Step into a world of comforting flavors with our cherished, old-fashioned Easy Applesauce Bars. These delightful treats, topped with a luscious cinnamon-spiced cream cheese frosting, are guaranteed to become a new family favorite. Perfectly moist with just the right balance of sweet applesauce and warming spices, these bars encapsulate the essence of autumn in every bite. They are more than just a dessert; they are a nostalgic journey back to simple, heartfelt baking.
Whether you’re hosting a party, gathering with loved ones, or simply looking for an effortless after-school snack, these applesauce bars are an ideal choice. Be warned, they have a reputation for disappearing fast! If you adore the combination of apple and spice, you’ll also love our Applesauce Zucchini Cake Bars with Salted Caramel Pecan Glaze and our comforting Cinnamon Applesauce Bread.
Embrace the Warmth: Why You’ll Love These Spiced Applesauce Bars
These applesauce bars are particularly perfect for the chillier seasons, filling your home with the inviting aromas of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. The blend of these classic fall spices creates a comforting warmth that truly defines seasonal baking. Applesauce is the star ingredient, not only providing natural sweetness but also ensuring an incredibly moist and tender crumb. This recipe is a fantastic way to utilize any applesauce you have on hand, whether it’s store-bought or a batch of homemade goodness.
Our easy applesauce bar recipe is a testament to simplicity and flavor. It’s a cherished heirloom, passed down through generations, making it a timeless addition to your recipe collection. These kinds of retro recipes are always keepers for life, offering a taste of tradition with every bite. The ease of preparation makes them accessible for bakers of all skill levels, ensuring delicious results without unnecessary fuss. From mixing to baking, each step is straightforward, leading to a truly rewarding culinary experience.
The Irresistible Cinnamon Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
No applesauce bar would be complete without a generous slather of creamy, cinnamon-spiced frosting. This component elevates the bars from simply delicious to absolutely divine. The frosting itself is incredibly easy to make, requiring just a few key ingredients and minimal effort. For the best, silkiest texture, it’s crucial that your butter and cream cheese are at room temperature. This allows them to cream together smoothly, preventing lumps and creating that desirable, velvety consistency. While a mixer can achieve an extra creamy finish, a whisk will also do the job beautifully. The rich, tangy cream cheese perfectly complements the warm spices of the bars, creating a harmonious flavor profile that is truly addictive.
Key Ingredients for Perfectly Moist Applesauce Bars
Creating these delicious spiced applesauce bars begins with a selection of common pantry staples. Each ingredient plays a vital role in achieving the perfect flavor and texture. For the bars themselves, you’ll need:
Applesauce Bars
- Melted Unsalted Butter: Provides richness and moisture, helping to create a tender crumb.
- Brown Sugar: Adds deep caramel notes and contributes to the bars’ moistness.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: The star, providing natural sweetness, fruit flavor, and essential moisture without making the bars too dense.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances all the other flavors, adding a touch of aromatic sweetness.
- All-Purpose Flour: The structural base of the bars.
- Baking Soda: The leavening agent that helps the bars rise and become light.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor profile.
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, and Ginger: The trio of warming spices that give these bars their signature fall flavor.
And for the irresistible frosting, you’ll need:
Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- Softened Butter: The foundation of any good cream cheese frosting, providing richness and a smooth texture.
- Softened Cream Cheese: Offers that signature tangy flavor and creamy consistency. Using full-fat cream cheese yields the best results.
- Cinnamon: Infuses the frosting with a warm, inviting spice that complements the bars beautifully.
- Optional Ginger and Nutmeg: For an extra layer of warming spice, these additions elevate the frosting’s flavor complexity.
- Vanilla Extract: A classic pairing with cream cheese, adding depth and aroma.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the frosting and gives it a smooth, pipeable consistency.
Instructions: How to Make Easy Applesauce Bars from Scratch
Making these easy applesauce bars is a simple and enjoyable process. Follow these straightforward steps to create a batch of delightful, spiced treats that your family and friends will rave about.
Applesauce Bars Preparation
- Prepare Your Pan and Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C). Line an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars later. Lightly spray the parchment paper and exposed pan edges with non-stick cooking spray, then set aside. This ensures your bars won’t stick and makes for easy removal and cleanup.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Whisk these wet ingredients together until they are well incorporated and smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter; overmixing can lead to tough bars. The applesauce mixture will be thick, which is perfectly normal.
- Evenly Spread the Batter: Pour the thick batter into your prepared baking pan. Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the mixture evenly, ensuring it reaches all the way to the edges of the pan. This promotes even baking and consistent texture throughout the bars.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the bars comes out clean. This indicates that they are fully cooked. Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely on a wire rack before you even think about frosting them. Frosting warm bars will result in melted, messy frosting.
Cinnamon Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting Preparation
- Cream Together Butter and Cream Cheese: In a medium mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese and softened butter. Beat them together with a whisk or an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and completely creamy. Ensure there are no lumps of butter or cream cheese.
