📖 Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). This is crutial so dont skip this step! Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze. Trust me, you'll thank me later.
2. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of rolled oats, 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Whisk together until well combined. This ensures the spices are evenly distributed throughout the crust and crumble.
3. Add 1 cup (2 sticks) of cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes, to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. The colder the butter, the flakier the crust and crumble will be!
4. Press half of the oat mixture into the prepared baking pan. Press firmly to create an even layer. This forms the base crust for the bars.
5. Bake the crust for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Keep an eye on it to prevent burning. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the apple filling.
6. In a large bowl, combine 6 cups of peeled and diced apples (about 4-5 medium apples), ½ cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Toss gently to coat the apples evenly. The lemon juice helps prevent the apples from browning and adds a touch of brightness to the filling.
7. Spread the apple filling evenly over the pre-baked crust. Make sure it's evenly distributed for consistent flavor in every bite.
8. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the apple filling. Distribute it evenly to create a nice crumble topping. Don't press down on the topping; you want it to remain crumbly.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbly. If the topping starts to brown too quickly, tent the pan with foil. I didn't do this the first time and I almost burned the topping!
10. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars. This allows the filling to set and makes cutting easier. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the bars out of the pan for easy slicing.
11. Cut into bars and serve. These are delicious on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.