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    The Bossy Kitchen > Recipes > Sweet Recipes > Bars

    Easy Apple Cake Bars

    Published by: Gabriela May 17, 2022 · Last modified: April 22, 2023 5 Comments
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    These easy apple cake bars are all you need for an afternoon snack or a quick dessert. They are loaded with fresh apples, cinnamon, nuts, and raisins and are perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

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    Easy Apple Cake Bars piece on plate0

    Apples are perfect for desserts.

    I love desserts made with apples. I have many recipes on the blog that use apples, but the desserts are my favorite. Check out this German apple cake, or this apple rice pudding I used to make when my daughter was a baby, or this fantastic apple pie I sometimes make for the holidays.

    Why should you make these apple squares :

    • Easy recipe:

    This recipe of baked apple squares is easy to make and requires just a few ingredients that most people, who like baking, have in their pantries. It doesn't require any special tools as you don't need to shred the apples or use a mixer unless you really want to.

    • Moist and delicious:

    The bars are moist, as the batter is made with oil. You can use melted butter instead, but I like it with oil better. These moist apple cake bars are also packed with nuts, raisins, and cinnamon, making them delicious.

    Easy Apple Bars piece on plate with fork and coffee in the background
    • A different recipe that is good for breakfast, snack, or dessert:

    If you want to try a new apple recipe besides your old same old ones, this recipe is for you. Because it is so easy to make, it is also a perfect recipe to make in the middle of the week. It could go well in a lunch box for the next day, as a dessert after dinner or as breakfast with a coffee cup.

    What ingredients go into this recipe?

    Apples

    I used Golden Delicious apples, but you can use anything from the following list: Pink Lady, Gala, Honey Crisp, McIntosh, etc.

    I like versatile recipes, and this is one of them, as you don't need to take a trip to the grocery store just to buy a particular type of apple. Use what you have. The bars will be delicious.

    You will core, slice, and chop the apples. Do not peel them, as the skin has a lot of fiber and nutrients that are good for us.

    Tip: Wrinkled, mushy, or bruised apples? Don't throw them away! If they sit too many days on the counter and nobody touches them anymore, use them for desserts! Older apples are great for cooking! It is a great way to save money and avoid wasting food!

    Chopping aples for the apple bars

    Sugar

    I used granulated sugar.

    Eggs

    I used large eggs, as they are the standard for baking in the US.

    Flour

    I used all-purpose flour.

    Baking powder and salt

    Baking powder is what makes the apple cake bars rise. Salt is the magic ingredient, as it enhances the flavors and pushes the ingredients to get friendly with each other. Don't skip it.

    Cinnamon

    I used regular cinnamon here, but if you have only apple pie spice in the pantry, use it. Besides cinnamon, apple pie spice also has nutmeg and allspice so that the bars will be tastier.

    Vanilla

    Pure vanilla extract is always nice to have, but it is getting more and more expensive. Use the best vanilla you can find, and everything will be OK. :- )

    Vegetable oil

    I always have sunflower oil in the pantry. I would not go for the olive oil, as it is expensive and the flavor is strong. We need a neutral vegetable oil here, and you can use anything you have available, canola, sunflower, corn, etc.

    Raisins

    Raisins bring texture and sweetness to the cake. You can replace them with cranberries.

    Nuts

    I used coarsely chopped pecans. Apples pair well with walnuts, so you can safely replace the pecans with some walnuts.

    What kind of tools do you need: (affiliate links)

    • Bowls for mixing
    • Measuring cups and teaspoons
    • Whisk or a mixer
    • 9x13-inch baking pan
    • Parchment paper
    • Cutting board
    • Knife

    How to make these apple cinnamon cake bars:

    Step 1.

    Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside. Also, preheat the oven to 350F.

    As you can see in this photo, I buttered the parchment paper just as a precaution, but it is not mandatory to do the same.

    Baking pan covered with parchment paper0

    Step 2.

    Beat sugar and eggs together until creamy and fluffy. You can use a whisk or a mixer. Add oil and vanilla and mix well.

    Mixing wet ingredients for the apple cake bars

    Step 3.

    Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add the mixture to the wet ingredients and fold it gently.

    Step 4.

    Add chopped apples, raisins, and chopped nuts.

    Incorporating the dry ingredients into the batter

    Step 5.

    Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

    Apple bars batter

    Spread the batter equally in the pan.

    Apple bars batter in the pan0

    Step 6.

    Bake. Allow the apple cake bars to cool.

    Easy Apple Cake Bars in pan

    Sprinkle the bars with powdered sugar, cut, and serve.

