These bars are a crowd pleasing make ahead dessert that are perfect for any potluck or Fall occasion!

Apple Pie Bars with Pie Crust
I think the four seasons are so poetic. In a way, they represent our lives and the changes we are forced to go through – whether we are ready or not, winter is coming and our kids are growing! The winter months can be long, just like sleepless nights with an infant. But before you know it Spring is here and our infants are toddlers.
There is beauty in every season of our lives, through both the hills and the valleys. I find that prayer and counting my blessings gets me through it all. It helps me find that beauty, and I can see more clearly how everything eventually works together for good!
The colorful Fall leaves are stunning, then they fall off leaving bare trees for the winter. But Spring comes and it offers different colors of beauty – everything is green and vibrant again. The same goes for our lives. We have losses, but we have gains.
As you snuggle in for the cold months ahead, treat yourself to a cup of Hot Cocoa with extra marshmallows, or enjoy a warm bowl of Vegetarian Chili, followed with Grandma’s Apple Pie Bars!

What You’ll Need for the Pie Crust:
- 3/4 cup Flour
- 6 tbsp Water
- Pinch of Salt
- 3 More Cups Flour
- 1 1/2 cups Crisco
The Apple Pie Filling:
- 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
- 1 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 3 lbs + 2 Apples
And the Topping:
- 1 cup Flour
- 1/2 cup Cold Butter, Cubed
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Pecans, Chopped

How to Make Apple Pie Bars
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- To make the crust, combine 3/4 cup flour and 6 tbsp water in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine a pinch of salt and 3 cups flour. Cut in 1 1/2 cups Crisco with a fork. Add in the flour/water mixture.
- Knead gently until the dough forms into a ball.
- Press the dough onto the bottom of a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan. Use saran wrap to form the crust to the pan. Drizzle 1/4 cup maple syrup over the crust.
- To make the apple pie filling, combine 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tsp cinnamon, and 1 tsp vanilla in a measuring cup. Set aside.
- Peel, core, and slice 3 lbs apples, plus two additional apples. Arrange apples evenly over the crust, then drizzle mixture from the measuring cup over the apples.
- Make the topping by combining 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup cubed cold butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1 cup chopped pecans with a fork or pastry cutter.
- Sprinkle topping over the apples.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 360 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Recipe Notes:
- Pecans – You don’t have to use pecans in the topping, you can leave them out if you’d like.
- Caramel – If you’d like, you can drizzle caramel syrup over your slice.
- Ice Cream – Butter Pecan ice cream really makes these bars a home run!

More Pie:
- Easy Pumpkin Pie
- Mini S’mores Pies
- Blueberry Pie Fries
- Easy Apple Pie
- Fresh Rhubarb Pie
- Easy Pecan Pie
- Mini Chocolate Pudding Pies

Apple Pie Bars

Apple Pie Bars, these bars are a crowd pleasing make ahead dessert that are perfect for any potluck or Fall occasion!
Ingredients
Crust
- 3/4 cup + 3 cups Flour
- 6 tbsp Water
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Crisco
Aple Pie Filling
- 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
- 1 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 3 lbs + 2 Apples
Topping
- 1 cup Flour
- 1/2 cup Cold Butter, Cubed
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Pecans, Chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- To make the crust, combine 3/4 cup flour and water in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine a pinch of salt and 3 cups flour. Cut in Crisco with a fork. Add in the flour/water mixture.
- Knead gently until the dough forms into a ball.
- Press the dough onto the bottom of a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan. Use saran wrap to form the crust to the pan. Drizzle 1/4 cup maple over the crust.
- To make the apple pie filling, combine 1/4 cup maple syrup, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and vanilla in a measuring cup. Set aside.
- Peel, core, and slice 3 lbs apples, plus two additional apples. Arrange apples evenly over the crust, then drizzle mixture from the measuring cup over the apples.
- Make the topping by combing flour, cubed cold butter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans with a fork or pastry cutter.
- Sprinkle topping over the apples.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 360 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes.
