Fall baking never tasted so good! These Salted Caramel Apple Bars combine a buttery shortbread crust, juicy cinnamon-spiced apples, and a gooey caramel drizzle with a sprinkle of sea salt. They’re the perfect make-ahead dessert for holidays, potlucks, or when you just want a cozy treat at home.
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Salted Caramel Apple Bars
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
Description
Fall baking never tasted so good! These Salted Caramel Apple Bars combine a buttery shortbread crust, juicy cinnamon-spiced apples, and a gooey caramel drizzle with a sprinkle of sea salt. They’re the perfect make-ahead dessert for holidays, potlucks, or when you just want a cozy treat at home.
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Pinch of salt
- For the apple filling:
- 4 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (55 g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- For the topping:
- 1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- Pinch of salt
- For finishing:
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) salted caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust: In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, butter, and salt until crumbly. Press evenly into the pan. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden.
- Prepare the apple filling: In a large bowl, toss diced apples with flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice until well coated.
- Layer the apples: Spread the apple mixture evenly over the baked crust.
- Make the topping: Combine oats, brown sugar, flour, salt, and cold butter. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to create a crumbly texture. Sprinkle evenly over the apples.
- Bake: Return to the oven for 30–35 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling at the edges.
- Finish: Cool completely in the pan. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cut into bars and serve.
Notes
Ingredient Notes & Swaps: Use gluten-free flour for a GF version. Swap apples with pears for a different twist. If using store-bought caramel, make sure it’s thick enough to drizzle. Pro Tips & Variations: Chill before slicing for neat, bakery-style bars. Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping for crunch. Drizzle with white chocolate for extra indulgence. Make it dairy-free with vegan butter and coconut caramel. Serving Suggestions: Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Pair with hot apple cider, coffee, or chai latte. Cut into bite-sized squares for party trays. Storage & Reheating: Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Refrigerator: Keeps fresh for up to 5 days. Freezer: Wrap bars individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheating: Warm in the microwave for 15–20 seconds before serving. Troubleshooting: Bars falling apart? Let them cool fully before cutting. Too watery filling? Be sure to toss apples with flour to absorb excess juice. Caramel too runny? Warm slightly before drizzling so it sets nicely.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: salted caramel apple bars, apple dessert, fall baking, caramel, bars, easy dessert
At a Glance
- Servings: 16 bars
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Estimated Cost: $10–12
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- Pinch of salt
- For the apple filling:
- 4 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (55 g) brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- For the topping:
- 1 cup (90 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (1 stick / 113 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- Pinch of salt
- For finishing:
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) salted caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Ingredient Notes & Swaps:
- Use gluten-free flour for a GF version.
- Swap apples with pears for a different twist.
- If using store-bought caramel, make sure it’s thick enough to drizzle.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust: In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, butter, and salt until crumbly. Press evenly into the pan. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden.
- Prepare the apple filling: In a large bowl, toss diced apples with flour, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice until well coated.
- Layer the apples: Spread the apple mixture evenly over the baked crust.
- Make the topping: Combine oats, brown sugar, flour, salt, and cold butter. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to create a crumbly texture. Sprinkle evenly over the apples.
- Bake: Return to the oven for 30–35 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling at the edges.
- Finish: Cool completely in the pan. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cut into bars and serve.
Pro Tips & Variations
- Chill before slicing for neat, bakery-style bars.
- Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the topping for crunch.
- Drizzle with white chocolate for extra indulgence.
- Make it dairy-free with vegan butter and coconut caramel.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Pair with hot apple cider, coffee, or chai latte.
- Cut into bite-sized squares for party trays.
Storage & Reheating
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Keeps fresh for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Wrap bars individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Reheating: Warm in the microwave for 15–20 seconds before serving.
Troubleshooting
- Bars falling apart? Let them cool fully before cutting.
- Too watery filling? Be sure to toss apples with flour to absorb excess juice.
- Caramel too runny? Warm slightly before drizzling so it sets nicely.