Greetings from the open road! I’m currently on a cross-country road trip and am not online much, but I wanted to share these apple bars with you while I had some time to sign on – I brought them to a brunch a few weeks ago and they were a massive hit. Enough people have asked for the recipe that it’s time to get these puppies posted.
This recipe is from my mom, and she’s been making it since I was a kid. We have no idea of the original source – we’ve always called it apple brown Betty, but when I looked up apple brown Betty recipes, they all seemed more like crumb cakes or cobblers. These are simple blondie-like bars with fresh diced apples cooked with the batter. When baked, they get a beautifully browned crisp layer on top that goes perfectly with the soft spiced apples. On top of being to-die-for good, they’re incredibly simple to make – all you need is a bowl and an hour to bake them.
Now it’s back to the highway with me – we’re off to Sedona, AZ today after a day spent refueling by the pool in Palm Springs, CA – if you want to keep up with our adventures across the country, follow along on Instagram!
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp kosher/sea salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 4 cups diced apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith are best)
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Set aside.
- Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until combined.
- Add eggs, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and beat until combined, about 1-2 minutes. The batter will be thick. Fold in apples and walnuts (if using).
- Spread mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
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I’ve never had an apple bar before but good grief these look good. Tell your mother I’m in love! š
Hahaha, thanks Maureen! I’ll let her know š
hi, great recipe. can i sub the eggs with something else? flax egg? or yoghurt? or apple cider vinegar?
Hi Susan – yes, I think you could use any egg substitute you’d like. They don’t need to rise as much as a cake, so flax egg, yogurt or vinegar + extra leavener should work fine.