- Finish the Frosting and Frost the Bars: Add the vanilla extract and cinnamon (and optional ginger and nutmeg) to the creamed mixture. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low speed until fully combined. Once all the sugar is incorporated, increase the speed and beat until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Spread this luscious frosting generously over the completely cooled applesauce bars. Use a sharp knife to cut the frosted bars into squares, then serve and enjoy this delectable fall treat!
Customize Your Applesauce Bars: Add-Ins & Healthier Options
One of the best things about these easy applesauce bars is their versatility. You can easily customize them to suit your taste preferences or dietary needs. Here are some fantastic ideas to get you started:
- Textural Delights: To add an extra layer of texture and flavor, feel free to fold in ½ cup of raisins, chopped walnuts, or pecans into the batter. These additions provide a lovely chewiness and nutty crunch that complements the soft bars beautifully. You could also try dried cranberries for a tart counterpoint to the sweetness.
- Boosted Nutrition: For a slightly healthier twist, consider replacing ½ cup of the all-purpose flour with quick oats. This adds fiber and a delightful chewiness, making them a more wholesome snack. You might also experiment with reducing the amount of sugar slightly if your applesauce is naturally very sweet or if you prefer a less sweet treat.
- Spice it Up: While our recipe features a classic blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, you can certainly experiment with other spice combinations. Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice blends are excellent substitutes, offering a convenient way to achieve a similar warming flavor profile with a single ingredient. Adjust the amount to your taste!
Storing Your Delicious Applesauce Bars
Proper storage is key to keeping your easy applesauce bars fresh and delicious for as long as possible. Here’s how to store them:
- Room Temperature or Refrigerate: If you plan to devour these bars within 1 to 2 days, they can be stored in an airtight container on the kitchen counter. For longer storage, or if your kitchen is particularly warm, it’s best to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and then place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for 4-5 days when refrigerated.
- Freezing for Later: These applesauce bars are freezer-friendly, making them perfect for meal prep or enjoying a treat whenever a craving strikes. Wrap individual bars tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a larger freezer-safe container or freezer bags. They can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. To thaw, simply take them out of the freezer and let them come to room temperature, or gently warm them in the microwave for a few seconds.
Making these applesauce bars can be a truly fun and rewarding experience for the whole family, from measuring ingredients to the final frosting. So, gather your ingredients, grab the recipe, and get baking! Crafted from just a few simple ingredients, these easy applesauce bars are the perfect snack for kids after school, a delightful addition to any brunch, or a comforting dessert after dinner. The combination of moist, spiced cake and tangy, sweet cream cheese frosting creates a luscious fall treat that everyone will adore. Enjoy every single bite!
If you can’t get enough of apple desserts, be sure to check out our collection of 45 Must-Try Best Apple Dessert Recipes for even more delicious inspiration!
Craving More Easy Fall Desserts?
If you’re looking for other comforting and easy-to-make treats for the autumn season, explore some of our other fantastic bar recipes. They are perfect for sharing or simply enjoying at home:
- Yummy Sour Cream Banana Bars
- Oatmeal Butterscotch & Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Ultimate Pumpkin Bars with Creamy Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peanut Butter Banana Bars
- RumChata Carrot Cake Banana Bread
- Sheet Pan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Healthy Chunky Monkey Oatmeal Bars – Easy
- Heavenly Frosted Banana Bars
Easy Applesauce Bars
By Kim Lange
We are bringing on these awesome, old-fashioned Easy Applesauce Bars with a luscious cinnamon spiced cream cheese frosting that you will absolutely love! These epic fall treats are so moist and have just the right amount of spice. Perfect for a party, get-together or an easy go-to after school snack. Watch out, they disappear fast!!
Rated 5 out of 5 stars from 14 votes.
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 22 mins
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Servings: 16 Bars
Calories: (Information not provided)
Ingredients
Applesauce Bars
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
Cinnamon Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Optional: 1/8 teaspoon ginger
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Applesauce Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175°C). Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a bowl, add melted butter, brown sugar, applesauce and vanilla together and mix well. Add flour, baking soda, salt, spices and stir to combine, without overmixing. Batter will be thick.
- Pour into prepared pan and spread mixture evenly to edges of pan.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Cinnamon Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium mixing bowl, add cream cheese and butter and mix until creamy with whisk or mixer. Add vanilla and spices and gradually add in powdered sugar until fully combined and creamy.
- Spread frosting on bars and cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- Store bars on the counter if they will be eaten in 1 to 2 days. If longer, wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- These bars can also be wrapped tightly and frozen in individual bags or in a larger freezer container.
- One 8×8 pan uses ½ cup of applesauce. If you double the recipe, double all ingredients and bake the bars in a 9×13 pan.
Keywords
applesauce, bars, cinnamon, cream cheese frosting, fall desserts, retro dessert, spice, easy applesauce bars, applesauce bar recipe, spiced applesauce bars
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