These apple bars are easy to make with a cake mix crust! This is my first of many apple recipes this fall.
One of my favorite things about fall is apple desserts and apple recipes! Every year we spend a day or two at apple orchards in the area. They are already open for the season but we usually wait until later in September and into October to go. A couple of weekends ago, we ate at one of the apple orchard’s restaurants with some friends of ours. I was impressed with their selection of baked treats and am going to try to make some of them. Before, I get started on those recipes, I wanted to try making Apple Bars. My idea was to make more of a cookie bar so I used my recipe for White Chocolate M&M Cookie Bars as the base. Since the apples have a lot of moisture in them the base is softer and less sturdy than the cookie bars base was.
The base of the bars is a spice cake mix, 1 stick of butter and an egg. The second layer is 2 chopped Granny Smith apples coated with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. The third layer is roughly chopped pecans. The final layer is one can of sweetened condensed milk.
Bake the bars for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.
The bars are delicious! If you want to remove them from the pan, allow the bars to cool first.
Or serve them warm, directly from the pan with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of caramel and some chopped pecans.
- 1 spice cake mix
- 1 stick butter softened
- 1 egg
- 2 Granny Smith apples
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Mix together cake mix, egg and butter.
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Pat into a parchment lined, greased 9×13″ pan.
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Peel and chop apples.
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Toss with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.
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Sprinkle chopped apples over the cake batter in the pan.
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Top with chopped pecans.
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Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk.
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Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Hi, I'm Tonia, a lover of food and photography! Fill a gunny sack with delicious ingredients, tie on an apron and let's get cooking
Tina Clemons says
This looks really delicious but if I am going to attempt to do it I need something friendly for diabetes prone health. Is there a substitute for the condensed milk?? As in maybe using 2% and some powdered sugar instead? I have to be careful not to overdo my sugar carbs and that just has too much sweetness to it. As much as I would like to use it I shouldn’t. The tart apples get enough sweetness from the cake mix and I would add nuts to this of course! Is that possible to do and still be accepted to eat for a dessert??
Mattie says
I can hardly wait to try this mouth watering recipe. Can you freese the bars? Before or after baking?
Tonia says
I would freeze them after baking them. Happy Baking! ~Tonia
Madison says
Hi! I want to make this recipe for Thanksgiving but I spend the holiday at another house and would have to transport the dessert. How would I approach re-warming the bars when I arrive at the house? I would really like to serve them warm and with ice cream. Thank you!
Tonia says
Hey Madison! Sorry I’ve been away from my computer. Had a grooms dinner last night and baking/cooking for Thanksgiving today. I would just warm them up in the microwave. Start with 30 seconds and check them. Keep heating in 15 second intervals until warm. Enjoy! ~Tonia
Guerin Danielle says
Hi i am from France and i dont know what is a spice cake mix. Can i change it for a home made cake mix like a victoria sandwich mix with all spice ( 2 eggs, 100g of sugar, 100 g of butter, 100 g of flour.)
Tonia says
It is a yellow or white cake mix with spices in it. Here is a recipe from my friend Amanda at I Am Baker to try: http://iambaker.net/homemade-spice-cake-mix/ Best of luck! ~Tonia
Ashleigh says
Hi Tonia, these sound great, I have two questions though: 1. by stick of butter, do you mean a quarter cup stick or a half cup stick? 2. Do you think I can add extra condensed milk? I really want them to by caramel-y. I can’t wait to make these for Thanksgiving, thank you for sharing this.
Tonia says
Hi Ashleigh,
It’s a half cup of butter and I’ve never tried adding extra condensed milk, but I think that it would work. You could also try adding caramel ice cream topping like they do in Oatmeal Carmelita recipes. Happy Baking!
~Tonia
Angie says
SHUT the Front DOOR OMG These just came out of the Oven and the Smell is Amazing . Can’t wait to share it after dinner
Deanne Richard says
I just took these out of the oven. Made mine in my cast iron skillet lined with parchment paper. Is it me or it seemed to take alittle longer to set?
Looks beautiful though & bought ice cream and of course caramel too!! Can’t wait to try! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Shannon Odom says
Sooooo good! Makes the house smell like thanksgiving!
Jennifer Fischer says
In the pictures you posted, it looks like the cake is baked before you add the rest of the toppings then bake again. Is that the case or is the cake mix raw when you add the rest of the ingredients?
Tonia says
Hi Jennifer,
The cake mix layer is raw. It is very thick and pressed onto the bottom of the pan. Happy Baking!
~Tonia
Jennifer Fischer says
Thank you so much! I have two potlucks this week…any guesses as to what I’m making?
