Sour Cream Apple Squares

Last Modified:  September 2023

It's not exactly apple season right now, but we had a hankering (yes hankering, y'all) for a really good, homey dessert and these Sour Cream Apple Squares - a family favorite - came to mind.  

This Fall favorite recipe is so easy and quick to throw together - chopping the apples is the hardest part.  It's a one-bowl wonder!

There's a chewy, buttery crust on the bottom that's hard to see in the photos, but it pulls the textures together and makes an amazing dessert.

They don't rise very high, but are flavor-packed with warm cinnamon, chunks of apple and are incredibly addictive.  Especially right out of the oven.  

I made the last batch in two 8x8-inch pans and before they cooled, all four small corner pieces were gone.  (The chewy corners are the best!)

If you're making Sour Cream Apple Squares in two 8x8-inch pans instead of a 13x9-inch pan, see the instructions below the recipe.  Pretty much just divide the base and batter and go.  

They end up perfect either way.  Here's a shot of the first time I made it with chunky apples instead of diced.

Although I've made these with chunky apples and diced apples, I prefer the small-diced apples as they blend in better. 

I also add about a quarter teaspoon more of salt than called for to get that sweet (from the brown sugar) and salty thing.  The flavor of these bars is terrific.

Whipped cream will work on top and because the bar is so sweet you may not need the caramel sauce, but really it's best warmed and topped with a dip of vanilla ice cream.

But if you want simple, just sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar over the top.

You'll enjoy these warm, delicious cinnamony apple squares and so will your family.  They're perfect for a holiday party, too.

They're best the first couple of days and I store the leftovers in the refrigerator, then warm them up before serving.

Sour Cream Apple Squares have been a favorite pot luck, family gathering go-to recipe for over fifteen years and the pan has always been emptied wherever I take them.  Another absolute favorite:  Fresh Apple Cake with Maple Glaze (to die for...)

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Sour Cream Apple Squares

Yield: 24

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

A great dessert for pot lucks and picnics.  Sweet and soft and cinnamony with a chewy crust.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
• 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 cups (2 med- large) apples, peeled and small chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in mixing bowl and blend on low speed until crumbly. Stir in nuts.
3. Lightly spray a 13x9" pan with cooking spray. Press 2 ¾ cups of crumb mixture into the pan.
4. To the remaining crumb mixture add the cinnamon, baking soda, salt, sour cream, vanilla, and egg and blend for one or two minutes. Stir in the apples. 
5. Spoon the apple mixture over the base. Bake 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into squares. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

The first time I made this I accidentally put ¾ tsp. of salt instead of ½ tsp. and it came out with that sweet-salty thing going - not too much, just perfect, so I always up the salt to ¾ tsp.

About 27 minutes was perfect on the baking time.

I didn't use nuts this time. It's nice with that extra crunch, though.

I've made this in two 8x8" pans - use 1 ¼ cup of the base in each pan and divide the batter evenly between them.

Update : I usually make this for gatherings, so none is left, but this time I made it for just us two. After three days (enclosed in the pan with a lid), the bottom crust got soggy. Still tasted OK, but I didn't care for the texture of the crust. So....if you're making this, make it for a gathering where it will be eaten within a day or two! Easy and delicious!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 184Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 142mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g

Nutrition Values are Approximate