These Schoolhouse Applesauce Bars are an easy, sweet treat and fun snack for kids! We serve these around the farmhouse table for snacks, desserts and sometimes for breakfast.
This simple and moist applesauce bar recipe is an egg free cross between a dessert bar and quick bread with cinnamon and nutmeg flavors that offer just the right level of spice! Everyone who eats these LOVES them!
If you enjoy these bars, but want an applesauce recipe with icing check out our Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins for another special treat!
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Big Batch Applesauce Snack Bars
Applesauce might be my kids favorite snack! We always have applesauce in the house and I love that it adds a natural sweetness and moist texture to baked treats for kids.
We love how moist applesauce makes baked goods from our Cinnamon Applesauce Cake to Pumpkin & Applesauce Muffins.
My mother-in-law works in the kitchen at their school and she shared this recipe with me. This is one of the best school cafeteria recipes that kids always look forward to.
These Applesauce Bars are one of her favorite treats that she’s made for school lunches. She gave me a recipe to use in an extra-large commercial size pan or a smaller batch that fits in a regular 9×13 inch pan. The commercially sized pan makes a MUCH bigger batch and is a great dessert for a big crowd.
Another old fashioned recipe that our family enjoys snacking on is our Peanut Butter Bread.
Applesauce Bars without Icing
We have plenty of sweet treats with an excellent layer of icing like our Pumpkin Bars and Frosted Banana Bars. If you want a frosted bar you could easily grab the easy icing recipe from either of these bars and spread it on these applesauce bars. When we are looking for a bar that isn’t quite so sweet this is our go to recipe!
Having an easy recipe that most kids like to take for school treats or soccer snacks is helpful to me as a mom. Another benefit of this recipe is that the applesauce keeps the bars so moist.
How to Make Easy Applesauce Bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.
- Beat butter and softened sugar together.
- Add remaining dry ingredients and mix well.
- Stir in applesauce.
- Spread in baking pan and bake for 18 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.
Do Applesauce Bars Need Refrigerated?
Store moist applesauce bars on the counter if they will be eaten in 1 to 2 days. If the pan will last longer wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator to lengthen shelf life and help decrease food safety concerns.
These bars can also be wrapped tightly and frozen in individual bags or in a larger freezer container.
Other Easy Apple Recipes:
- Caramel Apple Bars
- Caramel Apple Pie
- Easy Apple Dapple Cake
- Farmhouse Apple Flip
- Easy Cinnamon Fruit Dip
- Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Apple Sauce
- Instant Pot Pork Chops with Sauerkraut, Apples and Bacon
- Easy Caramel Apple Pork Chops
We hope your family enjoys these applesauce bars as much as we do!
Printable Farmhouse Applesauce Bar Recipe
Farmhouse Applesauce Bars
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups applesauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Beat sugar and butter together.
- Mix in remaining dry ingredients.
- Add applesauce and spread in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan for 18 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.
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Nutrition
Printable Recipe for Big Batch Applesauce Bars
Big Batch Applesauce Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups butter
- 6 cups sugar
- 10 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons vanilla
- 1/2 gallon applesauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix dry ingredients together
- Add remaining ingredients and spread in a large greased commercial baking pan for 25 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.
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Thank you for trying this recipe! I’m so sorry to say that I made a typo and you are correct. The commercial baking sheet should only be used for the big batch recipe and the smaller size calls for a 9×13 inch pan. I’ve made the update, again I apologize.
Can I use all applesauce instead of sugar for a sugar free bar, or would that mess up the texture?
I haven’t tried that, but please let me know how it turns out if you do decide to try it. Thanks!
Just tried this and though it looks delicious, there is just too much nutmeg for my taste buds. Next time I will use a pinch of nutmeg so that it doesn’t completely overpower the cake.