Ingredients
Scale
For the crust and crumble topping:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 large egg
For the apple filling:
- 5 medium apples, peeled and diced small (about 6 cups)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides so you can lift the bars out later.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the cold cubed butter and the egg. Use a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers to work it in until the mixture is crumbly and holds together when you squeeze a handful.
- Set aside about a third of this dough for the topping. Press the rest firmly and evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan to form the crust.
- In a separate bowl, combine the diced apples, granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss until every piece is coated.
- Spread the apple filling over the crust in an even layer, right to the edges.
- Crumble the reserved dough over the top, scattering it in loose clumps so some filling still peeks through. Bigger clumps give you a nicer crumble texture.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the apples are bubbling at the edges.
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting, at least an hour. This is the hard part, but cutting them warm will leave you with a messy, crumbly result.
- Once cooled, lift the whole thing out using the parchment, slice into squares, and serve.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
