↑Sugar cookies in a thick and delicious bar!
Lots of apples and cinnamon make these sugar cookie bars the perfect fall treat!
Each major holiday comes with a “to do” list. I’m not talking about shopping or decorating, but more of an itinerary of things we need to do as a family. When the start of school rolls around, I start planning our fall activities. The season will NOT be complete for me unless we find time to do all the fun things autumn has to offer. Since our kids have been babies, we’ve gone to the zoo, we’ve done hayrides, we’ve picked and carved pumpkins, we’ve done corn mazes and made all sorts of Halloween treats. These are the reason I absolutely love the fall. There is so much to do, the weather is cool and crisp and I love the autumn colors we find everywhere we look.
Our oldest is almost 10. She still enjoys most of our fall festivities. She’s a good big sister and will enjoy them for the sake of my 4 year old for as long as possible. In the back of my mind, I am aware that our lives are changing. We do so much together as a family. All the activities listed above hold so many special family memories. I know it’s only a matter of time before one of them asks to bring a friend, and then the whole dynamic of that outing will change. The next thing that will happen is one will ask to stay back with a friend and before we know it, we won’t be going at all. I’m dreading that day.
Watch How To Make Sugar Cookie Bars:
The one thing that we will always have is the flavors of fall. Each September our kitchen starts filling up with the spiced aromas that only the flavors of autumn can bring. Our senses are filled with the scent of apples, cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin, maple and nutmeg. Our kids love eating pumpkin cupcakes and chili, cinnamon bread and gingerbread cookies. And I’m confident they always will. I suppose no matter what each season brings, we always have food to bring us together.
These apple cinnamon sugar cookie bars were the perfect recipe to get us in the mood for fall! Each bite is loaded with cinnamon and fresh chunks of apples. I frosted them with a simple browned butter frosting. The combination left us anxious for fall and the bounty it has to offer!
Apple Cinnamon Sugar Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 5 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups diced, peeled apples
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup butter
- 1 16oz package powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13x18 baking sheet and set aside.
- In a mixer, combine butter and sugar and mix on medium until creamy. Mix in eggs one at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Blend in flour mixture on low until completely incorporated. Stir in cinnamon and apples.
- Spread bars onto prepared sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, cook butter in a small saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly for about 8-10 minutes or until butter starts to turn a golden brown color. Remove from heat and pour until a bowl. Cover and refrigerate butter for an hour or until it begins to solidify.
- In a mixer, beat butter until smooth. Carefully add powdered sugar alternately with the milk beginning and ending with the powdered sugar. When frosting is a spreadable consistency, stir in vanilla. Spread frosting over cooled sugar cookie bars.
Nutrition Information
Yield 24 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 390 Total Fat 17g Saturated Fat 10g Trans Fat 1g Unsaturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 72mg Sodium 252mg Carbohydrates 57g Fiber 1g Sugar 36g Protein 4g
See Also:
Shannon {Cozy Country Living} says
September 3, 2013 at 8:24 amThese look so good and they are really pretty too! i can’t wait to try these. Pinned:)
Lemonsforlulu says
September 3, 2013 at 8:39 amThank you Shannon! My family devoured these!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
September 3, 2013 at 11:39 amYESSS! So ready for apple recipes! Pinned this one!
crazyforcrust says
September 3, 2013 at 1:08 pmI am determined to experience Fall this year and not let it pass me by! Thanks for the reminder Tanya. 🙂 And I heart these bars SO much!
Meghan @ Spoonful of Flour says
September 3, 2013 at 1:50 pmI love fall and all of the apple baking that comes along with it- these look amazing!
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet says
September 3, 2013 at 2:27 pmThese look so great! Love the apples in the cookie and frosting on top!
Julie (@JuliesEatsTreat) says
September 3, 2013 at 4:40 pmMmmm these look FAB! I just love all the fall recipes coming out 🙂
huntfortheverybest says
September 3, 2013 at 4:52 pmwow the frosting looks amazing in that photo taken from above. yum!
Gloria Phillips (@simplygloria1) says
September 3, 2013 at 6:15 pmI love scheduling things for us to do for Fall, too. And, I know exactly what you mean by when the kids start asking if friends can go or they go with a friend (“because it’s more fun with another family”)…it’s hard. My thing is trying to do events for ALL of my boys as a family. Since they are in their 20s, teens, and 6…I’m mean, what do you do? Other than force them to do these kinds of things. So, the only events that we can “enjoy” as a family (without the bickering) are road trips to rock concerts and the amusement park we have outside of Salt Lake City. So, enjoy these young years while you can! (=
PS… Pinning these wonderful bars! (They must taste amazing! I can smell them now!)
