apple spice bars

On Saturday we went to our favorite orchard to pick apples. This has become a tradition for us every fall (I shared apple and grape photos a few years ago, an apple pie recipe a few years before that, and an applesauce recipe even further back).

apple-picking-915

This year we picked several different varieties, including Macs, Cortlands, and Gala apples. Though I haven’t finished the annual apple bake-off (pie, anyone?), I had to make some of Nana’s apple spice bars. These taste like apple-y coffee cake, and would be prettier with a streusel topping, but I love how simple and quick they are to make.

Apple Spice Bars

2 eggsapple-picking-915b
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk (I used coconut milk)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chopped apples
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Topping: 
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs and add the sugar, milk, vanilla, and oil. Sift flour into a separate bowl and add remaining dry ingredients. Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined. Add in chopped apples and nuts. Pour batter into greased 9 x 13 pan, then sprinkle sugar and spice topping over the batter. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The original recipe for these bars called for twice the sugar, but we found that they are plenty sweet with less. They are delicious with walnuts or almonds, too, though my kids prefer them without nuts.

What’s your favorite way to eat freshly-picked apples?

apple spice bars recipe