This delightful Applesauce Bars recipe is easy to make and super delicious! They are the perfect treat for any time of year and come together quickly.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure policy and privacy policy.
What are Applesauce Bars?
Homemade Applesauce Bars Recipe is a delectable treat that blends the rich flavors of applesauce with a wonderful combination of autumnal spices. The bars are moist and soft, thanks to the addition of homemade applesauce. But you can use store-bought applesauce if you’re in a pinch!
A close friend of mine’s mom gave me the recipe when I was about 12 or 13 years old, and I have been making them ever since! I have modified the original recipe to make it ever so slightly healthier, but the original flavor is still all there. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I do!
The Players for Easy Applesauce Bars
Ingredients:
- Apples – To make this unsweetened applesauce, you’ll need three apples (I’m using Honeycrisp apples) that are peeled, cored, and diced. Because this variety of apples contains a higher natural sugar content, I won’t be adding any additional sugar to my homemade applesauce. If you want to have a more spiced applesauce, add in 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to make the perfect homemade cinnamon applesauce!
- Water – While there is some water content in the apples, you’ll need a bit more water to make an applesauce consistency.
- Butter – I’m using salted butter for this simple recipe.
- Sugar – Just plain granulated white sugar will work. If you want a deeper flavor, you can substitute it with brown sugar if you’d like!
- Egg – One room temperature egg will help give these delicious bars structure.
- Vanilla – Pure Vanilla extract will enhance the flavors in this applesauce bars recipe.
- Flour – Plain all-purpose flour is what you’ll need. I haven’t experimented with gluten-free or whole wheat flour with this recipe, but if you do, please leave me a comment how it went!
- Baking Soda – This will help our applesauce bars rise a bit.
- Salt – Although I’m using salted butter, I like to add in just a pinch of salt to help bring the flavors together.
- Cinnamon – Adding some ground cinnamon will help spice up these applesauce spice bars.
- Nutmeg – You’ll need just a dash of Nutmeg to bring additional warmth and spice.
- Powdered Sugar – To make our glaze, you’ll need some powdered sugar.
- Milk – I’m using whole milk to make the glaze, but you can use any type of milk you have on hand.
Tools:
- Baking Pan – I absolutely love using my Goldtouch Nonstick Square Cake Pan for these easy applesauce bars.
- Potato Masher – If you’re making your own homemade applesauce, I recommend using a potato masher to easily mash your softened apples!
How to Make This Applesauce Bars Recipe
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8 x 8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Make the Applesauce
If you are using store-bought apple sauce, you can skip this step.
Wash three small to medium-sized sized apples. I’m using Honeycrisp because that’s what my kids love to eat for snacks! Peel, core, and dice your apples and place them into a small saucepan.
Add your water and allow the water to come up to a simmer. If you want a more runny consistency for your applesauce, add about 1/8 cup more water. Lower the heat and cover with a lid. Be sure to stir occasionally so the apples don’t stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
Cook the apples for about 10 minutes until the apples have softened. Mash with a potato masher or a fork until you get a smooth consistency. This should make about 1/2 cup applesauce. Set your applesauce aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Make and Bake the Bars
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar. Add in your egg, cooled applesauce, and vanilla extract. Mix the until well combined. Side Note: You can also use an electric mixer on low speed to mix your applesauce mixture if you prefer.
To the same large bowl, add all of your dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. If you want to taste more fall flavors, up your spices to 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, This will make the perfect fall treat! Mix the flour mixture well into the wet ingredients.
Pour the applesauce bars batter into your prepared baking pan and bake for 22-25 minutes until golden brown. Allow the bars to cool for 5 minutes before adding your glaze.
Make the Glaze
In a small bowl or measuring cup, add 2 tablespoons of milk and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and one tablespoon at a time of hot milk, until you get a runny consistency. If you want a thick glaze, add less milk, or more powdered sugar.
Pour the hot glaze over the warm applesauce bars. Allow the bars to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting and serving. For best results, serve cooled bars immediately. Enjoy!
Storing Leftover Applesauce Bars
To store any leftover applesauce bars, place them into an airtight container or wrap them with plastic wrap. They will last up to 2 days on the counter. Alternatively, you can also keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just be sure to nuke them in the microwave for about 15 seconds before eating to soften them up.
What types of Apples should I use for Homemade Applesauce?
Ultimately, the best type of apples for your homemade applesauce depends on what you and your family enjoy eating! You can also experiment by combining different apple varieties to achieve your perfect applesauce! Here are recommended apples:
- Fuji: Sweet and crisp, Fuji apples hold their shape well when cooked, making them a good choice for chunky applesauce.
- Gala: Another sweet apple, Gala has a mild flavor and a firm texture, making it suitable for smooth or chunky applesauce.
- Honeycrisp: These apples are known for their sweetness and crisp texture. While they may break down more than firmer varieties, they contribute a rich flavor to the sauce.
- McIntosh: McIntosh apples have a tender texture and a slightly tart taste, making them great for a smoother applesauce. They do tend to break down easily when cooked.
- Cortland: Similar to McIntosh, Cortland apples are slightly tart and have a tender texture. They are good for a smoother applesauce.
- Jonagold: A cross between Jonathan and Golden Delicious, Jonagold apples offer a nice balance of sweet and tart flavors. They hold up well when cooked.
- Gravenstein: These apples are tart and aromatic, making them a good choice for a more flavorful applesauce. They have a tender texture.
Pin it for Later!
If you end up making these Easy Applesauce Bars, leave me a comment! Did you make your own applesauce or use store-bought? I would love to chat with you.
Looking for other sweet treat recipes? Check out these easy recipes next!
- Kevin McCallister’s Christmas Eve Cookies
- Homemade Lunchbox Mini Funfetti Bites Recipe
- The Best Small Batch Rolled Sugar Cookies
- Starbucks Copycat Pumpkin Loaf Recipe
- Cherry and Almond Thumbprint Cookies
- Copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Scone Recipe
- The Best Copycat Starbucks Blueberry Muffins Recipe
- Lunchbox Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Starbucks Dupe Iced Lemon Loaf Recipe
- One-Bowl Fudgy Espresso Brownies Recipe (Starbucks Copycat)
Easy Homemade Applesauce Bars with Glaze Recipe
Ingredients
Homemade Applesauce
- 3 apples, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup water
Applesauce Bars
- 5 tbsp butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup applesauce homemade or store-bought
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Glaze Ingredients
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp hot milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
To Make Homemade Applesauce
- Peel, core, and dice three apples and place them into a small saucepan. Add your water and allow the water to come up to a simmer. Cover with a lid, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes until the apples have softened. Mash with potato masher or a fork until you get a smooth consistency. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Make the Bars
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in your egg, cooled applesauce, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- To the same mixing bowl, add in your flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well.
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Allow the bars to cool for 5 minutes before adding your glaze.
Make the Glaze
- To a small bowl, add about 2 tablespoons of milk and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and hot milk, until you get a runny consistency.
- Pour the hot glaze over the warm applesauce bars. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."
What is the quantity if using store bought applesauce?
Thank you!
Hi Caroline! You’ll want about 3/4 cup of store-bought applesauce! Hope you enjoy! 🙂