Fall is coming! It’s my favorite time of the year and I can’t wait for sweater weather. Today’s Apple Pie White Chocolate Bars are the perfect way to usher in the cooler days and celebrate the fall harvest.
Loaded with fresh apples and spices with a super easy crust and studded with white chocolate chips, this might just take the place of a traditional apple pie in your house. I love how easily transportable it is, making it perfect if someone else is hosting your celebrations.
1. Cooking the apples 2. Ready for the oven 3. Crispy crust
Like a regular apple pie, these bars use a combination of tart and sweet apples. This gives you different flavors and textures in every bite. I like using Granny Smith or Pippin apples for the tart ones and Gala or Honey Crisp or something similar for the sweet ones. Use whatever you can find in your area.
I like adding a touch of cardamom to my baked goods. If you haven’t tried it, it is a wonderful unique spice. But if you don’t have it, you don’t need to make a special trip to the store.
If your family has to avoid eggs, this is the perfect recipe! No eggs in either the crust or the filling and it is a delicious dessert. I hope you love it!
It is essential that you let these bars cool completely before lifting them out of the pan and cutting. If you don’t, the filling will be too soft and they will likely fall apart. If you use gluten-free flour the bars will be more delicate than those with regular flour so be gentle when moving them and use a spatula.
The crust is a cross between pie crust and a cookie, shatteringly delicate and absolutely addicting. The Artist nearly swooned when he took the first bite – he loves crusts and this is right up his alley.
Put these Apple Pie White Chocolate Bars on your to-make list and once you taste them, they’ll be on regular rotation by popular demand! I promise you will want to grab a sweater and plop down in front of a fire with a cup of tea and a couple of these bars. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you!
Key Ingredients for Apple Pie White Chocolate Bars:
- Unsalted butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, flour or gluten-free flour
- Salt, nuts, cinnamon, cardamom, tart and sweet apples
- Fresh lemon juice, nutmeg, white chocolate chips
What is the easiest way to core an apple?
After peeling, I like to cut the apples in quarters, then lay each quarter on one flat side. Take your knife and slice out the core from the center of each piece. You’ll be ready to slice and bake the apples in no time.
PRO Tip:
While I prefer to have you use weight when measuring flour (regular or gluten-free), you can also use cups to measure by volume. Always whisk the flour to loosen and blend it, use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup, mounding it. Use a knife or other straight edge to scrape off the excess. Repeat for each cup of flour you are using.
How to make Apple Pie White Chocolate Bars:
- Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment to create a sling
- Make the Crust: Cream the butter, both sugars, vanilla, and salt in a stand mixer until light and creamy; meanwhile whisk the flour, then gradually beat it into the butter mixture
- Take 2/3 of the dough and scatter it across the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing lightly onto the bottom and 1/2-inch up the sides; refrigerate 20 minutes
- Bake at 375°F for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown; cool on a wire rack
- Reduce oven to 350°F; put remaining 1/3 of the dough back onto the mixer, add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine and set aside
- Make the Apple Filling: In a large bowl, combine all the apples with the sugar and spices, tossing until well coated; melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the apple mixture and cook, stirring often, until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated
- Spread the apples over the crust leaving a 1/2-inch border, sprinkle with the white chocolate then scatter clumps of the remaining dough across the top covering most of the surface
- Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes until top crust pieces are browned; cool completely on a wire rack
- To Serve: Use the parchment sling to carefully lift the whole bar and place on a cutting board; using a long, sharp knife, slice into 12 pieces, store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Citrus reamer
- Parchment paper sheets
- Stand mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Large saucepan
PRO Tip:
Reading a recipe through two or three times will help keep you from missing any steps or ingredients. I almost forgot to chill the crust before baking because I was reading quickly and jumped over the line about refrigerating it … and that was after reading it a couple of times! I reworded the method to help make that clearer for you.
PRO Tip:
Be sure you use a metal 9×13-inch baking pan because the crust needs to be chilled before baking. Putting a glass or ceramic pan straight from the refrigerator into the oven may cause it to crack or break. Metal is much safer.
Gluten-Free Tips:
You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams of my favorite gluten-free flour blend per cup. This recipe was written using this flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a straight edge, and weigh the flour. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
Apple Pie White Chocolate Bars (Gluten Free)
Loaded with fresh apples and spices with a super easy press-in crust, this might just take the place of a traditional apple pie in your house. I love how easily
transportable it is, making it perfect if someone else is hosting your celebrations.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 pound (4 sticks; 452 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups (480 g) all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend (see Note) plus more for pressing out the dough
- 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional
Apple White Chocolate Filling
- 1-1/2 pounds (about 3) tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
- 1-1/2 pounds (about 3) sweet/crisp apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick; 1/4 cup; 28 g) unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
Instructions
- Set out a metal 9x13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving the ends extended over the edges of the pan. This will create a "sling" to help you lift the bars out of the pan once cooled.
- Make the Crust: Cream the butter, both sugars, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and smooth.
- In another bowl, whisk the flour. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, about 1/3 at a time, beating after each addition until combined.
- Scatter 2/3 of the dough in lumps on the parchment in the bottom of the 9×13-inch pan and sprinkle lightly with a little extra flour. Press the dough gently onto the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides. Add more flour if needed to keep it from sticking to your hands. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool on a wire rack.
- Reduce the oven to 350°F.
- While the crust is cooling, put the bowl with the remaining dough back on the mixer; add the nuts, cinnamon, and cardamom, and mix on low speed to combine. Set aside.
- Prepare the Apple Filling: Combine all of the sliced apples and lemon juice in a very large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the apples and mix well until everything is evenly coated.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the apple mixture, and simmer over medium to medium-low heat, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, until the apples are tender and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
- Using a slotted spoon, spread the apple mixture evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the white chocolate chips over the top.
- Using two spoons, scatter small lumps of the reserved dough across the top of the apples covering most of the surface (you will see apples between the lumps). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is browned. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Use the parchment sling to carefully lift the whole bar out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Peel back the parchment, and then using a long, sharp knife, cut them into 16 pieces. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.
- Recipe Source: The Heritage Cook
Notes
Adapted from an Ina Garten recipe
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 429Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 276mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 3gSugar: 28gProtein: 6g
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