Lightly sweetened whole grain apple butter bars are made with whole oats, whole wheat flour, and delicious apple butter, making them a healthy snack. Check out the Simple Cookie Recipes page for more easy recipes!
Easy whole grain apple butter bars are full of good-for-you ingredients but still taste like you’re eating a cookie, which is the best kind of a win-win, isn’t it?
We like these for desserts (especially paired with a scoop of vanilla), snacks with afternoon tea, and even occasionally for Saturday breakfast. Hey, they’re way better than a doughnut!
Of course fruit-in-the-middle crumb bar cookies can be made with any fruit jams or spreads. I’ve made them with strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry jams and even a version with rhubarb butter and they’re equally good.
But using homemade thick and spicy apple butter that is sweetened only with maple syrup is really one of my favorite ways to make these. And they’re just about perfection in the fall!
Make Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars
It’s super easy to just add all the ingredients – except the apple butter – to a mixing bowl and then stir it together until all the butter pieces are incorporated.
Press about half of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan and evenly spread the apple butter (or jam) onto the unbaked crust.
Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the top, covering completely and pressing down lightly, before baking and cooling.
Even though these are typically considered a cookie I think they make a great homemade substitute for all those “fruity” (I use the word loosely here) granola bars sold in the stores because they are made with much better ingredients (like you can pronounce them all…). This is a truly healthy snack right here.
Make-Ahead Tip
You can even wrap them individually and freeze them and if you put them in the kid’s lunches in the morning, they will be thawed by the time lunch rolls around.
And you will know every good ingredient in them and feel good about serving them any time.
Click the arrow for the full printable Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars recipe!
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Michelle Marine says
October 21 at 5:56 amBeautiful, Jami. I’m sure my kids would love this. 🙂
Jami says
October 24 at 9:32 pmThank you, Michelle. 🙂
Nicole says
March 8 at 5:30 pmThese look delicious!
[email protected] An Oregon Cottage says
March 6 at 5:27 amJenelle- It worked fine in these bars. They were a little more crumbly than when I use brown sugar, but the flavor was about the same. I’d use it again, if I can ever get over the fact that this little bag was $3.99! At that price, I’m not going to be able to use it very often.
Jenelle says
March 5 at 6:39 pmI was wondering how you liked the sucanat? I’ve read about it, and though about using it, but have never actually tried it.
affectioknit says
March 5 at 4:50 pmThose look so good – we love apple butter!
Mum in Bloom says
March 5 at 2:56 amThese look delish! I made something like them not long ago using applesauce and the kids went crazy for them. Thanks for the inspiration 🙂