Applesauce Raisin Bars are delicious (and easy to make), with chunky applesauce, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and walnuts (makes 24).
Today I want to share a recipe I found many years ago for applesauce raisin bars, and made several changes to suit our taste!
What I enjoy about these delicious dessert (or snack) bars, besides the taste, is they are not overly sweet! I am publishing this post at Christmas time where it seems like everything baked is all about sweet treats and lots of chocolate!
These dessert or snack bars can hold their own against many other super sweet cookie bars, so I hope you will give them a try!
The recipe is incredibly EASY and hardly takes any time to make! Stir the batter, spread in a pan and bake! How’s THAT for easy? They package well, so they can also be given as a food gift this time of year. YUM! Here’s how to make applesauce raisin bars.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Prepare The Batter – It’s EASY!
The first thing you’ll need to do is preheat your oven to 350°F., because the batter for these bars is incredibly quick and easy to make!
To make the batter for the applesauce raisin bars, measure all the ingredients (except for the powdered sugar) into a large mixing bowl.
TIP: I like to use chunky homemade applesauce for my bars because I like the “small chunks” of apples, but regular “smooth” applesauce can also be used for this recipe.
Stir well until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. This batter is very thick, so keep on stirring until all of it is fully incorporated.
Spread The Batter In The Baking Pan
Lightly spray a 13″ x 9″ baking pan (with rimmed edges) with non-stick baking spray. Place the batter into the pan in large dollops all over the bottom.
Use the back of the spoon to press the batter firmly down into the pan, completely filling it from edge to edge and into every corner.
Now it’s time to bake the applesauce raisin bars. You can see how simple these dessert bars are to make, right?
Time To Bake The Bars
Place the baking sheet on a middle rack in your preheated oven. Bake the applesauce raisin bars at 350°F. for 25-28 minutes (mine usually are done at 25 minutes, so please check them at that point).
To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the bars. If it comes out clean (free of batter), the bars are finished baking. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool.
After the bars have cooled for about 10 minutes, slice them evenly into 24 pieces (still in the pan). Once the bars have cooled completely, they can be served “as is” or lightly dusted with powdered sugar (see below).
Serve And Enjoy The Apple Raisin Bars
My favorite way to serve applesauce raisin bars is to lightly sift powdered sugar over the top! This adds a small bit of sweetness and adds a nice touch of added “color” for serving.
Serve at room temperature and enjoy these delicious dessert bars. I enjoy the fact that they are not overly sweet, but have the warm flavors of Fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
They also have the crunch of the walnuts, and chewy raisins and apple pieces, which round these bars out very well! I really think you will enjoy them, either as a snack, dessert, OR to give as a thoughtful “foodie” gift to a loved one.
I truly hope you enjoy making and eating these yummy applesauce raisin bars, and trust you will enjoy them as much as I do.
Thank you for stopping by today, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!
Looking For More BAR COOKIE Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of delicious bar cookie recipes to choose from, including:
- Banana Chocolate Chip Bars
- Lemon Bars
- Strawberry-Rhubarb Dream Bars
- Blackberry Pie Bars
- Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Applesauce Raisin Bars are delicious (and easy to make), with chunky applesauce, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and walnuts (makes 24).
- 2 cups sifted all purpose flour
- 1 cup chunky applesauce can substitute regular
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup butter =8 Tbl.- melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1¾ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9" x 13" baking pan (with edges) with non-stick baking spray.
Measure all ingredients (except powdered sugar) into a large mixing bowl. Stir well until ingredients are fully combined (batter is very thick.).
Place batter by large spoonfuls into the pan. Use the back of the spoon to press the batter firmly down into the pan, completely filling it from edge to edge and into every corner.
Place the baking sheet on a middle rack in oven. Bake at 350°F. for 25-28 minutes (mine usually are done at 25 minutes, so check them at that point). To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean (free of batter), bars are done. Remove pan from oven; transfer it to a wire rack to cool.
After the bars have cooled for about 10 minutes, slice them evenly into 24 pieces (still in the pan). Let cool completely, then serve as is OR sift powdered sugar over the top of the bars (optional) and then serve. Enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!