These cinnamon apple bars are packed with sweet shredded apples, wholesome oats, and spices. Top these chewy squares with creamy homemade cinnamon frosting to take them from breakfast to dessert!
If you love the cozy fall flavors in these easy apple squares, try my apple bundt cake and cinnamon apple baked oatmeal recipes.
The post for these frosted cinnamon apple bars was first published in April 2015. It was updated and republished in October 2025.
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Are you looking for a delicious apple dessert for Thanksgiving? I think you're going to love these cinnamon apple bars! These bars are less gooey than my apple pie bars and caramel apple bars. Instead, they're thick and chewy with hearty oats, shredded apples, and spices.
To take these apple bars from breakfast to dessert, I've added a layer of fluffy homemade cinnamon frosting. I just love enjoying a soft square and a pumpkin cream cold brew for a cozy fall treat.
Things to Love About This Cinnamon Apple Bars Recipe
- Full of fresh apples and cinnamon. The combination of fresh shredded apples, brown sugar, and cozy cinnamon fills these apple cinnamon bars with fall flavor.
- Easy to make. Mix the wet and dry ingredients separately, combine, and bake! The dessert is ready in under an hour, making it a great option for last-minute fall baking.
- Eat them frosted, or not. Cinnamon frosting makes these bars perfect for dessert (served like a slice of apple cider cake topped with vanilla bean ice cream). Meanwhile, the unfrosted squares make a fantastic breakfast bar with a cup of coffee.
What You'll Need to Make These Bars
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full ingredient amounts and recipe details. For now, here are some notes on what you'll need.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter, softened to room temperature. If you need to soften butter quickly, you can microwave it for a few seconds. You can also place it under a warm glass bowl for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Brown Sugar: Make sure to pack it into the measuring cup. It should hold its shape when you dump it into the bowl.
- Eggs and Vanilla: You could replace half of the vanilla with almond extract for a different flavor profile.
- Flour: Make sure you're familiar with measuring flour so you don't add too much, which can make the bars dry.
- Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats give these bars a chewy, hearty texture. Feel free to use instant oats for a lighter texture.
- Cinnamon: A classic with apples. Substitute with apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice if you'd like.
- Apples: Shred the apples using a box grater or the food processor. I recommend a firm, tart baking apple, like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Gala apples that won't turn to mush when baked.
Creamy Cinnamon Frosting Ingredients
- Butter: Again, this should be at room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar: Also called confectioner's sugar. Measure powdered sugar the same way you'd measure flour: use the spoon-and-level method.
- Cinnamon, Vanilla, and Salt: To flavor the cinnamon frosting.
- Heavy Cream: For a rich and creamy homemade frosting, use full-fat heavy whipping cream. For a lighter frosting, use half-and-half.
- Cinnamon Sugar: Optional, but adds such a great flavor and crunch.
How to Make Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Bars
Prepare for your house to smell amazing while this recipe bakes! Here is a short overview of the steps to make them:
- Mix the wet ingredients. Beat the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs and vanilla.
- Stir together the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, oats, salt, and cinnamon until they're evenly combined. Next, slowly mix the dry mixture into the butter mixture.
- Add the apples. Core and dice the apples, then place the chunks in a food processor. Pulse just until grated. Then fold the shredded apples into the batter by hand.
- Bake. Now, spread the batter into a prepared pan and bake. Let them cool completely afterward.
Frost the Bars
You can leave the baked bars unfrosted if you prefer. But if you're planning to serve these for dessert, I recommend frosting!
- Make the frosting. Mix softened butter with vanilla and salt. Then, add powdered sugar, cinnamon, and whipping cream to make the cinnamon frosting. Whip the frosting on medium-high speed so it's light and fluffy.
- Frost the apple bars. Spread the frosting generously over the cooled apple bars. They're ready to enjoy right away or store for later.
How to Store Your Apple Bars
- Counter. Store the frosted cinnamon apple bars in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days.
- Freeze. I recommend freezing the unfrosted squares. Wrap them in a double layer of plastic wrap or store them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. Freeze for up to 2 months, then thaw the apple bars at room temperature before frosting and serving.
BruCrew Tips
- Leave the peels on the apples. Place chunks of apples in a food processor and pulse until shredded. Do not over-pulse or make mush!
- Want more apple flavor? Use ¼ cup applesauce or apple butter in place of one egg.
- Add more spices. Cinnamon is classic, but you can boost the flavor by adding ½ to 1 teaspoon of nutmeg.
- Keep the bars from sticking. Make sure to grease the baking pan generously with baking spray. You could also grease the pan with shortening. Don't skip this step, or the batter will stick.
- How to tell when the bars are done baking: These cinnamon apple bars are done when the top looks set and the edges are golden brown. Do not overbake or they will be dry and crumbly!
- Add nuts. For a crunch, stir in chopped nuts, like pecans or walnuts.
More Fall Apple Recipes
- Apple Butter Muffins
- Apple French Toast Casserole
- Cherry Apple Crumble Bars
- Apple Cider Donut Holes
- Apple Crisp Pie
Do you love a recipe you tried from Inside BruCrew Life?
Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ rating and a review in the comments section below.
Recipe
Cinnamon Apple Bars
These cozy cinnamon apple bars are made with rolled oats, fresh fall apples, and spices, topped with creamy homemade cinnamon frosting.
