Apple Pie Squares

Easter was approaching, and everyone was getting into the spirit of it by sharing their favorite carrot cake recipes. Grandma had a carrot cake recipe in her box, one baked in a loaf pan and frosted with cream cheese frosting. I liked the idea of carrot cake baked that way. It was something out of the ordinary and a little more manageable to eat for our small family. So, I put it to the test.   

Major fail:

Mind you, I'd had concerns about the recipe because it contained an insane amount of oil. This time, my worries came to pass. Not only was the cake raw in the middle, even after additional cooking time, but it left a greasy coating on my hands when I tossed it in the trash. 

Back to the drawing board. I needed something quick and easy to test, something that wouldn't fail, and that's when the recipe for Apple Pie Squares almost jumped into my fingers. Here, try me! 

How to make Apple Pie Squares

I began the process by peeling and quartering two apples.  My Chop Wizard made quick work of dicing them into small pieces. (Not an affiliate link.)

The apples ready, I set to work on the batter. Somewhat surprisingly, it called for butter instead of Grandma's standard--shortening. I beat that with the sugar and the eggs. 

Next, I sifted the flour, baking powder, and spices into the creamed mixture. 

I added the lemon juice then beat the mixture together with a hand mixer. Grandma's recipe said the mixture would be stiff, and it sure was. I was happy to have been forewarned. Otherwise, I would have thought something had gone wrong. 

I added the apples but skipped the raisins. I don't know about you, but I have never had apple pie with raisins in it. Once the apples were beaten into the batter, it loosened up and became more spreadable. 

The whole process had taken just minutes, the longest step being the time it took to peel and dice the apples.  I spread the batter into a greased, 9-inch pan. 

Because the batter made such a thin layer, the baking time of 45 minutes seemed a little long. I set my timer for 40, planning to check several minutes before the time ran out, but of course, I forgot. Here are the baked Apple Pie Squares after 40 minutes. They looked good to me!

The Verdict

I cut the baked Apple Pie Squares into twelve, well, squares. The back of Grandma's recipe card says to serve them with whipped cream on top, but they are such thin bars that mounding them with whipped cream seemed like overkill. So we tried them bare first, no toppings, just out of hand as you see here. 

Fittingly, all the flavors of apple pie were there--tender apples, rich spices, a hint of lemon, and a buttery crumb. As a bonus, all those tastes came in a portable mouthful that was easy to whip together. These bars were a hit, especially with my husband, whose love for apple-flavored baked goods runs almost as deeply as Grandma's.  If you're in the mood for apple pie but don't want to spend the time and the hassle to make one, try Apple Pie Squares. Your craving will be satisfied.