Dutch Apple Pie Bars
52 comments » 
I am totally and completely infatuated with fall. From pumpkin, apples and cinnamon to jeans, hoodies, football and everything in between… I love it all. It’s such a cozy time of year and I love the warmth that it brings, even though the days grow chillier. I’ve always loved apple pie, but have long been partial to the Dutch version. As much as I love pie crust, I just can’t resist the crumble topping of a Dutch apple pie. As much as I enjoy making a homemade pie, I love bar desserts for their ease of assembly and the ability to just grab one and eat it standing up. All of the same fabulous flavor without the need for a plate and fork.
These bars are a perfect alternative to dutch apple pie, from the crust to the spiced apples and the buttery crumble. Not only can you eat them on the go, but you won’t feel nearly as bad about eating two or three of these, as opposed to two or three pieces of pie… that’s always a bonus! 
One year ago: Salted Caramel Cashew Bark
Two years ago: Pittsburgh Steelers Football Jersey Cookies
Three years ago: The Famed Neiman Marcus Cookies
Five years ago: Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dutch Apple Pie Bars
Yield: 24 bars
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Crust:
8 ounces (4 cups) animal crackers
1/3 cup light brown sugar
Pinch salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedFor the Streusel:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornmeal
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, meltedFor the Filling:
2 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 tablespoons butter, melted
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch saltDirections:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing excess to hang over pan edges. If using foil, grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Make the Crust: Process the crackers, brown sugar and salt in a food processor until they have been reduced to fine crumbs, about 15 seconds. Add the melted butter and pulse to incorporate. Press the crumbs into an even layer in the prepared pan and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 13 minutes. Cook on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Keep the oven on.
3. Make the Streusel: Whisk together the flour, sugars and cornmeal in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and toss with a fork until the dry ingredients are all evenly moistened. Set aside.
4. Make the Filling: Combine the apples, melted butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Assemble: Spread the apples over the crust in an even layer and sprinkle with the streusel. Bake until the streusel is brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Using the foil or parchment overhangs, lift the bars from the pan and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
(Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Holiday Cookies)
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I’m with you on preferring the dutch apple pie! I can’t pass up that yummy crumble topping
These look great!
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WOW! These look incredible! One of my favorite parts of fall is homemade apple pie. I’m excited about these bars..i can have apple pie on the go!
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Considering I have about twenty pounds of apples from apple picking, I am definitely going to be making these! They look so good and I love that it has the flavors of a pie in a bar. I love Fall recipes!
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I always go crazy in the fall. Jeff and I took a walk last night just to enjoy the crisp chill in the air, especially sweet after such a brutal summer. These bars sound just wonderful.
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Those look incredible! I’ve been jumping full swing into baking with apples the last week or two. So far I’ve done apple pie cookies and apple pie ice cream. Dutch apple pie is my favorite version of apple pie, I can’t wait to try these!
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Animal Crackers? I love that!! Great recipe!!!
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I love love apple pie bars. These look amazing!
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Yep..these just SCREAM fall!
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Totally in heaven with these.
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The only thing that can make apple pie better in my book is to make it portable and add a crumble topping, so clearly these are awesome
Definitely going on my fall to-do list!
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Animal cracker crust?!! Brilliant!
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Hi, i’m from Australia and i don’t really know what/have animal biscuits, what could i use instead?
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Marla on September 22nd, 2012 at 8:31 pm
Animal crackers are these little animal-shaped cutout cookies, crispy in texture and slightly sweet with a bit of spice. Do you have graham crackers down under? They might be a good substitute if you do. Otherwise, there are recipes on the internet for homemade animal crackers. I have not tried it but I found one that seems similar to the commercial ones at confessionsofacookbookqueen.com. (eliminate the candy frosting for the Dutch Apple Pie Bars.) Another option is to order some from Amazon.com, though that might be kind of expensive with shipping. Good luck!
Does anyone else have a suggestion for our Ozzie friend?
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Michelle on September 25th, 2012 at 1:21 pm
Hi Rachael, You could use graham crackers in place of the animal crackers.
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Nat on March 9th, 2013 at 12:29 am
We don’t have graham crackers here either….or graham flour for that matter! So many recipes we can’t make! Boooo.
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Rebecca on April 8th, 2013 at 11:03 am
biscuits are the same thing as cookies in England I would think they are the same as our animal cookies.
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It’s apple season here in the NE and I will be making these alot throughout the season!
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For some reason, making a pie often terrifies me so these are the perfect alternative. I also have a feeling that I’ll want to use animal crackers in all my baking now!
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OK, this is the catalyst I needed to whip up the gluten-free vanilla wafers…because I NEED to make these bars!!! (No easy animal crackers for me…) I can SO make this work!
