Caramel Apple Bars
intro
Buttery spiced oat crumble bars layered with tart cinnamon apples and gooey salted caramel, a cozy, shareable fall baked treat perfect for groups.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep pan and oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x13 inch (23x33cm) baking pan with parchment paper, leaving 2-inch overhang on the two long sides to easily lift finished bars out later. Lightly grease the exposed pan edges with a thin coating of butter to prevent sticking.
Mix crumb base
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups (135g) old-fashioned rolled oats, 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda until evenly combined. Pour in 1 cup (226g) melted unsalted butter and stir with a rubber spatula until all dry ingredients are evenly moistened and form coarse, clumpy crumbs.
Press crust layer
Measure out 2 1/2 cups (about 480g) of the crumb mixture and transfer it to the prepared baking pan. Press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan to form a tight, flat base layer, making sure to reach all corners of the pan. Set the remaining crumb mixture aside to use as the topping.
Toss apple filling
In a medium bowl, combine the 450g of 1/4-inch thick sliced Granny Smith apples, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, remaining 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Toss until all apple slices are evenly coated in the flour-cinnamon mixture, then spread the apples in a single, even layer over the pressed crust in the pan.
Drizzle caramel layer
Warm the 1 cup (240ml) salted caramel sauce for 15 seconds in the microwave on 50% power until it is pourable but not boiling. Drizzle 3/4 of the caramel evenly over the apple layer, taking care to cover most of the apple surface without letting caramel run directly onto the pan edges (which can burn during baking). Save the remaining 1/4 cup caramel for drizzling after baking.
Top and bake bars
Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the caramel and apple layer, gently patting the crumbs down slightly to adhere. Place the pan in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven and bake for 32-35 minutes, until the top crumb layer is deep golden brown and the caramel filling is bubbling around the edges of the pan.
Cool and finish bars
Remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature for 2 full hours (do not cut warm, as the caramel will run). Once fully cooled, use the parchment overhang to lift the entire bar slab out of the pan, drizzle with the remaining 1/4 cup salted caramel sauce, and cut into 12 equal rectangular bars.
Tips
2.Use firm, tart baking apples such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Braeburn for this recipe. Soft, mealy apple varieties like Red Delicious will break down into mush during baking and make the bottom crust soggy.
3.Choose a thick, high-quality salted caramel sauce (homemade or premium jarred) for this recipe. Thin, runny ice cream topping caramel will seep into the crust and fail to form a chewy, distinct caramel layer.
OMG these caramel apple bars are a total game changer! I brought them to my kid’s soccer team potluck last weekend and every single last bar was gone before half time. The shortbread crust is buttery, the apple layer is perfectly spiced, and that caramel topping? *Chef’s kiss* So easy to throw together too, I didn’t even need to pull out my stand mixer. 10/10 will be making these all fall long!
Made these for my roommate’s fall birthday party and everyone kept asking for the recipe. Only note is I added a tiny sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the caramel right before baking and it elevated everything so much. SO good.
Wait, do I really have to wait the full 2 hours for cooling? I’m so impatient, these smell incredible coming out of the oven and I’m this close to cutting into them already 😂 Made these for my weekly meal prep to have as little treats throughout the work week, the house smells like a cider mill right now.
My grandkids went absolutely wild for these bars! I’ve been making caramel apple treats for 40+ years and this recipe is so much simpler than my old go-to that used homemade caramel from scratch. The store-bought caramel bits work like a charm and save so much time, I didn’t tell the grandkids they weren’t from scratch and they never guessed. Will be adding this to my annual Thanksgiving dessert spread for sure!
Super easy recipe, came out perfect on my first try. I used Granny Smith apples like the recipe said and the tartness cut the sweet caramel so well, no cloying sweetness at all. Brought a batch into the office and my coworkers already put in a request for me to make another batch next week.
Wait, has anyone tried making these gluten free? My niece has celiac and I want to make these for our family dinner next weekend but I don’t want to mess up the texture swapping flour.
Game changer for fall! I was worried these would be too fussy for a beginner baker like me but the instructions were so straightforward, I didn’t mess anything up at all. My whole apartment smells like cinnamon and apples, I’m obsessed. Only thing I’ll do differently next time is add a handful of chopped pecans to the crust for a little crunch.
Made these for my fantasy football watch party yesterday and they were way more popular than the wings I spent 2 hours making. Rude, honestly. But also fair, these are stupid good. 10/10, even my buddy who hates all fruit desserts went back for a second bar.
How long do these keep in the fridge? I want to make them a couple days ahead for my book club meeting so I don’t have to bake the day of, but I don’t want them to get soggy.
My kids loved it! They’re super picky about sweet treats, usually turning down anything with fruit in it, but they begged for seconds after dinner tonight. I let them help sprinkle the caramel bits on top before baking and they thought that was the coolest thing ever. Such a fun easy recipe to make with little kids.
Solid easy fall dessert. I swapped half the apples for Honeycrisp instead of all Granny Smith because that’s what I had on hand and it was delicious, a little sweeter but still balanced. Cook time was exactly what the recipe said, no weird adjustments needed. Will make again.
Wait, I let these cool the full 2 hours but my caramel is still super runny? Did I do something wrong? I followed the recipe exactly, used the caramel bits, baked for the full 55 minutes, but it’s oozing everywhere when I cut it.
SO good! I made these for our neighborhood block party last weekend and I had three neighbors knock on my door the next day asking for the recipe. The crumb topping is so buttery and cinnamon-y, I could eat that crust raw tbh. 10/10, this is going to be my go-to potluck dessert from now on through Thanksgiving and Christmas.