These salted caramel apple pie bars deliver all the cozy flavor of apple pie without the fuss of a homemade crust. A soft shortbread base, warm cinnamon apples, a brown sugar crumble, and a drizzle of homemade salted caramel come together in one pan for a fall dessert that always impresses.
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Apple recipes are must in the fall and my go-to apple recipes are this Apple Fritter Bread and Apple Coffee Cake. They are both so delicious and fill the house with the most amazing smells of cinnamon.
Why You'll Love This Caramel Apple Bar Recipe!
These apple pie bars have all the cozy, cinnamon-apple flavor of a classic pie, but come together in a fraction of the time. They're easy to make, easy to slice, and disappear fast.
Here are more reasons why you'll love these caramel apple bars:
- One bowl for the crust, one bowl for the crumble — minimal cleanup.
- No pie crust to roll out and no soggy bottom to worry about.
- That homemade salted caramel takes them over the top.
- They slice up neatly, so they're perfect for potlucks and parties.
- You can make both the bars and the caramel ahead of time.
These salted caramel apple pie bars are so cozy and will disappear fast!
Equipment Needed
- 8x8 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowls
- Stainless steel saucepan (for the caramel; skip using nonstick here)
- Wooden spoon and whisk
- Knife, for slicing
Key Ingredients
Unsalted butter - Used in the crust, crumble, and caramel, so you control the salt level yourself.
Old-fashioned oats: Give the crust and crumble a little chew. Stick with old-fashioned, not quick or instant oats.
Apples: Use a firm baking apple like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, sliced about ¼ inch thick so they cook evenly.
Brown sugar: Adds warmth and a hint of molasses to the crust, crumble, and filling.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice: The classic warm spice blend for apple pie. Nutmeg and allspice are optional — extra cinnamon works too.
Granulated sugar and heavy cream: The base of the homemade salted caramel. Store-bought caramel works in a pinch!
Flake sea salt: Stirred into the caramel for that salty-sweet finish.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Melt the butter for the crumble topping and let it cool slightly while you prep the other ingredients. Stir in the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until crumbly, then refrigerate while you make everything else.
In another bowl, melt the butter for the crust and mix in the brown sugar, vanilla, flour, oats, and salt. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan in a thin, even layer, making sure it gets into the corners.
Bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes, just until set.
While the crust bakes, peel the apples and thinly slice them about ¼ inch thick. Toss them in a bowl with the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Once the crust comes out of the oven, top it with the cinnamon-sugar apples, then sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apples.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the apples are soft when poked with a fork. If the crumble starts browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil.
Let the bars cool at room temperature for about an hour, then transfer to the fridge to finish cooling; they slice much more cleanly once fully chilled!
For the caramel, melt the sugar in a stainless steel saucepan over medium heat, stirring until it turns light amber. Turn the heat down low, stir in the butter, then remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the heavy cream; a little bubbling is normal. Stir in the sea salt and vanilla; they will thicken as they cool.
Slice the chilled bars, drizzle generously with salted caramel, and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
These apple pie bars are delicious served cold, at room temperature, or gently warmed.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy them:
- Warm a bar for a few seconds in the microwave and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Drizzle with extra salted caramel right before serving.
- Finish with a light dusting of flake sea salt for extra crunch.
- Add a dollop of whipped cream for an extra special treat.
- Serve alongside other fall favorites like pumpkin bars or apple crumble on a dessert table.
Storage
Store the apple pie bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. You can store the salted caramel sauce separately in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 month, so feel free to make it ahead of time. When you're ready to serve, simply drizzle the caramel over the bars, warming it slightly if you'd like it a bit more pourable.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Ingredients
Crumble Topping
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup old fashioned oats
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup old fashioned oats
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Apple Filling
- 2 ½ cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced *see notes
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice, optional or use extra cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, optional or use extra cinnamon
Salted Caramel, homemade is great or use store-bought
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon flake sea salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a 8x8 inch baking tray with parchment paper.
Crumble Topping
- Add the butter to a bowl and melt in microwave. Prepare other ingredients while the butter cools slightly.
- Add the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Mix to combine into a crumbly topping. Place in the refrigerator while preparing the remaining ingredients.
Crust
- In another bowl melt butter and add brown sugar, vanilla, flour, oats and salt. Mix to combine and place mixture into the prepared baking pan. Press into a thin layer getting the crust into the corners of the pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.
Apple Filling
- While the crust is baking, peel and thinly slice the apples about ¼ inch thick.
- Place the apples in a bowl and toss with sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
Assembling the Apple Bars
- Once the crust is removed from the oven top with the cinnamon sugar apples, then add the crumble layer to the top to cover the apples.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the apples are soft when poked with a fork. If the crumble topping begins to brown too much cover with a piece of aluminum foil.
- When bars are finished baking allow to cool at room temperature for an hour and then transfer to the refrigerator to finish cooling, they are much easier to cut when cooled!
Salted Caramel Sauce
- Add the sugar to a stainless steel saucepan (do not use nonstick). Heat the sugar over medium heat and use a wooden spoon to stir. After several minutes the sugar will begin to clump and melt. Continue to stir until the sugar has completely melted and turned a light amber color.
- When the sugar has melted completely, turn the heat down low. Add the butter and stir vigorously to mix the butter into the sugar. It may not fully incorporate and a little separation is normal.
- Next, remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk in the heavy cream a little at a time. Expect to see a little bubbling when the cream is added. Continue to stir until the caramel sauce comes together. Stir in the sea salt and vanilla. This will thicken as it cools. It will keep in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- Drizzle over apple bars and enjoy cold, room temperature or warmed with vanilla ice cream.
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