Description
Delicious Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars feature a buttery shortbread crust topped with warm cinnamon-spiced apples, a crunchy oat streusel, and a drizzle of rich salted caramel sauce. Perfect for dessert or a sweet snack, these bars combine the best flavors and textures of classic apple pie in an easy-to-cut bar form.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Crust
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Apple Filling
- 2 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced (1/4 inch thick)*
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Streusel
- 1/2 cup (43g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1/3 cup (70g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
To Serve
- Homemade salted caramel or store-bought caramel sauce for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 300°F (149°C). Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides for easy removal. Set aside.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, stir together melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Press this mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven while you prepare the filling and streusel.
- Prepare the apple filling: In a large bowl, combine thinly sliced apples with flour, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss until all slices are well coated; set aside.
- Make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Cut in the cold cubed butter using a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
- Assemble and bake: Increase oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Evenly layer the apple mixture over the warm crust, pressing down gently to fit the apples tightly. Sprinkle the streusel evenly on top. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until streusel is golden brown and apples are tender.
- Cool and chill: Remove from oven and allow the bars to cool at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Then, refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to set completely.
- Serve: Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into 12 to 16 bars depending on your preferred size. Drizzle each bar with salted caramel sauce before serving. These bars are delicious warm, at room temperature, or cold.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing: Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
- Apples: Using two apple varieties such as tart Granny Smith and sweet Pink Lady provides a balanced flavor. Approximately 3-4 cups of sliced apples are used.
- Larger Batch: Double the recipe for a 9×13-inch pan. Pre-bake crust for 18 minutes and extend final bake time to about 45-55 minutes.
- Special Tools: An 8-inch square baking pan, parchment paper, mixing bowls, whisk, spatula, and pastry blender make preparation easier.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (based on 16 bars)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
