Our family-favorite apple bars, made even better with whole grain spelt flour.
I’m always thinking about new ways to incorporate freshly milled whole grains into our diet.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to simply convert our old “white flour” favorites into their freshly-milled flour counterparts.
When I had some excess apples recently, I started thinking about these apple bars I used to make several years ago.
Once I dug through the cabinets and finally found that old recipe, I knew I had to try it with some spelt flour.
And I must say, it’s one of our favorite FMF recipes now!
This site contains affiliate links to products. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure for more info.
Apple Bars or Apple Cake?
I’m not sure what officially distinguishes a bar from a cake, other than:
- Bars are delicious without any frosting
- They hold together for a hand-held, portable treat
So call them what you want, but this recipe seems to fall into the “bars” category for me.
These bake with a nice, crispy top and soft, chewy center — almost like a brownie.
In our house, they make a delicious breakfast or snack.
Healthy Apple Bars
By using freshly milled spelt flour, you can enjoy dessert even more.
Spelt is high in fiber, calcium, Vitamin E, iron, magnesium, selenium, calcium and manganese.
As an ancient grain, spelt has a different type of gluten structure than that found in wheat. Because of this, it’s considered easier to digest than wheat.
Personally, I really like the nutty flavor of spelt, especially in desserts.
I try to use it in as many quick recipes as possible, especially those that use baking powder for leavening.
However, with all that said: if you don’t have spelt on hand, you can swap it out for your favorite fresh milled grains.
Soft white wheat, hard white or hard red wheat, or einkorn would all be great options.
How to Make Spiced Apple Bars
This recipe comes together easily. You’ll start with milling enough spelt berries to equal 2.5 cups of flour.
The dry ingredients (flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder) are whisked together while combining the wet ingredients (brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla) in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer.
You’ll slowly add the flour to the wet mixture, and fold in the diced apples with a large spoon at the end.
The batter will be very thick when you spread it into the greased pan. Try to distribute the apples as best you can before baking.
Tip: Baking times can vary a bit, so be sure to test with a cake tester or toothpick to ensure they’re done in the center.
You’ll want to let these cool for several minutes before cutting them into squares.
Let us know in the comments if you enjoyed this recipe!
Spiced Apple Bars with Spelt Flour
A cinnamon-spiced bar recipe made healthier with spelt flour, and with the sweet tang of fresh apples.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups spelt flour, freshly milled
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3.5 cups peeled and diced apples
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish generously with butter. Preheat oven to 350.
- Whisk together the spelt flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl; set aside.
- In a stand mixer (or bowl with electric handheld mixer), mix together the brown sugar, eggs, melted butter (slightly cooled), and vanilla extract until thoroughly mixed.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl at a low speed until well incorporated.
- With a wooden spoon, stir in the diced apples.
- Spread the batter (it will be thick) into the prepared 9x13 dish. Try to distribute the apples as best you can throughout the pan.
- Bake at 350 for approximately 35-45 minutes. Bars are done as soon as a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean in the center.
Notes
*Other types of whole grain flours can be substituted for spelt such as hard white wheat, soft white wheat, hard red wheat or einkorn.
*Baking times can vary depending on type of pan used, etc.
You might also like:
Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Protein Bagels with Fresh Milled Flour