    Baked Apple bars on wooden board0

    How to store these easy apple cake bars:

    I like to store any cakes, bars, and desserts that contain fresh fruits in the refrigerator. They keep better, but you have to store them in an airtight container so the moisture doesn't get to them. These bars keep well in the refrigerator for up to two days.

    Can I freeze them?

    Yes, they freeze well. Keep them in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw them at room temperature before serving.

    Baked Apple cake bars on plate with coffee in the background

    Happy baking!

    More recipes to love:

    Easy Apple Pie Bars (Slab Pie Recipe)

    Apple Pie- Romanian Style

    Cranberry Chutney with Apples

    Apple Walnuts And Raisins Red Cabbage Salad

    Celeriac (Celery Root) Apple And Carrot Salad

    Brown and Wild Rice Salad with Chicken, Apples and Walnuts

    Apple and mushroom stuffed roasted pork tenderloin

    Cookies

    Apple Cake Bars
    Easy Apple Cake Bars square photo

    Easy Apple Cake Bars

    These easy apple cake bars are all you need for an afternoon snack or a quick dessert. They are loaded with fresh apples, cinnamon, nuts and raisins and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
    4.67 from 3 votes
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    Course: Bars
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: apple blondies, apple cake bars, apple cinnamon bars, apple squares, easy apple squares recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 -16 bars
    Calories: 371kcal
    Author: Gabriela
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups apples do not peel, sliced and chopped
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 cups all purpose flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1 cup vegetable oil or butter
    • ½ cup raisins
    • ½ cup chopped nuts pecans or walnuts

    For Serving:

    • powdered sugar
    • whipped cream
    • Or Vanilla ice cream

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, beat sugar with eggs until creamy and fluffy.
    • Add oil or melted butter and vanilla. Mix well.
    • Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the mixture to sugar, eggs and oil and fold it gently.
    • Fold in chopped apples, raisins and nuts.
    • Pour into the prepared 9x13-inch pan and bake for 40 minutes.
    • Allow it to cool, then cut in squares and serve.

    Notes

    What kind of apples can I use for this recipe:
    Pink Lady, Gala, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, McIntosh etc.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 371kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 53IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment on the blog or like us on Facebook!

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    Comments

    1. Cheryl says

      August 06, 2022 at 8:12 am

      Made this recipe yesterday and was disappointed in results. It was a very dry cake, almost too dry to eat. Not sure if it was my fault for substituting 1/2 cup apple sauce instead of the whole cup of oil. I used 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup apple sauce. This substitution has worked well in other recipes. Also, my apples were not juicy.
      I sprinkled sugar cinnamon mixture on batter before baking to give a little crunch while eating. Omitted the powdered sugar topping.
      Will try the recipe again and follow directions as written.
      Bottom line: The flavors are great together, just too dry.

      Reply
      • The Bossy Kitchen says

        August 06, 2022 at 9:48 am

        Hi Cheryl, what can I say? I can vow for my recipe as I made it numerous time and never got bad results. This cake is definitely not dry if you make the recipe as written.

        As far as I know, if you replace part of the oil/butter with apple sauce, you need to reduce the baking time by 25%, to avoid a dry cake. In this case, the baking time needs to be reduced from 40 minutes to 30 minutes. Also, you need to use unsweetened apple sauce, as the recipe already has enough sugar.

        Overall, replacing some of the fat with applesauce WILL change the texture of the final product. As I never made this cake with apple sauce, I have no idea what actually went wrong when you made it. It could be the replacement of the ingredients, baking time or the performance of your oven.

        Reply
    2. Cheryl says

      August 06, 2022 at 10:30 am

      Thank you for the speedy reply. Chalk this up to user error 🙂. Was not aware of reduction of oven temperature; that was also a major factor. Might try with the melted butter next time. This was an easy recipe to make and again, error resulted from my mistake.

      Reply
      • The Bossy Kitchen says

        August 06, 2022 at 10:51 am

        No problem, you made me do some research about apple sauce and how it works in recipes. We all learned something today! I would still try the oil first before the butter. Trust me, you will not regret it. :- )

        Reply
      • Cheryl says

        August 06, 2022 at 11:51 am

        Will let you know how the next batch taste. Am sitting here now eating some of the apple bars. They are somewhat more moist than yesterday. They sat in a sealed pan overnight.

        Reply

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    Gabriela the creator of The Bossy Kitchen

    Hi! I am Gabriela and this is my virtual home. I am a self-taught cook and a trained Pastry Chef. I inherited the cooking genes from my maternal grandma and the love for baking from my paternal grandma.

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