Golden Apple Sugar Cookie Bars

Golden Apple Sugar Cookie Bars are soft, buttery, and filled with warm spiced apples, and topped with a brown sugar crumble topping and a drizzle of maple glaze. They taste like a cozy fall dessert bar crossed with an apple pie.

What Happens When Apple Pie Meets a Cookie Bar?

Imagine the buttery crumble of a cookie bar, the sweet spice of baked apples, and a drizzle of maple glaze that ties it all together. These Golden Apple Sugar Cookie Bars are the best kind of baking surprise—soft, cozy, and impossible to stop at just one square.

Ingredients

Bars:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 cups diced apples (don’t use apple pie filling)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Brown Sugar Streusel:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Maple Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1–2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions for Golden Apple Sugar Cookie Bars

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper or well greased with non-stick spray or oil
• Chop apples into 1/4 pieces, and add 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon toss until apples are coated and set aside

• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 mins)
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
• Mix in the vanilla extract beat an additional 2 minutes
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and spices
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until just combined. The batter will be thick.
• Fold in the chopped apples
• Crumble
• In a small bowl add the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour, then add the cubed butter and using your hands or a fork, mix to create a crumble
• Pour the batter into the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly

• Sprinkle crumble over the top

• Bake in the preheated oven on the medium rack for 35-40 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean in the center of the pan , but the middle should feel a bit underdone in the middle.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes
• Stir the powdered sugar and maple syrup together to create a thick glaze and drizzle over the top of the bars.

What Type Of Apples Should I Use?

These apples work best in baked goods, and you can combine more than one for a great mix of flavors.

• Granny Smith: Tart and firm, these are classic for pies and bars.
• Honeycrisp: Sweet, juicy, and crisp—perfect for a mix of flavor and texture.
• Braeburn: Sweet-tart with a firm texture, great for baking.
• Fuji: Naturally sweet, they stay firm when baked.
• Pink Lady: Crisp with a tangy-sweet flavor, ideal for adding a bit of zing.

Storage

Kept in an airtight container or covered tightly in plastic wrap, these sugar cookie bars will last 4-5 days at room temperature

Other apple recipes

Gooey apple breakfast buns

Apple layer cake with candied pecans

Golden Apple Sugar Cookie Bars

Buttery sugar cookie dough full of warm spiced apples, topped with a cinnamon crumble

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 32 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1.5 cups diced apples
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Crumb topping
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cold butter cubed
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• Maple Glaze:
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 –2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper or well greased with non-stick spray or oil
• Chop apples into 1/4 pieces, and add 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon toss until apples are coated and set aside
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 mins)
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
• Mix in the vanilla extract beat an additional 2 minutes
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and spices
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until just combined. The batter will be thick.
• Fold in the chopped apples
• Crumble
• In a small bowl add the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour, then add the cubed butter and using your hands or a fork, mix to create a crumble
• Pour the batter into the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly
• Sprinkle crumble over the top
• Bake in the preheated oven on the medium rack for 35-40 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean in the center of the pan , but the middle should feel a bit underdone in the middle.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes
• Stir the powdered sugar and maple syrup together to create a thick glaze and drizzle over the top of the bars.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!