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.
Such a perfect fall treat! I love that these are made with whole wheat flour, too. Definitely an indulgence worth enjoying as the weather cools here in Austin! Thanks for sharing, Brenda.
I just love cardamom but don’t use it often enough. It sounds perfect in this recipe! And, p.s., I haven’t tried the cinnamon chips, either. I’m going to be looking for them now, though :-)
Oops, wrong blog. I thought you were in NC. Wish you did live close….
Cinnamon chips? Never heard of them. Where do you buy them? Online or locally?
I love your blog and have a daughter and grands close to you. They live in Corapeake…… Small world!
I love cinnamon chips (and apples!). These are perfect fall bars!
Wow! Did both girls grow a few inches over the summer or what?! Such a cute picture. I’m sure these bars tasted all the more delicious, not just because of Hatti’s request for cinnamon chips but also because they picked the apples.
YUM! These look to die for and I love cinnamon chips! Such a fun post, I love the photo of your girls and the apples on their heads, so cute!
I haven’t had my fill of apples yet. This is going on the list!
Love cinnamon chips!! I’m sure these bars are beyond fantastic! :)
I love the look of this! So delicious!
These look wonderful. Can’t wait to try them. We are going to our local orchard this weekend. I would suggest you try making your own cinnamon chips. The recipe is super easy and they are amazing!! Keep up the great work. :)
I love the apple photo!! Those girls are too cute. I’m also a huge fan of white whole wheat flour – these look amazing!!
I bought a multi-pack of cinnamon chips on Amazon last year since no stores nearby carry them. Gotta love that extra cinnamon flavor! These bars look delicious, perfect for autumn!
These look so delicious and perfect for fall!!! Great pictures!!!
Love this recipe. Thank you, Brenda.
You’re welcome, Liz. And thank YOU! :)
Yep, I too heard the cinnamon chips will go away when fall disappears, so stock up! I love to make apple cider pie with them. The chips add an indulgent surprise of cinnamon and sugar.
Hi Donna! Tell me more about that apple cider pie, please. I’m not familiar with it. :)
I add apple cider to my pie apples and cook a bit with some cornstarch and brown sugar to make a filling before adding them to my pie crust. Then I let it cool off before I stir in about 1/2 cup of those cinnamon chips for a 9 inch pie! YUMMY!!!
Mmmm! It’s definitely time for apple desserts–hooray!
Woohooooo!! :)
I love your treats so much Brenda! This is going on my to-bake list this fall.
Thanks bunches, Christina! Enjoy!
These apple bars look gorgeous! I have yet to find Harralson apples here in MI. The local grocery stores don’t carry them, but I’m hopping they will have them at the Farmer’s market. Aren’t cinnamon chips great! They add a special flavor to everything you put them in. So fall tasting. I understand that they only sell them this time of the year , and if thats true, stock up on them! Yum!
I hope you can find some Haralsons! I’ve never heard that about cinnamon chips being seasonal, thanks!
Mmmmm! These look delicious Brenda!