INSTAGRAM

Apple Pie Bars with Chinese Five Spice and Miso

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Serves

4-6

Ingredients

  •  1 stick unsalted butter 
  • 1 cup oats 
  • 3/4 cup flour 
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 
  • 2 teaspoons 5 Chinese five spice 
  • 1 tablespoon white miso 
  • 3 apples, peeled and thinly sliced 
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
  • 1 tsp lemon juice 
  • 1 tsp corn starch

Steps

1

Melt the butter in a medium sized bowl. Once fully melted, add in the oats, flour, brown sugar, five spice, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and white miso. Mix until fully incorporated. Set aside.

2

Line an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray lightly with olive oil. Press half of the crumb mixture in to the bottom of the dish. It should be just under 1/2 inch thick.

3

In a large bowl, add sliced apples, lemon juice, 1/4 cup sugar and corn starch and stir to fully coat the apples.

4

Arrange the apples in stacking layers and top with any liquid that remains in the bowl.

5

Crumble the second half of the crumb mixture over the apples. It should almost fully cover the apples all over.

5

Bake uncovered for 40 mins. Serve room temperature or slightly warm with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with caramel sauce.

This is the only apple dessert recipe you need.

Oh my goodness! I’m not gonna lie when I was making this recipe I wanted to make the title all caps. I decided that would be too aggressive, and maybe my intent would be lost. However, this is absolutely the best apple dessert I have ever had. Not made. Had. 

I will say, that in order to have the same enthusiasm towards this dish as I do, you will need to like Chinese five spice. One of the major flavors that stands out in Chinese five spice is star anise. If you’re cool with that, then we’re on the right track. If not, please know you’re still invited to make this recipe, but just substitute either pumpkin spice, cinnamon and cardamom, or cinnamon alone. The miso adds a wonderful salty umami, much like you would get with salted caramel. Because the miso is salty, I omit adding salt and use unsalted butter in the crumb mixture I also use regular caramel versus salted caramel to drizzle on top. You don’t want too much salt, just enough to balance the sweetness and the miso is all you need.

I used apples we picked in Georgia a couple weekends ago and I swear I think that contributed to how perfect the apples were. They are Jonagold and they’re just the right balance between tart and sweet and have the best firm texture! Honeycrisp would also be a great variety to achieve the same. 

For me, this is perfect because the crust is thin and just crisp enough and the apples turn scoopable and caramelized.