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    Easy Apple Squares (Cake Bars)

    Published: Sep 24, 2013 / 148 Comments

    141.5K shares
    • Facebook1.6K
    Recipe Print

    Easy apple squares are made with cinnamon and brown sugar.  These delicious cake bars are very moist, thanks to the vegetable oil and the plain Greek yogurt.

    sliced Apple Squares (apple cake bars) sprinkled with powdered sugar on parchment paper

    The apple squares are super easy and quick to prepare on a busy weeknight! If you're bored with making the same apple recipes, such as apple crisp,  crumble, or cobbler, try these little apple squares, and you'd be very happy!  These apple cake bars work great as both dessert and breakfast.  Talking about breakfast, have you tried these apple cinnamon pancakes with shredded apples?  Or, maybe you will enjoy this cozy apple crumb coffee cake?

    2 sliced Apple Squares (apple cake bars) sprinkled with powdered sugar on parchment paper

    Apple Squares with Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

    In this recipe, I am using a generous amount of apples, tossed together with cinnamon and brown sugar, folded in the cake batter and baked in a 9x9 square pan. These apple cake bars are really just a lot of apple chunks held together by a relatively small amount of cake batter. 🙂 After all, the apple dessert recipes should be all about apples, shouldn't they?

    The apple squares are very moist, thanks to the vegetable oil and the plain Greek yogurt.

    sliced Apple Squares (apple cake bars) sprinkled with powdered sugar on parchment paper

    Other apple desserts

    If you love all things apple, you will love these quick and easy apple desserts:

    • Sweet Cooked Apples
    • Apple Bundt Cake
    • Apple Crumb Coffee Cake
    • Apple, Blueberry Peach Coffee Cake

    Apple Breakfast recipes

    What could be better than enjoying a small slice of something sweet with apples in the morning? Here are my favorite apple breakfast recipes:

    • Pumpkin Banana Bread with Apples
    • Crepes with Ricotta Cheese and Caramelized Apples
    • Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
    • Apple Cinnamon Crepes

    Apple squares on parchment paper on a table

    apple cake bars
    4.89 from 96 votes

    Easy Apple Squares (Cake Bars)

    Super moist and easy-to-make apple squares.  Made with cinnamon, brown sugar, these delicious cake bars are very moist, thanks to the vegetable oil and the plain Greek yogurt. And they get even moister after the first day!   The apple squares are pretty much an apple cake sliced into imperfect squares.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 people
    Calories per serving 262 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    • 3 apples peeled, cored, and chopped into small square chunks
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 4 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour sifted
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup white sugar
    • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
    • ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 eggs

    Instructions 

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×9 square pan.
    • In a medium bowl, toss chopped apples with cinnamon and brown sugar.
    • In a mixing bowl, combine together 1 and ¼ cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup of white sugar, vegetable oil, yogurt, and vanilla until very smooth. Add eggs and whisk until smooth.
    • Add dry ingredients (flour mixture) into wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
    • Pour half of the batter into the greased pan, top with half of the apples, then pour the remaining half of the batter on top of the apple layer. Top with the remaining half of apples. 
    • Bake the cake for about 45 minutes or 1 hour - until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
    • Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Easy Apple Squares (Cake Bars)
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    262
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    8
    g
    12
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    6
    g
    38
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    33
    mg
    11
    %
    Sodium
     
    46
    mg
    2
    %
    Potassium
     
    143
    mg
    4
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    44
    g
    15
    %
    Fiber
     
    1
    g
    4
    %
    Sugar
     
    30
    g
    33
    %
    Protein
     
    3
    g
    6
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    75
    IU
    2
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    2.5
    mg
    3
    %
    Calcium
     
    41
    mg
    4
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Keyword apple cake bars, apple squares
    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
    « Crepes with creamy ricotta cheese filling and caramelized apples
    Greek yogurt chocolate chip muffins »
    141.5K shares
    • Facebook1.6K

    Please share your comment and Star Rating in the comments section below.

    I appreciate your feedback!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Beth

      November 08, 2019 at 5:17 pm

      Really yummy! I cut white sugar in half, used regular plain yogurt, & put toasted slivered almonds over the top. Made a healthy afterschool snack.

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 12, 2019 at 7:57 pm

        Love the idea of adding toasted slivered almonds over apple squares!

        Reply
    2. Tammy

      October 23, 2019 at 10:15 pm

      Do you use plain Greek yogurt or vanilla?

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 30, 2019 at 9:16 pm

        I used plain Greek yogurt.

        Reply
    3. Pinky

      October 23, 2019 at 10:41 am

      Dee-licious! Moist & lovely. Big hit with the gang. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 30, 2019 at 9:21 pm

        You are very welcome!

        Reply
    4. Gen

      October 19, 2019 at 8:23 am

      This is the best apple cake, very light and not too sweet

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 30, 2019 at 9:47 pm

        So happy to hear that! 🙂

        Reply
    5. trish kauffman

      August 21, 2019 at 11:06 pm

      Apple bars we wonderful! Great instructions easy to make!

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 28, 2019 at 6:10 pm

        Glad you liked this recipe! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Beata

      April 14, 2019 at 2:50 pm

      Omg this cake is the best apple cake- not too sweet, perfect. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • Julia

        June 03, 2019 at 4:35 pm

        So glad you liked this cake! Thank you for stopping by and leaving your comment!

        Reply
    7. Nicole

      November 12, 2018 at 4:37 pm

      This looks delicious! Is there anyway to make it dairy free? Like can I remove the yogurt and add more oil? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Julia

        November 12, 2018 at 6:26 pm

        Yes, you can remove yogurt and substitute it with the same amount of vegetable oil or olive oil instead.

        Reply
        • emily swift-jones

          December 21, 2018 at 12:56 pm

          we used soya yoghurt and it worked a treat! Sticky and delicious. None were left over after our party

          Reply
    8. Sandy

      October 22, 2018 at 7:18 pm

      I was looking for a cake recipe with apples since it's apple season. Your cake looks yummy. What are types of apples that are best to use for this cake? Looking forward to making the recipe. Thanks for sharing it.

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 23, 2018 at 10:54 pm

        Sweet apples, such as Gala or Fuji, work great in this recipe. Enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Mary Ann Garby

      October 03, 2018 at 5:22 pm

      Excellent cake and easy to make! It only took about 25 - 30 minutes for me. Recipe says to bake for an hour!

      Reply
      • Julia

        October 05, 2018 at 2:25 pm

        So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Yes, the baking time might vary depending on the oven.

        Reply
    10. Zelda

      March 07, 2018 at 6:46 am

      Moist and delicious!! Easy to make,thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Julia

        March 07, 2018 at 11:48 pm

        You're very welcome!

        Reply
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