Apple pie bars recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are McDonald's apple pies so good? ›

Many pie fillings are made with a processed thickening agent that keeps the filling jelly-like and in place. But McDonald's uses a dehydrated apple powder. The powder not only thickens the filling, but it also adds that extra apple taste that you love.

Peeled apples will give you a delicately soft pie with no tough surprises, but some people argue that you lose the apple's nutritional value once the peel is removed. Making sure you are using the correct apples – peeled or unpeeled – is a more important part of crafting the perfect apple pie.

There are so many more apple recipes to try – chutney, apple glazed pork chops, apple turnovers, apple cheddar scones, apple molasses upside-down cake, challah, and these extremely adorable apple pie cookies. You'll have to excuse me, I have some baking to do.

There are a few apples that don't make the cut. While great for snacking, Gala, Fuji and Red Delicious are the most common apples that won't hold up in the oven and will give you a watery-mushy pie, tart or cake.

All-purpose flour is an easy solution, as you're sure to have it in your pantry. Since it's lower in starch, you'll use more of it than you would higher-starch thickeners. Quick-cooking tapioca makes filling bright and clear, but also gives it a stippled and somewhat sticky texture.

Cook until apples soften

Maybe 5 minutes, however long it takes for your apples to start noticeably softening. They should be fork-tender, yet still hold their shape.

Nutrition scientist, Dr Joanna McMillan, says we should be eating and cooking with apples that have the skin on to take advantage of the nutrients in the peel. So crunching on a juicy apple, skin and all, could actually be the healthiest way to eat this super fruit.

Peels are packed with nutrients

In fact, a raw apple with skin contains up to 332% more vitamin K, 142% more vitamin A, 115% more vitamin C, 20% more calcium, and up to 19% more potassium than a peeled apple ( 1 , 2 ).

Peel, core, and slice. If you've got apples to freeze, but no plan for their use, this is the way to go. Use later by the handful or bagful in any cooked recipes. Pies, muffins, cobblers and even applesauce can be made from frozen apples.

Can you freeze uncooked apples? ›

Yes, you can freeze fresh raw apple, however because of the high water content, you'll find that the apple will be soft when defrosted (the water inside the fruit expands when it freezes into ice and the crystals breaks the delicate cell structure). Therefore, it's best to use frozen apple for cooking or smoothies.

Mistake to Avoid No.

Adding more flour is always an option, but add too much flour and your dough will end up like a cracker—not a pie crust. Remember: The more you mix your pie dough, the tougher it becomes. To keep the mixing to a minimum, try rolling out your dough between two pieces of parchment paper.

Picking the wrong apples

Sure, all types of apples might be delicious. But not all of them are right for apple pie. Softer apples like Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, or Macintosh break down too much in the heat of the oven, basically turning into applesauce.

Sadly, they're not great as a regular part of your diet. An average individual meat pie provides around 450kcal, but the biggest problem is the 12g of saturated fat inside it – that's more than half the daily guideline. If you have buttery mashed potato or chips on the side, the fat content of your meal is even higher.

Any number of things can contribute to a slumping crust. Maybe your recipe uses an extra-high amount of shortening or butter, or you rolled the crust too vigorously, or you didn't let it rest and chill before baking. Perhaps you used the wrong size pan, or not enough filling.