Next time you want to make an easy and incredibly satisfying dessert, make these cinnamon glazed applesauce bars.
How to Make Applesauce Bars
- Mix the batter. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a bowl. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy, then mix in vanilla and applesauce. Add the dry mix and stir. Pour into a prepared pan.
- Bake the bars. Bake at 350°F for 20–25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool completely.
- Glaze and serve. Mix the glaze ingredients until smooth. Pour over cooled bars, let it set, then cut and enjoy.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
To Store: Applesauce bars can be stored on the counter if they’ll be eaten within a day or two. For longer storage, refrigerate the bars in an airtight container for up to a week.
To Freeze: Applesauce bars also freeze really well. Just wrap each bar individually and put them in a ziplock bag. Freeze for up to three months.
Recipe Variations
No added sugar: Instead of brown sugar, use half a cup of date paste in the bars as a natural sweetener. For the glaze, opt for unsweetened almond milk mixed with a tablespoon of stevia to replace the powdered sugar and honey.
Pumpkin spice bars: Add half a cup of pumpkin puree to the batter along with the applesauce. Increase the amount of cinnamon to one and a half teaspoons, and add half a teaspoon of ground cloves to enhance the flavor.
Chocolate chip twist: Stir in half a cup of dark chocolate chips made with 80% cocoa into the batter. Pour the chip-infused batter into the pan and bake to add a rich chocolate flavor that complements the apple.
Applesauce Bars
Ingredients
For the applesauce bars:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the cinnamon glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp milk
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar.
- Add the applesauce and vanilla extract and beat well.
- Add in the flour mixture and beat until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine.
- Pour the glaze over the bars.
- Allow to set before cutting into bars.
Notes
- Mixing tip: Avoid overmixing the batter once the flour is added. Stir just until the ingredients are combined, which will help keep the texture soft and tender.
- Check for doneness: Get a toothpick or skewer and push it into the center of the bars; it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Cooling time: Allow the applesauce bars to cool in the baking pan before adding any frosting or cutting into them. This step is crucial to prevent the bars from breaking and allows the flavors to mature. It also prevents the frosting from melting off.
- Storage: If the bars will be consumed within a day or two, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. For longer storage, wrap them tightly and keep them in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze them for up to three months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
