filling.
Make the apple filling
To make the apple filling, you just need to add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined.
After a few minutes, the sugar draws the natural juices out of the apples, while the flour thickens the juices to make a jammy mixture. And the melted butter adds richness to the filling!
Pastry and crumble topping
These easy apple pie bars only require one main dough for the bottom pastry and crumb topping!
To make it, add the flour, cold butter, sugar and water to a small food processor or bowl. Then pulse or mix until just combined (Image 1).
Add half of the dough to your lined baking pan for your bottom crust. Firmly press down the pastry and parbake it in your preheated oven. We’re parbaking the crust because it prevents it from getting soggy from the apple filling (Image 2).
Assembling the apple pie bars
Add the rolled oats and cinnamon to the remaining dough in your food processor or bowl, and pulse until just combined. This is your streusel topping (Image 3).
When your crust has slightly cooled down, arrange the apple slices on top. Please try to arrange the apples so they’re close together. This will ensure the bars stay intact when you cut them (Image 4).
Finally, sprinkle the crumble on top and bake (Images 5 & 6)!
Customizing this recipe
I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour. The recipe may work with King Arthur’s measure for measure flour, but that flour tends to absorb a lot of moisture so you will need to use less flour.
Coconut sugar is the easiest 1:1 replacement in the recipe. Alternatively, you can use any granulated sugar replacer. A liquid sweetener such as maple syrup will change the texture of the pastry and apple filling.
The pastry and apple components can be prepared 1-2 days in advance. However, I would assemble and bake the bars on the day of serving because the crumble softens over time.
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Apple Pie Bars (vegan)
Servings: 16 squares
Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry and Crumble
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Instructions
Make the pastry:
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Add the flour, butter and sugar to a food processor or medium-sized bowl. Pulse the ingredients or cut with a pastry cutter until just combined. Slowly drizzle the cold water into the flour mixture and mix until the pastry comes together. You probably won’t need all of the water. If you pinch the pastry between two fingers, it should stick together. However, the pastry shouldn’t feel sticky.
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Add half of the pastry to your baking pan. Press into the bottom of the pan to form an even layer.
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Bake the crust for 15-17 minutes or until it’s slightly golden brown. Set aside to cool.
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While the crust bakes, add the rolled oats and cinnamon to the dough in the food processor/bowl. Pulse or mix until just combined.
Prepare the apple filling:
Assemble the apple pie bars:
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Layer the apples on top of the parbaked crust. Try to ensure the apples are closely packed together. If there is any excess juice in the bowl, pour it on top of the apples. Sprinkle the crumble on top of the apples.
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Bake the apple pie bars for about 43-48 minutes or until the surface is evenly golden brown. If you insert a toothpick into the center, the apples should feel tender.
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Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan.
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Use a serrated knife to cut the bar into squares. Enjoy the bars as they are. For an indulgent dessert, serve the bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
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Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. The crumble will soften over time.
Notes
- You can reduce the sugar to taste, however your apple filling will be drier.
- For extra depth of flavor, you can also add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to your apple filling.
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