These Ricotta Apple Bars Recipe makes oat-crust squares with creamy ricotta, diced apples and a vanilla drizzle, ready in about 1 hour 25 minutes. It makes 16 small squares, an easy dessert to bake ahead for a party or a coffee break.
Why This Recipe Works
The crust and the topping come from one bowl of crumbs. You press two thirds into the pan for the base and keep the rest for the top. That saves a step, and the oats and brown sugar give both layers the same toasty flavor.
Baking the crust for 10 to 12 minutes before you add the filling sets it a little. The wet ricotta can’t soak in, so the bottom stays crisp and doesn’t turn soggy under the apples.
Dice the apples small and toss them with lemon juice and cinnamon. Small pieces cook through in the short bake time and spread evenly, so every bite has some apple. The lemon keeps them from browning and adds a little tartness against the sweet ricotta.
Ricotta Apple Bars Recipe Ingredients
For the base and crumble topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
For the ricotta and apple filling
- 1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 medium apples (such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored and finely diced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the vanilla drizzle
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
How To Make Ricotta Apple Bars Recipe
Make the crust and topping
- Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and leave some paper hanging over the sides, so you can lift the bars out whole later.
- Mix the crumbs: Whisk the flour, oats, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Work in the cold cubed butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mix looks like coarse crumbs. Cold butter keeps the crumbs sandy and not greasy.
- Press the base: Press about two thirds of the crumbs firmly into the bottom of the pan. Set the rest aside for the topping. Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes, until it looks slightly set, then take it out.
Prepare the filling
- Mix the ricotta: Whisk the ricotta, egg, sugar (or honey) and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. A smooth mix sets evenly and has no lumps of cheese.
- Toss the apples: Toss the diced apples with the lemon juice and cinnamon in a separate bowl, so every piece is coated.
Assemble and bake
- Layer it: Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the warm crust. Scatter the spiced apples on top, then sprinkle the rest of the crumbs over everything.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 to 35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is set. Let the bars cool completely in the pan, since warm bars will crumble when you cut them.
Glaze and serve
- Make the glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Add a little more milk only if the glaze is too thick to pour.
- Drizzle and slice: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bars, then lift them out by the parchment and cut into squares.
Recipe Tips
- Cut the apples small: Pieces about the size of a pea cook through in the short bake. Big chunks stay firm and make the filling uneven.
- Press the crust firmly: Use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crumbs down. A firm base holds together when you lift out the bars and slice them.
- Cool before glazing: Warm bars melt the glaze and it runs off into the pan. Wait until they are fully cool for neat white lines.
- Pick a tart apple: Granny Smith keeps its shape and adds tang against the sweet crumbs. Honeycrisp is a little sweeter and still holds up well.
What To Serve With Ricotta Apple Bars Recipe
Serve the bars at room temperature with hot coffee or tea. A spoonful of whipped cream or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side turns one square into a plated dessert.
How To Store
- Fridge: Keep the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, since the filling has ricotta and egg.
- Freezer: Freeze unglazed squares in a single layer, then stack them in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat: Warm a square in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 10 minutes to crisp the topping again, then add the glaze.
FAQs
Can I use low-fat ricotta for apple bars?
Full-fat ricotta gives the best result, because it bakes into a creamy layer. Low-fat ricotta holds more water and can make the filling loose. If you use it, drain it in a fine strainer for 20 minutes first.
Can I make these ricotta apple bars ahead of time?
Yes. Bake them a day ahead, cool them completely and keep them covered in the fridge. Add the glaze just before serving so it stays smooth and bright.
Are these ricotta apple bars gluten free?
Not as written, because the recipe uses all-purpose flour, and regular oats can carry gluten too. You could try a gluten-free flour blend and certified gluten-free oats, but the texture may be a little more crumbly.
Why is my crust soggy on the bottom?
The usual cause is skipping the pre-bake or cutting the apples too large, which release extra juice. Bake the crust for the full 10 to 12 minutes and dice the apples finely so the base stays crisp.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 16), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 190 kcal
- Total Fat: 8g
- Total Carbohydrate: 27g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
Ricotta Apple Bars Recipe
16
servings25
minutes1
hour85
minutesOat crust bars with a creamy ricotta layer, diced apples and a crisp crumb topping, finished with a vanilla drizzle. They make 16 squares and keep for 4 days in the fridge.
Ingredients
- For the base and crumble topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- For the ricotta and apple filling
1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese
1 large egg
3 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium apples (such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored and finely diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- For the vanilla drizzle
1/2 cup powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
1 to 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and leave some paper hanging over the sides, so you can lift the bars out whole later.
- Mix the crumbs: Whisk the flour, oats, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Work in the cold cubed butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mix looks like coarse crumbs. Cold butter keeps the crumbs sandy and not greasy.
- Press the base: Press about two thirds of the crumbs firmly into the bottom of the pan. Set the rest aside for the topping. Bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes, until it looks slightly set, then take it out.
- Mix the ricotta: Whisk the ricotta, egg, sugar (or honey) and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. A smooth mix sets evenly and has no lumps of cheese.
- Toss the apples: Toss the diced apples with the lemon juice and cinnamon in a separate bowl, so every piece is coated.
- Layer it: Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the warm crust. Scatter the spiced apples on top, then sprinkle the rest of the crumbs over everything.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 to 35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is set. Let the bars cool completely in the pan, since warm bars will crumble when you cut them.
- Make the glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Add a little more milk only if the glaze is too thick to pour.
- Drizzle and slice: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled bars, then lift them out by the parchment and cut into squares.
