Easy Apple Bars With Homemade Glaze
Our daughter Hatti has been on me to try cinnamon chips for quite some time already. Like, at least a year, I’m sad to admit. I don’t know why it took me so long to indulge her simple request. Especially since I really do like cinnamon a lot. Sometimes I just need to have an idea in my head before trying a new ingredient, I guess.
So I’m glad I was finally inspired with a recipe idea while picking apples recently. These Whole Wheat Apple Bars with Cinnamon Chips and Cardamom Glaze, made with my favorite Haralson apples, were a hit with the whole family!
Our girls had so much fun picking apples with a friend last fall, that we had to repeat the experience this year. After school let out one deliciously warm fall day, we headed to a local orchard to pick. And eat apple doughnuts and fresh cider. And act silly, of course. I’m amazed I got these girls to sit still long enough to grab a photo of the apples on their heads!
Thanks to Hatti, I am now a fan of cinnamon chips, and she will always be able to find them in our pantry. I will continue to explore new ways to incorporate them in recipes, for sure.
These bars are soft and moist, full of delicious pockets of apple goodness. And the cinnamon chips? They not only add yummy pops of cinnamon flavor, but also great texture. (I’m a believer!) The whole family loved the bars plain, before the glaze was drizzled on. But after trying the bars with the cardamom glaze…well, there was no going back. The glaze is beautifully sweet and fragrant, and really puts these apple bars over the top.
Do you bake with cinnamon chips? What’s your favorite way to use them?!
Whole Wheat Apple Bars with Cinnamon Chips and Cardamom Glaze
Ingredients
For the Whole Wheat Apple Bars with Cinnamon Chips:
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1.5 cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2.5 cups peeled small diced apples (Use firm tart apples, such as Granny Smith or Haralson.)
- 1.5 cups cinnamon chips divided
- for the cardamom glaze:
- 1.25 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Whole Wheat Apple Bars with Cinnamon Chips:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 9''x13'' pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk again.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Add dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir together. Fold in the apples and 1 cup of the cinnamon chips. Pour batter into prepared pan, pushing the batter into the corners and spreading evenly. The batter will be thick. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cinnamon chips over batter.
- Bake for about 27 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Cardamom Glaze:
- Whisk together all glaze ingredients.
To Assemble the Whole Wheat Apple Bars with Cinnamon Chips and Cardamom Glaze:
- Use a fork or spoon to drizzle the glaze over cooled bars. Or place the glaze in a resealable baggie, snip off a small corner of the bag, and then pipe the glaze over the bars as desired.
I love that you’ve paired the apple with cinnamon chips! I bought cinnamon chips for the first time about 3 years ago when I found a yummy recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod! It’s for her gooey cinnamon biscuits. That’s funny everyone is commenting that they disappear after Fall b/c I can buy them through the Winter season (Wisconsin). Probably for cookie making during the holidays? I usually buy several bags when they’re on sale and freeze them. Oh, and my son LOVES your apple oatmeal pancakes! And yes I make the caramel buttermilk syrup….it is to die for….I could drink it!
Hi Brenda! I will try that recipe but I dont understand some thing, example:(10 T unsalted butter) what does ‘T’ mean? Its table spoon? Thank you in advance :)
Hi Brenda: I made these this afternoon. They puffed up more than your version. Did you bake them in a 9- by 13-pan? They are very tasty – just look different than your photos. (I’ve never seen a Haralson apple in Kansas. I used Jonathan.)
Hi Kim – yes, I used a 9×13 pan.
Gorgeous Brenda! I love cardamom so I would love that addition of flavor in that glaze!
These look so scrumptious! Gosh I LOVE fall baking!!!!!
This looks amazing, Brenda! They seriously look some breakfast bars I just bought. Thanks for sharing such yumminess. xo
Apple picking with your family sounds like a lot of fun! Love these bars, just perfect for fall!