Apple Oat Bars are the perfect fall treat! They’re soft and tender, with warm spices, quick oats, and diced apples. Pair one with a cup of coffee or tea for an afternoon snack.
These bars may look like brownies, but their flavor is ALL about fall! This Apple Oat Bars recipe is from a 1970s spiral-bound cookbook. It combines warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, plus quick oats and diced apples to create a delightful fall treat.
The bars are a little chewy on the edges, soft in the middle, and sweet enough that there’s no need for frosting. I love a little sprinkle of powdered sugar on top to jazz them up.
You can call them bar cookies but perhaps they are more like a snacking cake (like this old fashioned applesauce cake). I like them with a cup of tea in the afternoon, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream turns them into a simple fall dessert.
The Texture and Flavor
I like using Granny Smith apples for fall desserts like these bars. Their tartness balances with the sweetness of the cake, and they become tender without getting mushy.
The bars are soft in the middle, with chewy edges that remind me of a good brownie. The chewiness is most noticeable on the first day. As the bars sit, moisture from the apples softens the edges, but the flavor stays the same. Each bite has warm spices and bits of apple throughout, with optional chopped nuts for a little crunch.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email below and we'll send it straight to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes each week!
What You’ll Need To Make Them
- You’ll want to use baking apples for this recipe so they don’t turn to mush in the cake. Granny Smith or Honeycrisp are an excellent choice, as are Golden Delicious, Braeburn, or Pink Lady.
- The recipe calls for quick oats. I have not tried it with old fashioned oats but I suspect the result will be a bit chewier.
- Interestingly, there’s a tablespoon of cocoa powder in the cake. The cocoa powder enhances the sweetness of the apples and adds just a little bit of bitterness to balance the sugar. It’s a technique that I see occasionally in old cookbooks, and my Grandma’s Date Nut Bread calls for it too.
- Warm spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg create delicious fall flavor.
- Add chopped nuts if you’d like. I’d do walnuts here.
📖 Recipe
Apple Oat Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cloves
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1½ cups peeled and diced apples
- ½ cup walnuts optional
- For garnish: powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 13×9-inch pan.
- In a large bowl, cream ½ cup butter (softened) and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cloves.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring just until combined.
- Stir in 1 cup quick oats, 1½ cups peeled and diced apples, and ½ cup walnuts (if using).
- Bake for 24-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Comments
No Comments