Erin says
September 3, 2013 at 7:25 pmI saw your bars on Whimsy Wednesday and HAD to come check these babies out! They look sooooo good. I think my family and I will be doing some apple-picking in the near future, and these will definitely be on the list to try. Thanks so much!
Erin
Lemonsforlulu says
September 4, 2013 at 1:53 pmThank you Erin! The frosting was so good, I could’ve just eaten a bowl full of that for dessert! I need to go apple picking, I bet it would be so fun!
A Sweet Baker says
September 3, 2013 at 9:07 pmLove the apples and cinnamon in these sugar cookie bars! I need them in my life ASAP! Pinned! 🙂
Lemonsforlulu says
September 4, 2013 at 1:52 pmAnd now, I need them again-we ate them all!
Shiloh Barkley says
September 3, 2013 at 9:43 pmI love the picture of the big slab and then a few cut away from it! Turn it in to food gawker!
Lemonsforlulu says
September 4, 2013 at 1:52 pmYou flatter me Shiloh! Thank you!
ohsweetbasil says
September 3, 2013 at 11:42 pmlove those photos and that thick bar! YUM!
Lemonsforlulu says
September 4, 2013 at 1:51 pmThank you!
ChgoJohn says
September 4, 2013 at 12:59 amAlthough I’m certainly in no hurry to welcome Fall, Tanya, I do love the aromas of Fall cooking. A kitchen with something containing apple & cinnamon baking in the oven is just about perfect. I bet these cookie bars taste every bit as good as their aroma.
Lemonsforlulu says
September 4, 2013 at 1:51 pmYes John, I have to admit that these tasted as good as they smelled!
chantellebears says
September 4, 2013 at 2:18 amCan’t wait to try these! Looks delicious!
Lemonsforlulu says
September 4, 2013 at 1:49 pmThank you!
Amy | Club Narwhap says
September 4, 2013 at 8:36 amTanya, these look so delicious–and perfect for fall! I love the flavors and the fact that they are sugar cookie bars. What could be better!? I also have a fall bucket list and can’t wait to get piping hot pumpkin donuts from our local farm stand.
Lemonsforlulu says
September 4, 2013 at 1:49 pmOh man, I love pumpkin donuts!! I think I have to make some very soon!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
September 4, 2013 at 9:17 amThey look so good! I love bars like this. Pinned!
Lemonsforlulu says
September 4, 2013 at 1:46 pmThanks Averie!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
September 4, 2013 at 10:51 amLove that you added chopped apples to a sugar cookie bar! And you can’t go wrong topping them with a brown butter frosting!
Lemonsforlulu says
September 4, 2013 at 1:45 pmI’m a browned butter convert! These were so addicting!
Andi @ The Weary Chef says
September 4, 2013 at 12:11 pmI was in love with this recipe as soon as I read the title! These bars look delicious.
I am looking forward to fall activities (and food) too. I love taking the boys to pumpkin patches. Last year my little one fell and landed with his nose right on the end of a pumpkin stem. He had a huge red scrape on the tip of his nose all Halloween season, and I had to tell everyone he fell on a pumpkin every time they asked.
Lemonsforlulu says
September 4, 2013 at 1:44 pmI’m so glad others have their favorite fall traditions too! Thanks Andi!
Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner says
September 4, 2013 at 4:11 pmOh my gosh these look amazing! What a great idea to add the apples and cinnamon to a sugar cookie base, perfect for the Fall. Pinning to make. 🙂
Lemonsforlulu says
September 4, 2013 at 9:12 pmThank you Tina!
Jen Nikolaus says
September 5, 2013 at 12:40 amI feel the same way about the holidays, there are always a bunch of family things I want to do. I might have to start making these bars as a tradition every fall – they look amazing and like something we all would love!
Laura@Baking In Pyjamas says
September 5, 2013 at 5:22 amI love anything apple and spice this time of year. Your cookie bars look delicious, especially the icing.
Katie @ Made to be a Momma says
September 5, 2013 at 8:20 amThese look absolutely delicious! I have a fun link party every wednesday thats still going on and I would love for you to share if you want! 🙂 http://www.madetobeamomma.com/2013/09/homemade-by-you-66.html Following you via facebook and pinterest now! 🙂
Heather @ Sugar Dish Me says
September 5, 2013 at 8:43 amSo listen. My kids are bigger than yours! My oldest is 13 and you know what? i still make them do ALLLLL of that stuff. They like it. And if they don’t like it they won’t tell me for fear that I will hold all the cookies hostage.
And speaking of holding all the cookies hostage — I’m pretty sure I could eat a whole pan of these Apple Sugar Cookie Bars. YUP.
Lemonsforlulu says
September 6, 2013 at 10:07 amI guess I will make them do these things for as long as possible-and I will always have cookies!