Ingredients
For the Bars
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 2 cups shredded apples (2 medium sized apples)
For the Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 glass pan with nonstick spray.
- Beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
- Stir together the flour, oats, salt, and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.
- Stir in the shredded apples by hand.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Do not over-bake. Remove and cool completely.
- Beat the butter, vanilla, and salt until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and whipping cream a little at a time until everything is mixed in.
- Beat the frosting on med-high speed until light and creamy. Spread over the cooled bars. Store in a sealed container on the counter.
Notes
- Leave the peels on the apples. Place chunks of apples in a food processor and pulse until shredded. Do not over-pulse or make mush!
- Want more apple flavor? Use ¼ cup applesauce or apple butter in place of one egg.
- Add more spices. While these bars are a classic with cinnamon, you can boost the flavor by adding ½ to 1 teaspoon of nutmeg.
- Keep the bars from sticking. Make sure to grease the baking pan well with baking spray. You could also grease the pan with shortening. Don't skip this step, or your apple bars will get stuck.
- Don’t overmix. As with most baked goods, overmixing will make the bars tough and chewy. Only mix the wet and dry ingredients until they’re just combined, then fold in the apples by hand to avoid overmixing.
- How to tell when the bars are done baking: These cinnamon apple bars are done when the top looks set and the edges are golden brown. Do not overbake or they will be dry and crumbly!
- Add nuts. For a crunch, stir in chopped nuts, like pecans or walnuts.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 282Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 226mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 2gSugar: 36gProtein: 2g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
Sinthia Lawren says
Hello Jocelyn!
Dessert is my favorite. Frosted Cinnamon Apple Bars was so delicious. Thanks for sharing this idea.
Chels+R. says
These look delicious! I'm loving that frosting!
Jocelyn says
Girl, that frosting totally made these bars 😉
Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures says
Yummy cake! I could be much more grateful for the small but wonderful things in my life too!
Kelly @ Mostly Homemade Mom says
Oh my kids would love these bars!!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
Such a great reminder, Jocelyn! Love these apple bars, especially that cinnamon frosting!
Mrs. T says
These look so yummy, Jocelyn. And the post itself is just as good. I so enjoy how you post about slices of your life, things that are going on, and your thoughts. Your recipes are fabulous but your posts are so much more than recipes. Today's post is especially good. Thanks for the encouragement!
Jocelyn says
Thank you so much!! Lately I have been feeling the need/desire to post more stuff like this. I am so glad you enjoy these kinds of thoughts along with the recipes 🙂
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
Thanks for the reminder Jocelyn. I need to slow down and appreciate the small things. 😉 These bars look so good! I am such a sucker for bars. I just love them and can't get enough. I also love apple desserts. They are the best in my opinion. 😉 Happy Week!
Jocelyn says
Slowing down is always a good thing!! And yes, bars are one of my weaknesses too!!! 🙂
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
What a great message today Jocelyn! I need to do that more too. It's so easy to get caught up in the stress of life and forget about the happy things !
Jocelyn says
Yes, stress has a way of making us forget about those little things in life that we take for granted. This week I have really been trying to be grateful for where I am right now.
Stephanie+@+Macaroni+and+Cheesecake says
These look wonderful! And I totally agree on sharing the wealth of calories with others, haha! Love your thoughts on gratitude that you shared! So easy to forget to be thankful for the little things, but it's so neat how God uses thankfulness to change our perspective and lift our spirits. If I'm feeling down or frustrated, if I think of all the blessings in my life (even the little things) then my attitude completely turns around.
Jocelyn says
Girl, I totally hear you!!! Sometimes we just need to focus on those things that we have. I am so thankful God uses them to change my attitude too!!!
Jenny Flake says
These look amazing!! That frosting!! 🙂
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
These look totally delicious and I will definitely make these when there's a crowd... can't be gobbling up all my desserts like usual after a big Spring Break food fest 🙂
Elle @ Only Taste Matters says
You are right the cinnamon frosting is the cherry on the sundae so to speak. And I love clean sheet too!☺
heather+@french+press says
it's hard not to love apples and cinnamon and my kids LOVE those crunch pak slices - we ALWAYS have them in the fridge
Jocelyn says
Apple and cinnamon just go together so well. We always have these apples in our fridge too 🙂
Mir says
You know how amazing your life is and you're grateful, Jocelyn, which makes you a wonderful person. Some people never know what they have.
And these bars are also something to be grateful for! They look SO good.
Jocelyn says
Thank you so much Mir. I think it is so important to stop and refocus and see how much we really have to be thankful for each and every day!!!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel says
Those look SO incredible! I love how hearty they look and I love the cinnamon spice. 🙂 Yum!!
Jocelyn says
That cinnamon spice frosting totally made these bars!!!
Jen @ Baked by an Introvert says
I love all things apple! These bars are my kind of heaven.
Aimee @ ShugarySweets says
These look amazing. You know how much I love apple treats 🙂
Jocelyn says
Thanks girlie! I know the apple love too 😉
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Apples and cinnamon are of my favorite combinations! These bars look perfect, Jocelyn! I love how soft and full of flavor these are. Sounds like a great breakfast! Pinned!
Jocelyn says
Thank you Gayle!!!