Ms.Devon says
Ooh my goodness I love baking things that make my house smell like Thanksgiving. I can’t wait to put mine in the oven. 😃
Barbara says
could you substitute something non-dairy for the condensed milk do you think?
Tonia says
Hi Barbara,
The sweetened condensed milk caramelizes and really holds everything together. I think that you could use melted, non-dairy caramels instead.
Happy Baking!
~Tonia
Emilia says
This recipe looks and sounds SO good I am afraid I will be committing a crime if I make it. But, hey, I think it’s worth the jail time!
😉
Pat Keith says
The spice cake mix you just add a stick of butter and a egg. That is all. Then you put on thr layer . Just want to know if that is right. Thank You Pat
Tonia says
Hi Pat,
Yes, the bottom layer is just a spice cake mix, a stick of softened butter and an egg. Happy Baking!
~Tonia
Alicia Bardere says
AWESOME!!! & EASY!
Definitely will do again!!!
Hana says
Got it! Thanks for the quick reply, have a great day:)
Hana says
By the way, what is spice cake mix?
Tonia says
It is a cake mix flavor from Betty Crocker: http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/supermoist-cakes/spice
Annette says
As a substitute for the spice cake, You can add 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon + your choice of any or all 1/4 teaspoon each nutmeg, ginger, allspice cloves) to butter cake mix.
Hana says
OMG! I’m sitting here looking for an apple recipe to make for thanksgiving, I usually make an apple pie, pecan pie, and a pumpkin pie. This year I’m looking for something new. When I saw your Carmel Apple Pecan Bars, I knew this is it! This is a great combo for two of my pies, and I love anything with sweetened condensed milk. Thanks so much for sharing, happy thanksgiving 🙂
Tonia says
Great idea! I should make some of these to bring to our Thanksgiving too. Have a wonderful week! ~Tonia
Liz says
Love this recipe. Thank you, Tonia.
Anna Bennett says
Tonia, every recipe that you e-mail to us is to die for. They are all so AWESOME. Thank you so very much.
Tonia says
Thanks Anna! I have so much fun doing all the baking and cooking!
Stefanie Breuer says
If you haven’t made these yet you need to. They are to die for!!
Kristen Duke says
YUM!! I love fall and these bars sound like the perfect fall treat. My mouth is watering just looking at your pictures!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
These bars look just incredible Tonia! I am SO happy it’s apple season!!
Lyuba@willcookforsmiles says
Tonia, these sound so special!! I will definitely be trying them, I love apple recipes 😉
Anita says
Ok, I’m definitely making a special trip to the store just so I can make this. Yum!
Tonia says
Thanks Anita! It will be worth it. I served this dessert to some company last weekend and they wanted the recipe from me.
Liz says
Apple bars really caught my eye. Looks delicious. Thank you.
Tonia says
Thanks for stopping by Liz!
Stephanie@Henry Happened says
I need this right away! ok, and the donuts too!
Tonia says
LOL! Happy baking! Thanks Stephanie!
Kelsey Apley says
You seriously made my heart skip a bit I think!! Yummy!!!!!
Tonia says
LOL! Thanks Kelsey!
Eva says
I love this recipe, I entantan apples and I love your blog! I hope also to have translated. Here I’m following you!
Tonia says
Thanks Eva! I’m so happy to have you as a follower!
Jenna says
Thanks Tonia! I was thinking about making some apple recipes and this sounds perfect! I love sweetened condensed milk recipes, and using the spice cake mix is well, genius!! Thanks so much!
Tonia says
Well, thank you Jenna! 🙂
Anne @ Domesblissity says
Oh Tonia! These are too much. My favourite flavours. I’m pinning!
Anne xx
Tonia says
Thanks Anne! There is so much goodness in one bar!
Glenda says
So beautiful, Tonia! My husband feels I should stay up and make this, even though it’s going on 10 pm. We just discovered it and it looks so delicious! Yum!
Tonia says
LOL! Maybe you should! Thank Glenda!
Andrea @ Travel Cook Tell says
I need this now 🙂
It looks amazing! I’ll make it soon…
Thanks for sharing
Tonia says
Thanks Andrea! I wish I could send you some!
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
Yum! I am loving all the apple goodness this year. I am working on apple recipe for a week of apple treats and something very similar to this was on my list 🙂 Great minds think alike!!! I love that you put ice cream on them too!
Tonia says
I can’t wait to check them out! Thanks Jocelyn!
Shannah @ Just Us Four says
These look so good! We are hoping to head out for some apple picking this weekend and now I know the perfect thing to make with our bounty. 🙂
Tonia says
Thanks Shannah! Have fun this weekend!