Brown Butter Caramelized Apple Crisp Bars w/ Pecan Streusel + Mascarpone Maple Glaze.
The apples have arrived and you guys, I am pretty excited.
Actually, I am just excited in general. These next four months are my most favorite time of year. So much to be excited for and to look forward to (especially this year with the barn completion!) and so many of my favorite foods. Do not get me wrong, I love summer berries, tomatoes, squashes and all the light + colorful meals that come along with summer, but fall, with all of its cozy comfort foods, will always be my thing.
I am a huge comfort person. I like comfy clothes, comfy blankets, a comfy home (do you think our cool mountain weather could possibly have anything to do with this? My grandfather says that man was not fit to live at 10,000 feet!) and most of importantly, comfort foods. And when I say comfort foods, I do not just mean all the cheesy, heavy stuff, I really just mean warm, baked or stewed foods. They can still be lite and healthy, but just as long as they have a nice warm touch to them I am good.
So with that said, I am SO ready for fall.
Don’t hate me. Summer peeps, I am sorry. I just love fall.
Bring on all the apples, pumpkins, fall squash and pomegranates. I am all in… but since it is still September and some of you still have crazy hot temps, and since technically fall does not start for another whole two weeks (it’s late this year – lame), I will stick with apples for this week. Besides, September should be all about apples anyway.
So basically prepare for an apple overload. Or well, at least that is what I am hopping for, this is the one and only apple recipe I have actually made thus far. The rest of my pounds and pounds of honeycrisp apples have been consumed straight up. Delish.
Ok, ok, ok, but these bars. They actually started out as this whole “one pan apple crisp bars w/ pecan streusel” idea, but then I was like “ah, I need to add some brown butter”. Then the first batch came out of the oven and I was like “ooh, I really need to caramelize those apples”. Then well, yeah, I no longer had a one skillet, one bowl, one pan kind of apple crisp bar. Sorry for making you do dishes, but I promise it’s worth it.
AND besides the browned butter, these bars are actually pretty healthy. They are loaded with oats, whole wheat flour, low sugar and healthy nuts. Oh and um, duh, tons of sweet apples!
Bars for breakfast with a side of greek yogurt, or – bars for dessert with a side of ice cream, or – bars for a snack… also with a side of ice cream!
Besides now needing to use three different dishes, these bars are as simple as they get.
They may be a tad crumbly on top due to all the streusel, but the bottom layer should stay nice and firm. I cut my bars into larger granola size bars, but I actually recommend cutting them into smaller squares. I think the smaller squares will stay together a little better and be easier to store.
I used a mix of granny smith and honeycrisp apples, but you can use whatever your favorite apple to bake with is. I highly recommend honeycrisp and pink lady apples, they add a little different flavor than the typical granny smith.
That was a total last-minute thing because, while the bars were pretty good on their own, they still seemed a little boring. When things seem boring, that’s when I call for the glaze. Glazes, drizzles and sauces make the food world a better place. You know, in case you where wondering.
This glaze is SO SIMPLE, but I love it. It is literally just mascarpone (you can swap cream cheese if needed), maple syrup and a little vanilla extract. Another reminder to me that simple always wins.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Brown Butter Caramelized Apple Crisp Bars w/Pecan Streusel + Mascarpone Maple Glaze.
By halfbakedharvest
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple, bars, crisp bar, pecan
Sweet, fruity and delicious bars
Ingredients
Bars
- 2 sticks unsalted butter divided
- 4-5 honeycrisp or granny smith apples chopped
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons light brown sugar divided
- 3 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon divided
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup pecans
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut optional
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Glaze
- 3 tablespoons mascarpone or cream cheese softened
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper or grease with butter/oil.
-
In a heavy-bottomed 10-12 inch skillet add 14 tablespoons (1 stick plus 6 Tbs) butter and melt over medium heat until just browned. Butter will melt, foam, and froth, and then begin to brown along the bottom. Whisk the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Pour the butter into a large glass or other heat safe mixing bowl, set aside.
-
Using the same skillet used to brown the butter, heat the skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Now add the apples, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 8-10 minutes or until the apples are caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.
-
Add the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, oats, white whole wheat flour, remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, pecans, shredded coconut, maple syrup and vanilla to the bowl with the brown butter. Mix well until everything is moistened. Press all but one cup of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. The layer will be thin. Spread the caramelized apples over the oats layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of oat mixture over top the apples. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the bars are light and golden and crisp on top. Remove and allow to cool slightly before cutting.
-
Meanwhile mix together the mascarpone, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth. Once the bars are cool, cut into 12-24 bars. The top will be crumbly, but the bottom should hold together. For an easier eat and serving, cut the bars into 24 smaller squares. Enjoy with plain yogurt or vanilla ice cream if desired.
Another winner? Warm apple crisp bars and vanilla ice cream… they take away any possibility of a Tuesday being boring!
These look super delicious!
I just love bars like these – a quick wrap in wax paper and you can snack on it in the car or at the office.
Thanks for the recipe; I’ll be making it soon.
Tieghan, I’m with you… I LOVE all the comforting flavors of fall. The bars look amazing (of course!) I particularly love the idea of the mascarpone glaze… thanks!
I love apples and cinnamon. However, I dread the cold weather so bad.
