Brown Butter Apple Crisp Bars

Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 16 servings

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9×9-inch square baking pan with enough parchment paper for overhang on all sides.
2. Melt ½ cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; simmer, stirring frequently, until butter is browned, fragrant, and foamy, with brown bits in it, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl.
3. Combine apples, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 pinch salt in the same saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened, about 10 minutes.
4. Mix water and cornstarch together in a small bowl: stir into the saucepan until combined. Cook until mixture thickens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes more. Cool slightly.
5. Mix in remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, oats, flour, ½ cup brown sugar, vanilla, baking soda, nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon salt to the brown butter mixture until well combined. Reserve 1 cup of oat mixture for topping.
6. Pour remaining oat mixture into the prepared pan; firmly press into an even layer. Pour apples and sauce over top in an even layer: sprinkle with reserved oat mixture.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown and crisp, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Cut into 16 bars.