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Looks delish! Just one question – you meant after the crust has baked for 10-13 minutes for it to cooL on a wire rack for 20 minutes, right?
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Michelle on September 25th, 2012 at 1:21 pm
Hi Amy, Yes, you’re correct!
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Perfect! I love that you mention you can eat a few of these as opposed to a few pieces of pie. VERY true!
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I love apple pie, but I think I might love streusel topping even more…. These are a perfect mix of the two!
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Those look so yummy! It’s so cool that the crust is made of animal crackers. What a genius idea
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Saw this on FB this morning and got right to work! Drizzled some of the salted caramel from the cupcakes from your site… Amazing!!!
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These look delicious!
Helen
Blue Eyed Beauty Blog
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I love it! Dutch apple pie is one of my favorite things ever!! But I don’t always feel like making a pie. This sounds like a great alternative, especially for taking to a party! Can’t wait to try it!
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These sounds yummy! I’ve been so obsessed with pumpkin for fall that I’ve neglected apples! Must make these soon!
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Oh my, these look sooooo good!! I so wish I could just 3D print them & gobble them up…lol! And Katie Rhoads’ comment about drizzling them with some of the salted caramel seriously pushed these over the edge. MUST.MAKE.SOON!!!!
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These look amazing! I’ve (amazingly) managed to go through the 10 lbs of apples I picked just 10 days ago, so I guess its another trip to the orchard! (Or maybe just the market…)
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I’m making these this weekend for company that’s coming from out of town!
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These look awesome. I’m not much of a pie person, so I will take these any day. Always a bonus when they have a streusel topping.
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Are you talking about the animal cookies that come in those little boxes?
They are kind of expensive, especially since you need 4 cups.
Any other cookies I could use?
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Michelle on September 25th, 2012 at 1:22 pm
Hi Jann, Yes, actually one regular-size box of animal crackers is 8 ounces, so you only need one box. However, if you don’t want to buy them, I imagine that graham crackers would be a good substitute.
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These look delicious! I bet you could substitute graham crackers for the animal crackers.
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Dutch apple pie is my favorite way to make apple pie! These bars are perfect!!
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i love apple pie, but mine is never as good as my grandma’s…i think i’ll stop trying and instead just make these. somehow i think i won’t be disappointed
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Fall gets the best of me as well… there’s something about the weather and the wardrobe and the yummy food you get to eat!!
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Follow up-
I did find the 8oz bag of animal crackers and used them. I had considered using vanilla wafers if I couldn’t get the animal crackers.
THe recipe turned out very well. Tasted best the day I made them. (But, I didn’t store them in the refrigerator.)
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Making these for this weekend–going up our camp @Pymatuning for some family/fun/food time! These look scrumptious! Thank you! : )
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I can’t wait to make these! I have an intolerance to any type of corn product can you suggest what I should use instead of cornmeal.
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Michelle on September 30th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
Hi Penny, You can simply omit it; it adds a little bit of extra crunch but isn’t necessary.
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I was so excited to make these over the weekend since it was such a perfect fall day today. So i made them this morning, and they were super easy to make. My only question is that the bottom is too crumbly. I measured out all the ingredients and used the right amount of melted butter. But after the bars have cooled and i go to cut them, the bottom is falling off. They tasted amazingly delicious, but do you have any advice on how to get the bottom crust to stay on? I was thinking of trying to add some quick cooking oats to the ground up animal crackers, similar to the oatmeal fudge bars recipe i’ve made from here. Any advice would be appreciated, since i plan to make this recipe a lot throughout the season. Thanks.
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Michelle on September 30th, 2012 at 10:50 pm
Hi Jimena, You could try adding some quick cooking oats, or try reducing the butter by a tablespoon or two to see if that helps. Also, make sure your oven isn’t running hot. You can reduce the baking time a little as well. That should help!
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These look so good. Great recipe!
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These turned out amazing! I used cinnamon teddy grahams for the crust and loved the flavor.
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Did u mean cornstarch vs cornmeal in the streusel ?
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Brilliant! Apple pie is one of the favorite pies of my family. Specially my children, my God they really love pie. But for this Dutch Apple Pie, for sure an additional list of their favorites. Thanks for the recipe
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Just made these today. They are delicious! Will send a picture!
Thank you.
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Hello Michelle,
I´m a spanish follower. I live in Madrid, Spain. I´ve made these yesterday and they are delicious and really easy to make. Thanks for sharing.
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Hey Michelle, what a great recipe! I used digestive biscuits and accidently missed out pre-baking the crust. They tasted amazing and the crust holds itself well, so I’m curious why do you prebake it?
Thanks again for such a wonderful recipe. It’s a firm favourite and would have made this everyday if not because of all the sugar involved
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Nope, cornmeal! It adds a little bit of crunch and extra texture.
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