Dutch Apple Pie Squares (Printable Version)
Spiced apple squares layered with buttery crumb topping and a tender shortbread base—perfect for gatherings.
# What You'll Need:
→ Shortbread Crust
01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Apple Filling
05 - 4 large apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and diced
06 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
07 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
08 - 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
→ Crumb Topping
11 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
12 - 1/3 cup brown sugar
13 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
14 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
15 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
16 - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing some to hang over the edges for easy removal.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Add flour and salt, and mix until a soft dough is formed.
03 - Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden. Remove and let rest.
04 - Combine diced apples, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice in a bowl, tossing until well coated. Layer apple mixture evenly over the warm crust.
05 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and cut in using a pastry cutter or fork until mixture forms coarse crumbs.
06 - Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over apples. Return pan to oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden and apples are tender.
07 - Allow dessert to cool completely in the pan. Lift out carefully using the parchment paper overhang and slice into squares.
# Additional Tips::
01 -
- Easy to serve at gatherings
- Combination of buttery crust and spiced apple filling for classic comfort
02 -
- Contains wheat (gluten) and dairy (butter)
- May contain traces of nuts if using optional additions; always check ingredient labels for allergies
03 -
- Chill the crumb topping ingredients before mixing for the best texture
- Lift the bars out using parchment for neat slicing and easy clean-up