Description
Delight in these Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars featuring a buttery shortbread crust, spiced apple filling, and a crunchy oat streusel topping, all drizzled with luscious salted caramel sauce. Perfect as a dessert or snack with a comforting blend of sweet and tart flavors.
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
- homemade salted caramel or store-bought caramel sauce
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 on all sides. Set aside.
- Make the crust. In a medium bowl, stir together the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Add the all-purpose flour and mix until combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven to cool slightly.
- Prepare the apple filling. In a large bowl, combine the peeled and thinly sliced apples, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss until the apple slices are evenly coated. Set aside.
- Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Cut in the cold, cubed butter using a pastry blender, two forks, or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
- Assemble and bake. Increase oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Evenly layer the apple filling over the warm crust, tightly pressing down to fit all slices. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the apples. Bake for 35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown.
- Cool and chill. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.
- Serve. Lift the bars from the pan using the parchment overhang and cut into 12 to 16 bars. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce before serving. Enjoy warm, at room temperature, or cold.
Notes
- The bars keep fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze bars for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Use 2 types of apples such as Granny Smith (tart) and Pink Lady (sweet) for a balanced flavor.
- The recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch pan. Pre-bake the crust for 18 minutes, then bake assembled bars for 45–55 minutes.
- Use parchment paper with overhang for easy removal from the pan.
- Drizzle with homemade salted caramel sauce or store-bought caramel for finishing touch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
