These caramel apple pie bars are made with shortbread crust, fresh apples tossed with warm spices, an oat streusel and drizzled with salted caramel. The best fall dessert!
Love yummy apple desserts? Try this Dutch apple pie, apple dump cake or apple cobbler, too!
Table of Contents
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Caramel apple pie bars are an irresistible dessert that combines the classic flavors of sweet brown bag apple pie or apple crisp with rich caramel. With a buttery crust, spiced apple filling and generous drizzle of salted caramel, it’s easier than pie!
I love making apple fruit desserts in the fall from these bars to easy apple cake and this apple fritters recipe. It’s always nice to have extra apples on hand to make apple pie cheesecake or apple crumble, too! I can’t get enough!
Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Apples: I like to use two different apples, such as a Granny Smith and a Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apple for the easy apple filling.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works in each layer: it makes the crust flakey, helps thicken the filling, and binds together the topping.
- Sugar: Granulated adds sweetness to the shortbread crust, while brown sugar add a sweetness to the filling and the streusel topping.
- Cinnamon: The warming spice that works so well with the apples.
- Oats: Oats add just the right amount of texture to the Dutch apple topping, but you can omit the oats and make a crumble topping if preferred.
- Butter: The crust would have that creamy flavor and the topping wouldn’t hold together without butter.
- Vanilla extract: An extra depth of flavor for the crust.
- Salt: This brings out the flavors of the apple pie bar dessert.
- Caramel sauce: I love to make a homemade salted caramel sauce, but you can use a store bought caramel sauce to save time.
How to Make Caramel Apple Pie Bars
- Crust. Mix together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a bowl. Add the flour and mix again. Then use your hands to press the mixture into a greased 9×9″ pan and bake at 300°F for 15 minutes.
- Apple filling. Make the filling while the crust bakes. Slice the apples, then mix them in a bowl with flour, sugar and cinnamon until coated.
- Topping. In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Then mix in the cubed butter with your hands (or a pastry blender) until the mixture is crumbly.
- Bake. Remove crust from the oven and increase temperature to 350°F. Pour apple filling over warm crust then sprinkle crumb mixture on top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Chill for 2 hours then drizzle with salted caramel sauce before serving the apple crisp bars!
Baking Tips
- What are the best apples for baking? I love to include both sweet and tart varieties such as Braeburn, Golden Delicious or Jonagold.
- For more spice, mix in 1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg to the filling or use apple pie spice.
- Chill caramel apple crumb bars in the refrigerator for about 2 hours (or even overnight) before enjoying.
- Prefer a pie crust? Follow directions to blind bake the crust then add filling.
- No apples on hand? Make salted caramel butter bars instead!
- Skip turning on the oven: Make this caramel apple dip bar!
Can’t get enough apple recipes? Try these apple turnovers, toffee apple dip or cinnamon apple muffins!
More Apple Dessert Recipes
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Video
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter , melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Apple filling
- 2 large apples , cored and thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar , packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Crumb topping
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar , packed
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 Tablespoons chilled salted butter , cubed
Optional: Salted Caramel Sauce, Maldon salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 300°F degrees. Spray 9×9-inch pan with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
Crust
- In a medium bowl, mix 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined. Add 1 cup flour and mix again. Using your hands, press the crust mixture into the pan until it's evenly distributed. Bake 15 minutes.
Apple filling
- In a large bowl, place 2 large apples. Stir in 2 Tablespoons flour, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon until apples are coated. Set aside.
Crumb topping
- In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup oats, 1/3 cup brown sugar, pinch of cinnamon, and 1/4 cup flour. Using your hands or a pastry blender, mix in 5 Tablespoons butter until the mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
- Bake bars. Remove crust from the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the apple filling over the warm crust and use the back of a spoon to press down the apples to lay flat. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the apples until covered. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cool, chill and enjoy. Remove from oven and let cool 20 minutes. Chill in the fridge to set at least 2 hours. Cut into bars and serve warm or cold. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the top, if desired, just before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Recipe FAQs
The salted caramel sauce has my heart, but you could drizzle a simple powdered sugar icing on top if preferred (a mixture of powdered sugar and milk).
Yes! Double the ingredients and bake in a 9×13-inch baking dish for about 45 to 55 minutes.
These bars will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can eat them warm or cold – either is delicious!
Yes, if you have extra, you can freeze them individually for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight and add desired toppings
Categorized as: American, Bars, Desserts, Freezer-Friendly, Fruit Desserts, Pies + Tarts
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Can I make these bars with your diced apple pie filling? Will they stick together?
Hi Allison! I haven’t tested this recipe with my diced apple pie filling, but if you try it, comment and let me know how they turned out :)
These bars are truly fabulous! They have me craving Fall already!
This is absolutely delicious! I love that it’s such a crowd pleaser for the whole family
This is a great Fall dessert idea! I love the caramel apple flavors!
I wish I had some of these bars with my morning coffee!
These bars are absolutely perfect!
These bars sound fantastic! I need to try them asap! :)
This sounds like something I need to try. I really like
Stop it!! I can’t decide which layer I am most excited about… That crust!! The apples! That salted caramel!! Oh my!
These Carmel Apple Pie BARS almost jump off the page with your super closeup pictures and recipe! Only 2 whole apples and on hand ingredients make them even quicker and easier to make. Personally I like apple bars or squares even more than I like Apple Pie. And Carmel just makes everything Apple even better. Have you ever heard of the Apple- Cheddar Cheese FlavorCombo? Maybe you can give it a try room Jaimielyn…I’m not as good as testing recipes as you are:)
But these ARE delicious!!! Thanks so much!
I agree, caramel makes everything apple better! I’ve never tried the apple-cheddar cheese flavor combo…sounds interesting and worth a try!