I warned you on Thursday that I had a thing for fall and to prepare for apple recipes after a weekend trip to the apple orchard. It’s starting!
Of course, it involves peanut butter. Apples and peanut butter just go so well together. One of my favorite snacks involves slicing up an apple and dipping the slices in peanut butter.
Now I can just combine the two of them together and stick them in a chewy bar. These soft, chewy peanut butter apple bars are a quick and easy recipe that are a great way to showcase fall apples.
One of the things about these bars that make them different from a lot of apple recipes I make is that instead of chopped apples, I used shredded apples.
I’ve done this before with apple cookies and love the results. I’ve found that shredded apple helps spread the flavor more evenly instead of having chunks of apple.
They also seem to give a bit more moisture to the baked goods. All you have to do is pull out your box grater and give a medium-sized apple a quick grate. Definitely worth dirtying an extra kitchen tool!
While they aren’t the prettiest fall dessert you’ll see this season, their bursting flavor makes you quickly forget the lack of looks!
Soft, chewy and loaded with 1 1/2 cups of shredded apple and lots of peanut butter, these apple bars will soon become your new go-to fall recipe for last minute gatherings, late night snacking, and after school munching!
- ½ C butter, melted and cooled
- ¾ C brown sugar
- ½ C sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ C no-stir natural creamy peanut butter
- 2 C white whole wheat or all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ C apples, shredded
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x9 or 9x13 inch baking dish (I used a 9x9) with non-stick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract until creamy. Beat in peanut butter until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. Stir in shredded apple.
- Spread batter into prepared baking dish. Bake for 20-25 for 9x13 or 25-30 for 9x9 minutes or until top is light golden and toothpick comes out mostly clean. For more cake-like bars, bake until toothpick comes out completely clean.
- Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Tammy says
These look irresistible! 😀
I love snacking on apple slices and peanut butter so this is right up my alley…yumm-o!
Toodles,
Tammy<3
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom says
Apples and peanut butter are perfection together. I love that you combined these into a bar form YUM!
Katie @ Mom to Mom Nutrition says
I’m pretty sure my toddler would eat a whole batch of these in one sitting. Mom too! Pinning so I remember to make them 🙂
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
Apples and peanut butter do go so well together and combining them into these delectable bars is such a fantastic way to enjoy them!
Meg says
Great way to use up all the apples that seem to appear at this beautiful time of year! Love the idea of combining apples and peanut butter in a dessert. Yum!
Medha @ Whiak & Shout says
Apples and PB are great together! I’ve never baked with them together, but it sounds fabulous- I used to love eating apple slices with PB as a snack 🙂
Kelly says
Apples and peanut butter are such a great combination! I love that you used shredded apples in here! They’re the perfect fall treat!
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says
Peanut butter and apples are seriously my LIFE once fall hits! I would totally eat an entire batch of these snacky bars!
Liz says
I love all things apple and your bars look so scrumptious!!!
Angie says
Just a quick question, can you freeze any leftovers?