Apple Crumble Bars
This post was sponsored by Red Prince Apples, however all views and opinions are my own.
Last year I made a tasty apple loaf cake featuring Red Prince apples, and this year I made apple crumble bars with a nutty rye flour crust and topping! There’s something so comforting about apple desserts baked with butter and cinnamon. Mid-winter apple desserts are even better with crisp, tangy Red Prince apples.
Grown in my home province of Nova Scotia, as well as Ontario and Quebec, Red Prince apples are harvested in the fall like any other apple. The difference is, Red Prince apples are kept in cold-storage, and left to mature like wine in a cellar, until their release each January. The storage process enhances natural sugars and acids in the apples, resulting in a tangy, sweet taste, and crunchy bite.
Even more interesting is, new for 2021, Red Prince apples are now sold in truly sustainable film bags. The bags will naturally biodegrade, 5 to 15% in the first 30 days, and are estimated to finish degradation in five years compared to a normal plastic bag cycle of 1,000 years. You can find out more information about the biodegradable film bags, as well as where to purchase Red prince apples, at redprinceapple.ca.
Ingredients
For The Red Prince Apple Filling
For The Rye Flour Crust
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven and line a square baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the chopped Red Prince apples and lemon juice.
Add the brown sugar, rye flour, white sugar, cinnamon, and salt to the apples and continue to stir until everything is well combined. Set aside.
Add the rye flour, brown sugar, and salt for the crust/topping to another bowl. You can whisk these ingredients together, however, I use my hands to mix, in order to break up any larger clumps of brown sugar.
Pour the melted butter into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir everything together with a fork or rubber spatula to start.
To finish, set down the fork and rub the rye flour and butter together between your fingers and thumbs to fully combine.
Scoop out approximately 1 cup (120g) of rye flour crumble from the bowl and set it aside. The amount doesn’t have to be exact. You just want enough for a good layer of crumble topping.
Dump the rest of the rye flour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Use your fingers to spread the flour evenly across the bottom of the dish, then use your hands to press and compact the layer down as the bottom crust.
Top the crust with the Red Prince apple mixture. Use a rubber spatula or fork to spread the apples out into an even layer.
Scatter the remaining 1 cup of rye flour mixture (which was set aside) evenly over the top of the apples.
Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake the apple crumble bars for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes & Tips
I used both weight and volume measures to test these apple crumble bars. Three cups (450g) of chopped apples turned out to be approximately five to six Red Prince apples.
Apple crumble bars will keep on the counter at room temperature, stored in a container with a lid, for two days. I, however, prefer to keep them in the refrigerator. Stored in the fridge the bars will keep for up to one week.
These bars freeze well. I like to wrap the apple crumble bars individually, gently but tightly with foil, to store in the freezer. To thaw, simply leave the bars out for 30 to 60 minutes at room temperature, or warm them in a microwave or toaster oven until heated through.
Apple crumble bars are also delicious served warm topped with whipped cream or ice cream.
Substitutions
We love the rich nutty flavour of rye flour, however, regular all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, or spelt flour can be substituted.
Try replacing half of the cinnamon with cardamom. Homemade chai spice is also a great addition to this recipe.
Use a good quality dairy-free butter, or solid coconut oil (that’s been melted like the butter called for in the recipe), if you’d like to make vegan apple crumble bars.
More Cool Weather Dessert Recipes
Printable Recipe Card
Apple Crumble Bars With Rye Flour
Special Equipment
- 9-inch (23-cm) square baking dish glass or metal
- Parchment paper
- Vegetable peeler or paring knife
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
- 2 Large mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Fork
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For The Apple Filling
- 3 cups apples, peeled, chopped, cut into ½-inch (1-¼ cm) pieces
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- 2 tablespoons rye flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For The Rye Flour Crust
- 2 cups rye flour
- ½ cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, melted, slightly cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and line an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
Make The Apple Filling
- In a large bowl, stir together the chopped apples and lemon juice. Add the brown sugar, rye flour, white sugar, cinnamon, and salt and continue to stir the apples until everything is well combined. Set aside.
Make The Rye Crust / Crumble Topping
- Add the rye flour, brown sugar, and salt for the crust/topping to another bowl. You can whisk these ingredients together, however, I use my hands to mix in order to break up any larger clumps of brown sugar.
- Pour the melted butter into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir everything together with a fork or rubber spatula to start. To finish, set down the fork and rub the rye flour and butter together between your fingers and thumbs to fully combine.
Assemble The Bars
- Scoop out approximately 1 cup (120 g) of rye flour crumble from the bowl and set it aside. Dump the rest of the rye flour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Use your fingers to spread the flour evenly across the bottom of the dish, then use your hands to press and compact the layer down as the bottom crust.
- Top the crust with the Red Prince apple mixture. Use a rubber spatula or fork to spread out the apple layer evenly.
- Scatter the remaining 1 cup of rye flour mixture that was set aside over the top of the apples. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake the apple crumble bars for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the fruit is bubbling. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
