You don’t need to be an expert baker to enjoy the classic taste of these homemade Apple Pie Oatmeal Bars. Fresh apple jam is the perfect compliment to a simple 4-ingredient oatmeal crust.
These warm and filling Apple Pie Oatmeal Bars are the perfect comfort food for chilly autumn nights. Enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack, or a warm dessert with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream, these bars are a quick and delicious way to enjoy the flavors of an apple pie – without baking the whole pie itself!
The cider mills have officially opened down the road from my house and I couldn’t resist snagging a bag of fresh apples to make the most delectable apple pie jam. Jam is one of my favorite things to make with apples in the fall because you can use it for so many things; in oatmeal bars, on top of pancakes, in milkshakes, the possibilities are endless!
Homemade Apple Pie Oatmeal Bars with Apple Jam
The secret to making the apple jam that I use in these bars is soft, juicy apples. Macintosh are my favorites for jam because they’re soft and have a really lovely flavor that blends well with sugar and spice. If you’ve never made jam before, fear not, it’s the most difficult part of this recipe and not very hard at all! The key to making a good jam is to let it sit properly and set before you use it – I learned this the hard way once.
Just look at that delicious oat and sugar crumble! It’s both the base and the topping to these bars and is my number one secret to a fast but delicious baked good.
Ingredients
- 4 Macintosh apples
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 tsp butter
- 3 oz fruit pectin, roughly
- 3 tsp apple pie spice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 3/4 cup oats
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/2 sticks butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- For the Jam:
- Combine apples, lemon juice, and water in a large sauce pot and boil on medium heat for at least 20 minutes until apples are soft enough to easily fall apart.
- Slowly stir in sugars and bring back to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes.
- Stir in butter.
- Stir in pectin and apple pie spice and boil for one minute.
- Cool in pan and once slightly cooled, transfer to canning jars or plastic container and let set.
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Prepare a 8x12x2 inch pan with parchment paper and butter.
- Combine oats, flour, sliced cold butter, and brown sugar in a bowl. Combine well with hands until malleable.
- Press half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the pan.
- Spread jam on top, staying 1/4 away from the edge to prevent leakage.
- Crumble the remaining oat mixture on top.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Prepare the jam at least a day in advance so it has time to set; otherwise you might have a watery jam to fill the bars with.

We hope you love these simple homemade Apple Pie Oatmeal Bars from SoFabFood Home Chef, Kelly from A Thing of Beauty, as much as we do. If you love this delightful recipe, stop by our Desserts section to find more like it. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram. Enjoy!
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