Description
Delight in these Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars featuring a buttery shortbread crust, warm apple filling spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and a crunchy oat streusel topping. Finished with a drizzle of homemade or store-bought salted caramel sauce, these bars combine the classic flavors of apple pie in an easy-to-serve bar format perfect for dessert or a cozy snack.
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
Topping
- homemade salted caramel or store-bought caramel sauce as needed for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang for easy removal later. 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 combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- Prepare Apple Filling: In a large bowl, combine the peeled and thinly sliced apples with flour, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Toss until the apples are evenly coated. Set aside.
- Make Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Cut in the cold cubed butter with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
- Assemble and Bake: Increase the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Layer the apple filling tightly over the warm crust, pressing down gently to fit. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the apples. Bake for 35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown.
- Cool and Chill: Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to set properly.
- Slice and Serve: Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into 16 smaller bars or 12 larger bars. Drizzle each bar with salted caramel sauce before serving. Enjoy warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Notes
- The bars keep fresh in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Freeze bars for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Using two apple varieties like Granny Smith and Pink Lady adds balanced tartness and sweetness.
- The recipe can be doubled for a 9×13-inch pan; prebake crust for 18 minutes and extend baking time to 45-55 minutes.
- Homemade salted caramel can be used, or store-bought caramel sauce works well for drizzling.
- Pastry blender or fork works best to cut the butter into the streusel for perfect texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (if cut into 16 bars)
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 33 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
