Apple Pie Bars

These are the most delicious Apple Pie Bars with the added sweetness of caramel and a bit of crunch with toasted pecans! The recipe is called Apple Pie '63 and won the 14th Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1962. Recipe on Pillsbury.com by Julia Smogor of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

First you melt caramels and cream over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Mix flour, sugar and salt together, then cut in your butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. I'm getting really good at this "cutting in butter business." It seems like a lot of these older recipes are requiring this step which in this case is leading up to a yummy crust.

After the cutting in business, then you add oil, water and egg to the mixture and press the crust into your pan.

Peel and slice your apples. I love Granny Smith for apple pie. Zest your lemon and squeeze some of the juice.

Add sugar, flour, lemon zest and juice to your apples and lightly toss.

Pour the apples into your crust covered pan. Then pour the melted caramel mixture over that. Looking good already, right?

Then you pour a topping made of cream cheese, sugar, and egg over the caramel apples. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and bake at 375°F. for 35-45 minutes.

The finished product! Wonder why she named it Apple Pie '63? Maybe because it was the apple pie of the "future!" Don't forget, this was the 1962 Bake-Off. Either way, it is a delicious pie or pie bar as I would call it. Very lemony, with a creamy caramel flavor to the apples and a nice crunch from the nuts.

Apple Pie '63 or apple pie bars, as I like to call them, are also good with ice cream. Yum!

Stay tuned for Recipe #15 Hungry Boys' Casserole. That's right, it's a savory dish that you can serve for dinner.

Apple Pie '63

These are the most delicious Apple Pie Bars with the added sweetness of caramel and a bit of crunch with toasted pecans! 

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 bars

Calories: 415kcal

Author: Lise Sullivan Ode

Ingredients

Caramel Sauce

• ▢ 28 caramels
• ▢ ½ cup half-and-half or evaporated milk

Crust

• ▢ 2 ½ cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Unbleached or Self Rising Flour
• ▢ ¼ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ▢ ½ cup margarine or butter
• ▢ ¼ cup oil
• ▢ ¼ cup water
• ▢ 1 large egg beaten

Apple Filling

• ▢ 6 cups sliced peeled apples about 6 medium
• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ ⅓ cup Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
• ▢ 1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Topping

• ▢ 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• ▢ ⅓ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ⅓ cup chopped nuts

Instructions

• Heat oven to 375°F. In small saucepan, combine caramels and half-and-half, cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted. Keep warm.
• Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine 2 ½ cups flour, ¼ cup sugar and salt. With pastry blender or fork, cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add oil, water and egg; mix well. Press crust mixture evenly in bottom and up sides of ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
• In large bowl, combine all apple filling ingredients; toss lightly. Spoon into crust-lined pan. Drizzle warm caramel sauce over apples.
• In small bowl, combine all topping ingredients except nuts; beat until smooth. Spoon over apples, spreading slightly. Sprinkle with nuts.
• Bake at 375°F. for 35-45 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool. Cut into squares. Store in refrigerator.

Notes

Recipe courtesy of Pillsbury®

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 376mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 454IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 1mg

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