These bars remind me so much of a dessert that is very typical here in Austria: apple strudel. But since I guess apple pie might be known to more of you, we’ll call them apple pie bars. 5 ingredient apple pie bars! They are vegan, gluten free as well as nut free.

overhead shot of the 5 ingredient apple pie bars. the bars are lying on a piece of parchment paper on a beige-white surface. some of the bars are halfway wrapped in parchment paper. The bar shown in the middle has a beige and white colored ribbon with a mesh. There are cinnamon sticks and a yellow colored flower in the bottom of the picture and apples to the right side of the bars. A piece of silver scissors is visible on the left side of the picture.

One of my favorite bars are these apple and cinnamon bars I sometimes buy when they are on offer. Unfortunately, they are only as mini version available here, so I took a closer look at the ingredients and made my own version. Which by the way is not only super simple as it takes 5 ingredients to whip them up, but also way cheaper!

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Ingredients
How to make the 5 ingredient apple pie bars
Equipment you need
Storage
Let’s get started!
5 ingredient apple pie bars
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Ingredients

You can count how many ingredients you need for these 5 ingredient apple pie bars on your hand- the vanilla extract is optional, but I highly recommend using it!

close up shot of the apples, one being in focus. The apple is covered in water drops. It looks fresh and vibrant. The background is nearly visible as it is quite blurry. You can spot a yellow flour, a bit of a bar and another apple to the right side of the apple in the front. The apple is standing on a piece of parchment paper.

DRIED APPLE RINGS: because these bars can’t be apple flavors without the apples! It is important that you do not mix the dried apple rings (soft) with apple chips/ crisps (hard).
DATES: add more sweetness and a chewier texture.
SUNFLOWER SEEDS: to create a “creamier” texture and make these bars more satisfying. Plus they also add a tiny bit more protein. Make sure you use the hulled version!
CINNAMON: is the only spice you need to make these bars taste like pie!
PINCH OF SALT: helps to enhance the sweetness.
VANILLA EXTRACT: is an optional ingredient, but I highly recommend using it as it always adds a certain “dessert” note.

How to make the 5 ingredient apple pie bars

Making these 5 ingredient apple pie bars is so simple, I wasn’t even sure if I would count them as actual recipe 🙂

So basically, they just consist of 3 very simple steps:

We add all ingredients to a food processor and let its do its magic until our ingredients are broken down into tiny bits and you can form a “dough” with your hands.
Then press the mixture into a lined form as firmly as possible.
Now everything needs to chill and firm up in the fridge for at least 2 hours before we can cut the base into bars!

Image showing a close up of cinnamon sticks and star anise. There are two bars visible in the front, but they are blurry. Crumbles of the bars are lying around the two cinnamon sticks and three star anise.

Equipment you need

The only downside to making raw bars at home is that you need the right equipment- which would be a food processor in most cases. But I have to say if you are thinking about whether the investment is worth if you haven’t already got one- I use mine more than once in a while and find it is definitely a useful kitchen tool for my preference of cooking!

Storage

Once you cut the bars, its best to store them in fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for a few months-if they even last that long! You can eat them straight from the freezer- I actually love freezing my bars anyways because I have a favor for frozen snacks and desserts!) in an airtight container.

Close up shot of the 5 ingredient apple pie bars. They are lying on a piece of beige parchment paper. Eher is a yellow flower, cinnamon sticks, star anise and a bit of an apple visible on the front. Another apple is to the right side of the bar in the middle. the bar in the middle is halfway wrapped in some beige parchment paper and has a white-beige ribbon with a mesh around it.

If you like this 5 ingredient apple pie bars recipe, you may should check out the following recipes:

Let’s get started!

Are you ready to make the simpelst apple pie bars out there? Then make sure you have all the ingredients and give one of my favorite snacks a try!

Just one question before we kick this off: if you could do me a favor, then please leave a comment and rate this recipe! I am always happy to see others trying any of my creations, so tag me on instagram or send me a picture via direct messages as well 🙂

ALL THE BEST

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