Rustic Apple Shortbread Bars: A Cozy Fall Favorite
There’s nothing quite like the combination of buttery shortbread and spiced apples baked to golden perfection. These Rustic Apple Shortbread Bars are the ultimate treat—warm, cozy, and just the right balance of sweet and tart. Think of them as part apple pie, part cookie bar… the best of both worlds.
With a crumbly shortbread crust, juicy apple filling, and a crunchy sugar topping, every bite feels like fall wrapped in a blanket. Perfect for sharing, gifting, or savoring with a hot cup of tea.
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust & Topping
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1 cup unsalted butter, softened
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¾ cup granulated sugar
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1 tablespoon vanilla extract
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2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
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½ teaspoon salt
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1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (for topping)
Apple Filling
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3 tablespoons butter, melted
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⅓ cup light brown sugar, packed
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1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
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1 tablespoon flour
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2 teaspoons lemon juice
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1 teaspoon cinnamon (plus a pinch of ginger or cardamom, optional)
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¼ teaspoon salt
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3 cups apples (about 2–3 medium), unpeeled and cut into chunky bites
(Any firm apples work; I love Honeycrisp + Granny Smith for balance.)
Instructions
1. Make the crust
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 pan and line with parchment.
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Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla.
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Add flour and salt, stirring until just combined.
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Press ⅔ of the dough into the prepared pan.
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Bake 12 minutes, until just set. Cool slightly.
2. Make the filling
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In a bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, honey, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, (plus ginger or cardamom if using), and salt.
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Toss in the apple chunks until well coated.
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Spread evenly over the crust.
3. Add the topping
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Crumble the remaining dough over the apple filling in rustic clumps.
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Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top for crunch.
4. Bake
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Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.
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Allow to cool before slicing into bars.
Enjoy!
These bars are buttery, fruity, and just rustic enough to feel homemade and comforting. Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or enjoy them at room temperature with a cup of coffee. And as always, we take pride in our process, our facility, our team, our products, and our mission to give back. We bake integrity into everything we do.
Trust me—you’ll be making these on repeat.