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If fall had a flavor, it would be these Apple Butter Bars — buttery, soft dessert bars with a sweet layer of spiced apple butter baked in the middle. They’re cozy, easy, and absolutely addictive.
These bars taste like apple pie meets shortbread — but with half the effort. They’re perfect for bake sales, Thanksgiving dessert trays, or just a cozy weekend treat with a cup of coffee. If you love dessert recipes that are simple but memorable, you might also enjoy my Pumpkin Gooey Butter Bars.
Why You’ll Love These Apple Butter Dessert Bars:
- They are the perfect fall dessert with a buttery shortbread crust and sweet apple butter filling.
- They are make-ahead friendly (and they taste even better the next day!)
- The texture is unreal. Buttery shortbread meets gooey apple butter and a crumbly, golden top. It’s chewy, soft, and crisp all at once.
Ingredients Needed:
- Butter: It’s key to making the perfect buttery shortbread crust.
- Sugar: You’ll use a combination of white and brown sugar. It’s used in the crust.
- Flour: This is the base of the crust.
- Apple Butter: Look for apple butter in the jar near the jams and jellies in your market.
- Salt: We’re using unsalted butter so we can control the salt in the recipe.
- Vanilla: A little vanilla extract is added for flavor in the crust.
- Powdered Sugar: This will be sprinkled over the top of the apple butter bars.
How to make this Apple Butter Bar recipe:
The complete, printable recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post. Here is a brief overview.
- Combine the crust ingredients. Divide the dough in half. Refrigerate one half, and press the other half into the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. Bake it for 20 minutes.
- Spread the apple butter over the baked crust.
- Crumble the chilled dough over the apple butter.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until the topping is firm and crisp and golden. Let it cool.
Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top of the cooled apple butter bars.
Recipe Tips:
- Add a drizzle of caramel on top before serving for dessert-level status.
- Chill before slicing for the cleanest, sharp-edged bars.
- Swap apple butter for pumpkin or pear butter if you want a twist.
- They freeze great — just thaw overnight before serving.
When to serve these easy Apple Butter Bars:
They are perfect for fall baking weekends, Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving dessert tables. They would also be a great for after-school snacking, gifting or bake sales.
These fall dessert bars pack and travel well — plus, they’re the kind of treat that always disappears fast.
Apple Butter Bars are buttery, spiced, and full of cozy fall flavor. They taste like apple pie, but they’re way easier to bake. Make them once, and they’ll be a new fall tradition in your kitchen.
Want more fall sweets? Check out my dessert recipes collection on RecipeBoy.
Apple Butter Bars
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ cups apple butter
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with nonstick spray.
PREPARE THE SHORTBREAD:
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars; beat until creamy. Add the vanilla and salt, and beat until well combined. Beat the flour into the butter mixture on low speed, just until a smooth dough forms. Divide the dough in half. Wrap one half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so. Press the other half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the bottom crust. Bake the crust until it is just beginning to turn light brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
ADD FILLING AND TOPPING:
- Spread the apple butter evenly over the partially baked crust. Crumble the refrigerated shortbread dough over the apple butter to form a crumbled topping. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking until the topping is firm and crisp and golden in color, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar before cutting into bars.
Nutrition
This recipe comes from RecipeBoy.com
