Chicago-Style Bakery Apple Slices
These soft apple-filled dessert bars have a tender crust, cinnamon-spiced apples, and a sweet glaze on top — just like old-school bakery slices.
Ingredients
For the crust & topping
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
For the apple filling
4 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced
Granny Smith or Honeycrisp work great
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp cornstarch
For the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2–3 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla
Instructions
Prepare the apples
In a bowl, toss sliced apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
Make the dough
In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Cut in cold butter until crumbly.
Add egg and vanilla and mix until dough forms.
Assemble
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Press about ⅔ of the dough into the bottom.
Spread apple filling evenly over crust.
Crumble remaining dough on top.
Bake
Bake for 40–45 minutes until golden brown and apples are tender.
Glaze
Let cool slightly. Mix glaze ingredients and drizzle over the top.
Slice & serve
Cut into bakery-style squares or rectangles.
Tips
Chill before slicing for cleaner bakery-style pieces.
Add chopped walnuts or raisins if you like.
Best served slightly warm with coffee or tea.
