Grandma’s Apple Crumb Bars

🥧 Why You’ll Love These Apple Crumb Bars

• They’re soft, buttery, and perfectly balanced between tart and sweet.
• They’re easier than pie — no rolling dough or fancy equipment needed!
• They make your whole kitchen smell like fall.
• Perfect for potlucks, holidays, or just an afternoon treat with coffee.

🍏 Ingredients

For the Crust & Crumb Topping:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Apple Filling:

• 4 cups peeled and chopped apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work great)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A squeeze of lemon juice

🔪 How to Make Them

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
2. Make the crust & crumble:
   • In a large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
   • Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture looks crumbly.
   • Stir in vanilla extract.
3. Press half of this mixture firmly into the bottom of your prepared pan to form the crust.
4. Prepare the apple filling:
   • In another bowl, toss the chopped apples with sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice until coated.
5. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the crust.
6. Crumble the remaining dough mixture evenly over the top of the apples.
7. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the top is golden and the apples are bubbly.
8. Cool completely before cutting into bars (the hardest part — but worth it!).

💡 Tips from Grandma’s Kitchen

• Don’t overmix the crumb topping — the secret is keeping that butter cold for a perfect crumble.
• Add a handful of chopped nuts or oats to the topping for extra crunch.
• Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of caramel sauce for pure heaven.
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