I am so with you on the next four months…in New England we have beautiful foliage with the leaves changing and then of course apples and pumpkins and football, sweaters and boots…Luv it all wouldn’t live anywhere else. These bars are perfect love the last photo with the metal pie plate so great.
While I love the crispness in the air this time of year, and the changing of the leaves, I know Winter is right around the corner, and that I DO NOT like. These bars however – whoa! I can not wait to make these! I have an orchard close by and when apple picking begins, I will be there collecting apples for these bars!
Wow, there is so much goodness going on with this recipe – I love it!! Really would love to make this and just like you, add some vanilla ice cream! Yum, thanks for the recipe!
That is beautiful. I CANNOT take the cold, but our tastes in food seem to be very similar.
These bars scream fall! In the best way. They look soo good! I’m such a apple crisp fanatic.
They look awesome, Tieghan!!! Love apples in here! Perfect for a fall snack!
These look delicious! Never would have thought to make a glaze from mascarpone, so creative. It snowed at least three inches here in Calgary, so I feel justified for digging into the pumpkin. Jealous of people who are still getting summer (ugh I need to move!)
Drooling over these!!
I can’t even. These bars have so much amazingness in them. That glaze! Those apples!! GAH!
Fall heaven!!!!!!
Here in California I saw the first apples of the season at the Farmers Market on Sunday. I hovered over a pile of them before falling back on summer peaches (one more time). Next week apples and something like this. Beautiful. GREG
Oh girl. These are SO amazing!!! You are always making better and better food!!!
These look delicious! Love that drizzle! I am fall girl, too! It’s the best time of year!
You have everyone here at my school–with our mouths watering—-can you send some are way-LOL and
Yum! I love fall desserts 🙂
These bars are so gorgeous, fall has never looked better! And the glaze was a good move :).
Basically fall rocks… I just wish I lived by you and had the beautiful mountains to look at! But instead I will just have to settle with traveling to them. Tieghan totally drooling over this recipe and that amazing glaze.. so using that the next time I made something ! YUM
I’m so glad that apple season is here! These bars look delicious, seriously craving one right now.
Oh Tieghan, your photos are always amazing! We are heading straight into summer here Down Under, but these bars would be welcome any time of the year. I am an autumn lover too. Maybe because my birthday falls in our autumn, but also because of the cosiness, the comfiness and all the best produce that comes between summer and winter 🙂
I mean, I am still all about summertime but I cannot hate you for these. They sound and look SO yum!
Bars for breakfast. Bars for dessert. Bars for snack. You just can’t really go wrong here!!
These look amazing! I’m getting ready to make them now. I was wondering if they would freeze well? There are only two of us at home now and we don’t need these tempting us.
Fall is my absolute favorite time of year and one reason is the apples. Love this recipe so much, pinned obviously!
Yum! These bars look super rustic and tasty. I also love fall produce. Especially pears and quince :)!
I can’t wait to try these! I love your cooking. I also really love your photography. Have you ever thought about doing a post or two about your food photography? Share some tips and tricks maybe? P.S. I can’t wait to see the barn finished!
Thank you so much, Theresa!! I am not sure I am fit to write about food photography just yet, maybe sometime though!
Miss Tieghan,
I desperately need these in my life. Oh my, oh my!!
Love,
Sherrie
Haha! Thank you! You are the sweetest!
These look amazing! My kids don’t like nuts – could I make these without the pecans?? Thanks!
Thanks Sally! Yes, you can make these minus the pecans. No big deal! Enjoy!
These are delicious. Only thing I’ll change next time is I don’t think a 10 inch skillet is big enough – because my apples were stacked up in the pan they didn’t carmelize before they got a bit mushy and I think that’s a flavor that would really add to this.
So happy you loved these, but sorry about the pan issue. Thanks for making these! 🙂
Just made these + they turned out delicious!!! Just wondering what’s the best way to store them?
YAY!! So happy you love them! I like to store them in the fridge. It helps to keep the apples fresh longer. Let me know if you have any other questions and thanks again!
Can I use all purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour?
Yes, all-purpose flour will be great! Let me know if you have questions. Thanks! 🙂
I was awake at 3am with a head cold, cozying up to your new book. I feel like your books have sparked a light under me again! I have NEVER bought a cookbook that I actually want to try to make every single recipe! I already ordered your past book. Earlier in the day I made the easy peasy beer bread that you mentioned from your first book, and it was amazing! I saw this recipe at 3am and thought, I have apples…lets do this! It is 7am and I am drinking coffee with a fall candle glowing and eating this amazing dish of YUM! Ok, I added a very small scoop of ice cream. YOLO!
I toasted chopped walnuts instead of pecans (I was out). And I had to omit the coconut (I was out). I couldn’t see what size pan I should have been using. I ended up using a 9×9 stone pan with parchment? And I added maple extract to the glaze. OMG!
You are a gift to the culinary world! Cookbooks for everyone this Christmas!!
Hi Tracey! I am so happy you are loving my books!! Thank you so much! Also, this sounds like an awesome morning!! xTieghan
These look so yummy! Can they be made with a gluten-free flour blend? If yes,, does the 1-1/4 cup need to be adjusted up or down? Thank you.
Hey Ginny,
You can use an equal amount of GF flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan