Dutch Apple Pie Bars
Enjoy all the flavors of classic apple pie in an easy-to-make bar with these Dutch Apple Pie Bars. Featuring a buttery crust, tender spiced apple filling, and a golden Dutch-style crumb topping, these dessert bars are perfect for fall baking, family gatherings, or holiday celebrations.
Apple Pie….who can resist this delicious fall favorite? I surely can’t!
These apple pie bars are easier than baking a whole pie but just as delicious—making them a go-to recipe for potlucks, bake sales, or cozy weeknight treats. With warm cinnamon, juicy apples, and a sweet crumble topping, every bite tastes like autumn comfort.
Whether you’re searching for the best fall dessert, a make-ahead Thanksgiving treat, or a simple apple recipe, these Dutch Apple Pie Bars are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! Save this recipe to enjoy bakery-style flavor straight from your kitchen.
I definitely crave this delicious apple dessert, especially in Autumn, but sometimes I don’t feel like going through the trouble of making a pastry dough from scratch or even using a store-bought one. Thankfully, these delicious apple pie bars come to the rescue!
I love the combination of cinnamon and nutmeg, so I used both to flavor the apples. Additionally, I adore its buttery, crumbly Dutch-style topping, which is also easy to make.
Yup, it’s even easier than rolling pie dough! 🙂 How convenient is that?
My little boy and hubby feasted on these scrumptious bars so I am glad I made 2 batches as I knew one just wouldn’t be enough.
I am grateful for this recipe which I found on our church cookbook from Holland, Michigan (definitely Dutch country!) and from now on this is how we will enjoy the fresh apples this fall season and beyond.
Doesn’t that look good? It comes out moist and full of juicy apple deliciousness for sure! I hope you like it, too!
All that crumbly deliciousness!!! Enjoy these yummy apple pie bars, fall season or not!
NOTES ON INGREDIENTS FOR DUTCH APPLE PIE BARS
- Flour – use all-purpose or plain flour
- Sugar – white sugar would produce paler bars, so if you wish to give it a deeper color, use brown sugar or do half and half.
- Butter – Use salted butter for some flavor contrast.
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Nutmeg
- Apples – use tart apples like Granny Smith because they work better than the sweet variety.
For the Crumb Topping
- Flour
- Sugar
- Butter
HOW TO MAKE DUTCH APPLE PIE BARS
- Butter a 9×9 square baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the 1 cup flour and 1/3 cup sugar; cut in butter until crumbly with the use of 2 knives or a pastry blender. Press into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the apples to coat. Spoon over the baked layer.
- Mix the crumb toppings until crumbly. Sprinkle over the apples. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the apples are soft. Cool completely and cut into bars. Enjoy!
Yield: 16 Bars
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 45-55 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour and 10-15 Minutes
This recipe was adapted from the Cooking with Friends Cookbook by the ladies of the Harbor Church, Holland, MI.
Dutch Apple Pie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- ⅔ cup sugar, divided
- ½ cup (8 tablespoons) butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 3 tart apples (like Granny Smith), peeled and thinly sliced
For the Crumb Topping
- ⅔ cup flour
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ cup butter, room temperature
Instructions
- Butter a 9×9 square baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Mix the 1 cup flour and 1/3 cup sugar; cut in butter until crumbly with the use of 2 knives or a pastry blender. Press into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the apples to coat. Spoon over the baked layer.
- Mix the crumb toppings until crumbly. Sprinkle over the apples. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the apples are soft. Cool completely and cut into bars. Enjoy!
Notes
Last updated on September 4th, 2025 at 06:53 pm
These look fabulous! I make something similar myself, and they're so easy to customise with different fruits 🙂 yummy!
That is so true Becca and I will definitely try this with other fruits that may be in season! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
I want to add Caramel bits to this.
Dear Abby, I'd love to try these delicious bars! What a treat! We went apple picking a week ago and there are still enough apples left to try these bars. That crumb topping…yum!!!
Thanks, Allie and hope you like it! I haven't done any apple picking this year….sigh.
I love making bars but I haven't tried making anything quite like this. I am always looking for apple season recipes.
Hope you get to try it Erin! Thanks!
Wow, these look amazing. It's late, so I'm trying not to run to the kitchen right now to make them. Can you just bring several over? 🙂
I wish I could send some over Susan! Thanks!
I see why you needed two batches!! I would have to keep one for myself 🙂 Wish I had gone apple picking this year 🙁
Me, too Kacey, you can never have enough apples. Thanks for stopping by.
I can almost taste these through the screen! I bet these would be really good with pears too, but then I have a bit of a pear obsession at the moment.
I can imagine that to be so. I think you can certainly use other fruits! Thanks Dannii!
I was dicing apples this week, too, to use in a savory dish with chicken–but your recipe looks like what I want now–super sweet and fall-y!
Hope you enjoy it Jill! Thanks!
These look amazingly good, I think I'd prefer them over a regular pie! I have three bags of apples sitting in the fridge waiting to be used so I'm making these soon!
Hope you like these apple bars as much as we do. Thanks Sara!
Omg…just one nibble please! These looks absolutely fantastic!! xoxo
Thanks, Nicole!
Dear Abigail, these look delightful! I would love one this evening after dinner. xo, Catherine
Please enjoy Catherine! Thanks!
My son adores apple anything, especially if it has a little crumble on top! This recipe has just been printed and saved for the day he comes home from college for Thanksgiving break!
These look delicious, especially with that crumbly topping! I love apples!!
Thanks for your feedback Barbette and glad that you liked it. You can certainly cut back on the sugar if you wish. When you think about it, the entire sugar is only 1 cup which isn't much compared to other recipes but it may have felt much because it was divided into 3 parts but overall it's just 1 cup. It wasn't too sweet for me but everyone's taste is different of course. Thanks again!
I have tons of apples this year from my backyard apple trees. Found your recipe and gave it a try, on my, so delicious! Gave leftover bars to my kids to take to school in a lunch box.
Oh these would be gone so quick here we love that kind of topping and these bars look over the top yummy!
I found this recipe at the right time. I had extra apples and I cannot make a pie, because I can never get the crust to work well. These bars tasted just like a traditional apple pie and I didn’t have to make a crust. LOL Thank you!
I love apple season. These bars look delicious. I think I need to make some for Thanksgiving.
These came out perfect! Such great apple flavor and the tender crumble on top is everything. SO good and I will be adding them to my recipe book.
Such a lovely dessert perfect for colder days. I will bake this for sure. I have a box full of apples. Looks delicious!
I am in love with this recipe. It is so simple to make and it tastes amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Made these for a party they were scrumptious, next day made another one but put it in a small cookie sheet pan even better… next time I will try making the crust to include the same amout and make another 1/2 recipe to make it a little thicker and more apples to make it thicker also, ate the batch in 3 day but shared with co workers thought it was better than a apple pie. In my eyes it a keeper.
Yay! Glad you enjoyed this. It is a yummy alternative to apple pie for sure. Thanks for letting us know.
Great recipe as is. I added dried cranberries and toasted walnuts. I’m going to use macadamia nuts for my next batch, toasted almond slices for the next. These barely cooled down and POOF ! Double batch gone. TY.
So glad you enjoyed these yummy bars! Love the other combos, too! Thanks for stopping by.
I love the look of this. I can almost smell it. . I will make it this week just won’t be able to peel the apples. 71 year old arthritic hands won’t work. I’m sure it’ll still be delicious. Thank.
Hi Louise! That should be fine, too. At least you get extra fiber with this!!! Hope you enjoy and thank you for stopping by.
Going to make for my monthly desserts to bring for 50 at Doctor’s office. Make 2 different type of desserts monthly and last year’s choice of apple bars were supposedly the best. These are going to outdo those any day. Cannot wait to surprise the staff. Best part I have the appointment next week. Love the topping especially.
Yay! That’s awesome! Do let us know how it goes and thank you for letting us know!
Good afternoon Abigail!! I was wondering if I doubled this could use a 9×13 glass baking pan? I’d love to make and take to our weekly Ladies Prayer Meeting on Tuesdays. Thanks.
When I double this I usually just use 2 square baking dishes so I don’t need to adjust the recipe. You can certainly use a 9×13 and feel free to adjust the recipe as needed. Enjoy!
these bars look super delicious . I see Renee wants to use a glass baking pan. can I use a metal baking pan and just double the recipe?
Yes, you can use metal baking tin but adjust the cooking time – it may need lesser cooking time so just check with a tester (for one batch). I would adjust the spices a little if you want to make it double not simply double the nutmeg as that is quite a strong flavor. If you want it to taste exactly as written just use two separate baking tins.
This was sooooo good, it is definitely a keeper !!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed these apple pie bars. They are absolutely delicious! Thank you so much!!!
It’s good and easy to make!.
Yay! That’s so true! Glad you enjoyed this. Thank you!
CAN YOU FREEZE THESE BARS? I MADE THEM AND MY GRANDCHILDREN JUST LOVED THEM. I MADE A DOUBLE RECIPE AND BAKED IN A SMALLER COOKIE SHEET. THEY WERE GREAT. I WOULD LIKE TO FREEZE TO KEEP ON HAND. THANK YOU
Yes, Dutch apple pie bars can be frozen. For best results, allow the bars to cool completely, cut them into individual bars, and then freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag, layering them with parchment or wax paper to prevent sticking to each other. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. So glad you enjoyed these yummy bars!