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–+ servings
three caramel apple bars stacked on top of each other
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4.95 from 19 votes

Salted Caramel Apple Bars

Apple pie in bar form! A buttery shortbread crust, apples tossed in spices, a brown sugar oat streusel, and drizzled with a salted caramel sauce.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 bars
Calories: 441kcal
Author: Heather Perine

Equipment

Ingredients

For the crust

  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 14 Tablespoons (198 g) unsalted butter melted

For the Apple filling

  • 3 cups apples (about 3-4 medium apples) peeled and diced into 1/2" pieces
  • 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 6 tablespoons (45 g) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup caramel sauce

For the streusel

  • 1/2 cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (60 g) all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (57g , 4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter softened
  • 1/4 cup (22 g) old fashioned or quick cooking oats

Instructions

Shortbread crust

  • Preheat oven to 350oF (177°C). Prepare a 9x13" rectangular pan with foil or parchment paper, being sure to leave the edges hanging over for easy removal. Give the pan a spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large mixing bowl, with a wooden spoon or spatula, stir together the sugar, flour, and salt. Stir in the the melted butter until a crumbly dough forms.
  • Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven.

Apple filling

  • Give the mixing bowl a wipe to re-use.
  • In the same large mixing bowl you used for the crust, stir together the apples flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  • Spread the apples over the par-baked crust. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Give the mixing bowl a wipe to re-use for the streusel topping.

Streusel Topping

  • In a large mixing bowl, with a wooden spoon or spatula, stir together the brown sugar, oats, flour and cut in the softened butter until a crumbly mixture forms. You can use a pastry cutter to do this, two knives, or just squish the butter your fingertips.
  • Crumble the streusel topping over the apples and caramel sauce.
  • Bake for an additional 30 minutes at 350oF/177oC until streusel topping is golden brown. Remove from the oven to cool completely in the pan. Lift the foil or paper out of the pan and cut into squares.

Video

Notes

  • Store overnight covered at room temperature: For longer storage, store in the fridge covered for up to 5 days. 
  • Freezing: Once cooled you can freeze any leftover bars for up to 3 months. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving. 
  • Apples - I used Honeycrisp, but I also like to use a combination of apples as well. Granny Smith and Cortland are two of my favorites I love combining for a sweet/tart combination. Pink Lady is another great option.
  • Caramel sauce - You can make your own caramel sauce, a quick caramel sauce like I did for these caramelitas, or just simply use some jarred caramel sauce. If using a store-bought sauce, make sure it's a quality, thick sauce.
  • Oats - I prefer old-fashioned oats for a heartier texture, but quick oats also work.
  • Be sure to measure your flour correctly by scooping and leveling. You can get a full tutorial on how to do that here. 
  • You need to use softened butter for the streusel. If you need to soften your butter quickly, check that out here. 
  • Line your pan with tinfoil so they are easy to remove from the pan. 

Nutrition

Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 520mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 671IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg