Do you love the chill in the air, the change of color? All reminders that it is apple harvest time! This recipe will remind you of apple pie, but in dessert bar form. Layers of a buttery crust, spiced apples and a lightly sweet topping. Let the aroma fill your kitchen!

Apple Harvest Bars

1 ½ cups flour

2/3 cup sugar, divided

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup cold butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cups peeled and sliced apples (about 2-3 large apples)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375° and grease a 9 x 13″ baking pan.

In a food processor, add flour, 1/3 cup sugar and salt, pulsate once to combine. Add butter and pulse a few times until the mixture turns to dry crumbs. Press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.

In a medium bowl, toss the sliced apples in lemon juice. Arrange the apples slices in rows on top of the crust.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle over the layer of apples. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the coconut, egg, condensed milk, vanilla and pecans in a medium bowl. Remove the pan from the oven and spoon the coconut mixture evenly over the layer of apples. Bake for an additional 20 minutes until the coconut is golden brown.

Slightly cool in pan and cut into bars while still warm.

The aroma of apple pie fills the house!

Tip: Cut dessert bars ahead of time to make an easy-to-serve dessert. Sweet Stackers layer your baked goods in one container so they are ready to serve or transport to a party! Visit sweetstackers.com to learn how you can convert your containers to multi-level.