Description
These Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars combine thinly sliced apples tossed in warm spices with a chewy oat crumb crust and topping, all layered with rich, gooey salted caramel. Perfectly sweet, salty, and packed with fall flavors, these bars bake to golden perfection and are delicious served warm or chilled, ideal for dessert or a cozy snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Apple Filling
- 1 lb thinly sliced apples (about 2 large apples)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅕ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of salt
Oat Crust and Topping
- ¾ cup salted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
Caramel
- 3 ounces caramel (kraft bits, homemade, or from the jar)
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream (use if melting caramels vs. jarred caramel sauce)
Topping
- flaked sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper, allowing some overhang for easy removal.
- Prepare Apple Mixture: Peel and thinly slice the apples. In a small bowl, toss the apple slices with lemon juice, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt until evenly coated. Set aside to marinate.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the salted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Dry Ingredients: To the creamed butter mixture, add salt, baking soda, cinnamon, all-purpose flour, and old fashioned oats. Mix until just combined to form a dough.
- Form Bottom Crust and Bake: Press half of the oat dough firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared 8×8 pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes to set the crust.
- Melt Caramel: While the crust bakes, melt the caramel bits and heavy whipping cream together in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until smooth and combined. If using jarred caramel sauce, omit the cream.
- Assemble Bars: Remove the crust from the oven and immediately layer the apple mixture evenly over it. Pour the warm caramel sauce evenly over the apples.
- Add Topping and Bake Again: Drop the remaining oat dough in dollops over the caramel and apple layer; do not worry about spreading it evenly—it will bake into a rustic crumb topping. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 28-33 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the caramel is bubbling.
- Add Final Touch and Cool: Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the top with flaked sea salt to enhance the salted caramel flavor. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan to firm up.
- Serve: Cut into 12 bars and serve at room temperature or chilled from the fridge. For extra indulgence, drizzle additional caramel sauce over the bars before serving if desired.
Notes
- These bars feature a chewy oat base with a gooey caramel apple filling and a crumbly oat topping, combining sweet, salty, and tart flavors.
- Using tart apples like Granny Smith enhances the flavor balance against the sweet caramel and brown sugar.
- Heavy cream is optional and only needed for melting caramel bits; if using jarred caramel sauce, no cream is necessary.
- Flaked sea salt sprinkled on top balances sweetness and adds a delightful texture contrast.
- Bars can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days and are delicious warmed or chilled.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 263 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 304 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 32 mg
