Apple Butter Bars are loaded with oatmeal, chopped apples, apple butter, and nuts for a scrumptious, wholesome breakfast or snack...and one of the best recipes using apple butter!

Apple Butter Bars on plate with baking dish in background as one of the best apple butter uses.

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Aside from spreading it on toast, have you ever wondered if you can use apple butter in a recipe? Well, if so, today you've come to the right place! 😉

We've kind of been stuck in a breakfast rut lately, so last week I decided to concoct some new breakfast bars in hopes of bringing EXCITEMENT and ENTHUSIASM to our 6 a.m. weekday dining experience. Or, you know, at least distract three kids from whining and moaning and laying their heads on the table. Enter these wholesome Apple Butter Bars!

Apple Butter Bars aerial view on platter and in baking dish as a great option for recipes using apple butter.

Ingredients

As I devised my Apple Butter Bars recipe, I knew I wanted to include oatmeal, walnuts, apples, and also use the shiny new jar of apple butter that I hadn't yet cracked into.

And since my apple breakfast bars were off to such a wholesome start, I decided to keep the vibe going by also incorporating whole wheat flour, coconut oil, and natural, unrefined coconut palm sugar.

Thus were born Apple Butter Bars that are not only on the healthier side, but also extremely tasty!

Close-up of Apple Butter Bars in baking dish for uses for apple butter.

How to Make Apple Butter Bars

(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)

Assemble the crumbly oat mixture by combining flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the coconut oil until well-combined.
Set aside a bit of the oat mixture and press the rest into the bottom of a square baking dish.
Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Chop up a giant apple -- I'm partial to honeycrisps -- and transfer to a bowl.
Stir some apple butter into the chopped apple and spread the resulting apple goodness over the baked crust.
Finally, crumble the reserved oat mixture all over the top and pop back in the oven until golden brown.

Ta-daaaa! You just made a batch of homemade, wholesome, delicious Apple Butter Bars!

The hardest part of making these Apple Butter Bars was waiting for them to bake. The glorious smell emanating from the oven didn't exactly help matters!

But wait I did...and once the apple butter was bubbly and the oat mixture was golden, I knew that my patience had been rewarded.

I let the bars rest just long enough that they wouldn't completely crumble once I cut into them and then it was finally time for a bite!

Apple Butter Bars in dish with missing square.

And the verdict? YUM.

I have to admit that I may have felt slightly giddy that that these Apple Butter Bars were loaded with so much good stuff while pretty much tasting like apple crisp.

They're obviously fabulous for breakfast, but they'd also make a wholesome snack or a healthy dessert. And nobody will ever guess that they're not loaded with butter and sugar.

So the next time you're looking for a yummy way to use apple butter (or, truth be told, even Pumpkin Butter), whip up some of these Apple Butter Bars!

I've found that they make early mornings just a little less painful.

Keep them on hand to curb those mid-afternoon munchies.

Or heck, feed them to your trick-or-treaters before they head out this year!

After all, ghosts and goblins might not be able to scarf down quite as many candy bars if they're already got a few of these wholesome Apple Butter Bars in their bellies. 😉

Helpful Tips, Tricks, & Equipment

I love using whole wheat pastry flour in baked goods because it is 100% whole wheat but with a flavor and texture akin to all-purpose white flour. I have no problem finding it at my regular grocery store these days. However, if you can't find whole wheat pastry flour or only have regular whole wheat flour on hand, you can substitute half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour for the whole wheat pastry flour.
That being said, you can make this recipe less breakfast-like/more dessert-like by using all-purpose flour in place of any whole wheat flour. You may use regular brown sugar instead of coconut palm sugar. And if you'd like to use melted butter in place of the melted coconut oil, that works, too.
I used a large Honeycrisp apple for my bars that I chopped very finely. During baking, however, the apple cooked down quite a bit. So if you'd like a thicker layer of apple in your bars, feel free to use two diced apples instead of one. If you do, double the apple butter as well.
You can bake these bars in a 8- to 9-inch square cake pan or a square baking dish.
You may also double the recipe and bake the bars in a 9-by-13-inch pan or dish.

Apple Butter Bars on platter with apples on table.

More Wholesome Apple Treats

Wholesome Apple Butter Bars

Apple Butter Bars are loaded with oatmeal, chopped apples, apple butter, and nuts for a scrumptious, wholesome breakfast or snack and one of the best recipes using apple butter!

By Samantha Skaggs

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 1

Servings: bars

Calories: 292kcal

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup quick oats
¾ cup coconut palm sugar, OR regular brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup coconut oil, melted & slightly cooled
1 large apple
¾ cup apple butter
½ cup chopped pecans OR walnuts

Instructions

Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan or dish.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the coconut oil until well-combined. Set aside ⅔ cup of the mixture and press the rest into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
While the crust is cooling, core and finely chop the apple. Transfer the chopped apples to a bowl and stir in the apple butter. Spread the apples on top on top of the crust.
Stir the chopped nuts into the reserved crumb mixture and sprinkle over the top of the apple layer. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool the pan on a wire rack before cutting into 12 bars.

Equipment Needed

9- x 9-inch Square Baking Pan

Notes

I love using whole wheat pastry flour in baked goods because it is 100% whole wheat but with a flavor and texture akin to all-purpose white flour. I have no problem finding it at my regular grocery store these days. However, if you can't find whole wheat pastry flour or only have regular whole wheat flour on hand, you can substitute half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour for the whole wheat pastry flour.
You can make this recipe less breakfast-like/more dessert-like by using all-purpose flour in place of any whole wheat flour. You may use regular brown sugar instead of coconut palm sugar. And if you'd like to use melted butter in place of the melted coconut oil, that works, too.
I typically use a very large Honeycrisp apple, chopped very finely. During baking, however, the apple will cook down quite a bit. So if you'd like a thicker layer of apple in your bars, feel free to use two large diced apples instead of one. If you do, double the amount of apple butter as well.
You may double the recipe and bake your Apple Butter Bars in a 9-by-13-inch pan.