Rachel @ I Love My Disorganized Life says
September 6, 2013 at 9:35 amIt’s so true how food brings people together. These bars are fabulous!
cookingwithcurls says
September 6, 2013 at 1:09 pmWe used to do all of those fun fall activities, and then the kids grew up…and got jobs. They no longer find those things fun, and don’t want to hang out with their parents. It’s sad 🙁 I wish I lived closer to you, so I could go do all of those fun things with you! Those bars looks heavenly. I need to start baking!!!
Emily ~So Domesticated~ says
September 6, 2013 at 7:00 pmI love Fall baking… these look amazing!
Lemonsforlulu says
September 9, 2013 at 9:56 amI love fall baking too Emily. I can’t wait to do more!
Megan @ Our PInteresting Family says
September 7, 2013 at 8:02 amThese look fantastic. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I’ve pinned it. 🙂 Found your recipe at the Link Party Palooza. 🙂
Lemonsforlulu says
September 9, 2013 at 9:55 amThank you Megan!
Debbie @ kneaded Creations says
September 7, 2013 at 4:34 pmThanks for sharing this wonderful recipe and your blog on the OBC Friday Pin Party. I have enjoyed visiting your blog. It is baking time, can you hear my pans rattling… Deb@kneaded creations
Lemonsforlulu says
September 9, 2013 at 9:54 amThank you so much Debbie!
Carrie @ Frugal Foodie Mama says
September 7, 2013 at 6:50 pmOh yum!! These look so good, Tanya! 🙂 I adore thick sugar cookie bars!
Lemonsforlulu says
September 9, 2013 at 9:54 amMe too Carrie! The frosting has to be as thick as the bar!
Karly says
September 7, 2013 at 7:00 pmI think I need to make these this weekend! Perfect fall dessert!! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Lemonsforlulu says
September 9, 2013 at 9:53 amThanks Karly!
Rhonda says
September 8, 2013 at 11:02 amWill be making these today! I know exactly how you feel. My son is 24, a Marine and married. Sometimes I wonder where the days went to. Thanks for sharing this.
Lemonsforlulu says
September 9, 2013 at 9:53 amThanks Rhonda! Time flies doesn’t it?
Cindy Eikenberg says
September 10, 2013 at 6:39 amTanya, these look and sound absolutely delicious! My hubby just loves anything with apples, so these are going on my must try list! Thanks for sharing and pinning! Have a wonderful week!
Lemonsforlulu says
September 11, 2013 at 10:53 amOh Cindy these were so good! Thank you!
Meg Robins de Haan says
September 13, 2013 at 10:16 pmAwe, I can’t wait to do fun things like that with my little one. She is only 10 months but I definitely plan to go apple picking with her. That is my favorite fall thing to do.
I think I will be saving some extra for these bars!
Lemonsforlulu says
September 15, 2013 at 3:56 pmYou will love it Meg! I know I’m living through them, but we all have so much fun and are creating so many memories!
Diane in Wisconsin says
September 13, 2013 at 11:41 pmDon’t know what I did wrong. Knewq 5 cups of flour was too much for a 13 x 8 pan as shown in the recipe so used a 10 x 15 and it still raised like cake. Much more a dry cake than a cookie texture. Frosting was good.
beyondfrosting says
September 17, 2013 at 12:23 amOh these look so good! I found them on the Time to Sparkle Link Party!
Lemonsforlulu says
September 17, 2013 at 2:12 pmThank you! I loved these bars!
Dena says
September 19, 2013 at 10:46 amGlad to see the pan size was corrected. I was going to say that I had to bake it alot longer in my 9×13 pan (it had said 13×8 so I figured it would be fine)for the middle to get done. I’m eating a middle piece and it’s dense like a cookie and very thick obviously because of my pan choice and the frosting is awesome. I hope the edge pieces aren’t too dry.
Lemonsforlulu says
September 19, 2013 at 10:55 amI apologize for the pan size! Hope the middle tastes good? I loved the frosting too!
Heidi says
September 27, 2013 at 7:11 amWhat is the correct pan size?
Jerry says
October 4, 2013 at 6:25 pmExactly how small do you chop the apples ?
Barbara says
September 12, 2014 at 1:09 pmThese are delish! And, the brown butter… OMG! It makes the icing different and so good!
Lemonsforlulu says
September 16, 2014 at 5:22 amThank you so much Barbara!
JANICE SNYDER says
March 31, 2016 at 2:41 amThis already looks like a yummy cookie bar recipe, but I think some raisins & some nuts would really make it extra special. Thank you Janice Snyder
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
August 29, 2017 at 2:55 pmLooks tasty!!
Megan @ MegUnprocessed says
August 29, 2017 at 3:26 pmThis sounds fantastic!
Heidi says
September 27, 2013 at 7:15 amLooks yummy! Can’t figure out the pan size. Did you mean 9×13?