Happy Birthday, America! I made you a pie! Well, pie bars, anyway. Easier than making a whole darned pie, these Apple Pie Bars will be a hit well beyond the Fourth of July!
For the Fourth, there are those menu items that are “must haves” for any crowd. Grilled meats, potato or pasta salad, and apple pie. There are those things that just make us think of a traditional July 4th, aren’t there? I mean, I think I might just turn around and go in search of another gathering if some version of those offerings weren’t on the buffet table. But what is REALLY so American about those things? Or is it the nostalgia of our childhood telling us to expect those foods? For instance, what about that whole “as American as apple pie” saying? Where did that come from in the first place? (I can come up with ump-teen more questions here. Welcome to my brain.)
Well, all you have to do is Google the question and pretty much the same story comes forth. While apples aren’t indigenous to the U.S., they became so widespread (thanks, Johnny Appleseed!) that their hearty & sustainable nature, ability to feed a hungry nation, and ease of use in things like pies made them popular across the country.
As a result, I feel like it would be un-American NOT to have an apple dessert at a 4th of July celebration. My nostalgia gets the best of me every holiday. Luckily for me, I came across this super easy and delicious recipe from Love Grows Wild. Her Apple Pie Bars are just the thing for a hungry holiday crowd!
So get yourself a bushel of apples (Granny Smith are my favorite!), and get baking! Celebrate the 4th with tradition, apple pie and everything else nostalgia has to offer!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 12 people | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 50-60 minutes |
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Confession: I admit to taking a couple shortcuts from the original recipe. First, I used store bought pie dough. (gasp!) Second, I omitted the vanilla glaze. (double gasp!) Both were done to make the process a little shorter, and a little less messy for a hand held dessert. If you plan on serving these to kiddos, meant for grabbing and running off with it in hand, the glaze may wind up in places you don't want. However, if you are a baker by nature, I am sure the homemade dough would be wonderful, and a vanilla glaze is always a winner. Either way, it's a tasty treat!
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- 1 box store bought pie crust (box should come with 2 premade crusts)
- 5 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced (this was about 4 large apples)
- 1 medium lemon, juiced
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom of 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Peel, core, and dice apples into bite-sized pieces.
- Add lemon juice to apples and toss to coat (this will help prevent browning while you prepare the rest of the filling, and give a nice additional tang to the already tart apples). Add vanilla and toss to coat.
- Sift together dry ingredients (flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg) to ensure they are fully incorporated.
- Add spice mixture to apples.
- Toss apples to coat completely with spice mixture.
- Roll out first pie crust and place in bottom of baking dish. Top with apple mixture.
- Top apple mixture with additional pie crust, tucking in sides to create a barrier for the apples so that they don't bubble up too much during baking.
- Brush the top of the crust with egg white. This will help create a brown, crusty top.
- Sprinkle additional spice mixture over top of egg wash.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't over bake (as my oven is prone to do).
- If serving hot (which is soooo good, btw), be sure to have some vanilla ice cream handy!
- If not serving immediately, allow to cool completely and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill. Cut into 12 pieces and allow the stampede to grab 'em and go!
What I love about this particular recipe is that you could use any stone fruit in place of the apples. Pears, peaches, plums or other fruit that hold up to baking would be great substitutes. That means that whatever may be in season can be in your hot little hands in no time!
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Love how simple these are 😀 Perfect for celebrating!
They are so easy and so delicious, it makes me want them in the kitchen all the time. But that might not work out well for my waistline. LOL
Sooo pretty. I could see this with stone fruit in the summer too!
I thought of that, too. You could do this year round with a rotating fruit as the star! :o)
This looks so good and so easy to make! Fantastic recipe!
Dee dee, these American Apple Pie Bars are dee dee dee dee dee deeeeliiicious! 😀
Independence Day = no better way to celebrate than with your recipe. Love this!
These bars remind me of apple pie, delicious!
I love apple pie and this sounds like a great variation on a traditional pie.
I agree! Apple dessert is a must, especially on the 4th! I’d like the whole pan, please! 😀