salted caramel apple pie bars

Apple Pie Bars have all the flavor of apple pie with none of the fuss! A brown sugar oat crumble doubles as the crust and topping for these bars. A generous layer of spiced apples are layered in between. Bake until the bars are golden & the apples are tender and caramelized. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce for the ultimate fall dessert!

this recipe

With apple picking season upon us, these apple bars are the perfect easy fall bake! Let’s dive in.

Why you’ll love these Apple Pie Bars:

• Tender, Spiced Apples – The apples bake to tender perfection and get a little caramelized – all without needing to pre-cook them!
• One Crust & Topping Mixture – Our crust & topping come from one simple mixture that comes together in one bowl! It’s soft & chewy on the bottom, and a little crisp on top – just like an apple pie with a crumble or dutch topping.
• Salted Caramel Sauce – Drizzle salted caramel sauce over the warm bars – it takes the whole experience to a new level!
• Party Perfect – These bars are easy to transport & make a large yield – perfect for any fall parties or holidays! Bonus – they’re much easier to make than a traditional Caramel Apple Pie!

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).

• Apples – Use a firm apple here – any apple that’s good for baking will work! I personally like to mix about 2/3 honeycrisp and 1/3 granny smith. The granny smith apples are tart so they keep things from being too sweet, but I find that if you use all granny smith it’s too tart. Don’t use McIntosh – they’re too soft and aren’t a good baking apple – save them for homemade applesauce!
• Spices – A combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves gives our apples the perfect amount of cozy fall flavor.
• Butter – I always use salted butter because in my experience, it lends the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s what you prefer.
• All-purpose flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat utensil for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake.
• Oats – Use old-fashioned, whole rolled oats.

Recipe Variations:

• Dairy-free – Use your favorite, trusted, dairy-free butter and heavy cream to make this recipe gluten-free. I like the country crock ones!

How to Make Apple Pie Bars:

Step 1: Make the Apple Filling. Slice your apples and toss with sugar, lemon juice, spices, and flour in a medium bowl. Set aside while you make the topping.

Step 2: Make the Crust & Topping Mixture. Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the flour, oats, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.

Step 3: Assemble. Press half the mixture into the bottom of a parchment lined 9×13 pan. Add the apples in an even layer on top. Crumble the remaining mixture over the apples.

Step 4: Bake. Bake the bars as directed in the recipe card below. The topping will be golden brown and you’ll be able to feel that the apples are tender by poking through the topping and into the apples with a fork.

Step 5: Make Salted Caramel Sauce. Make your caramel sauce first, by cooking sugar until it’s melted, then whisking in butter and heavy cream. Let this cool until it’s thick enough to drizzle. This can be made up to 1 week ahead.

Serving + Storing:

Allow the bars to cool for 1-2 hours, then slice and serve with salted caramel sauce! Add a pinch of flaky sea salt too, if desired (I always do!). Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

If you have caramel sauce leftover, use it to top my Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cookies!

Expert Baking Tips:

• Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
• Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.

Can I double or halve this recipe?

You would need a really large mixing bowl to double the crust/topping mixture, I’m not sure if they make baking pans that are as deep as a standard 9×13 while being twice as large. So, you’d be better off making two separate batches. To halve the recipe, bake it in a 9×9 pan and start with 10-15 minutes less bake time and add more as needed until done.

What apples are best for baking?

Any firm apple will work well for baking. Try a mix of any of the following – Jonathan, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Granny Smith, and Cortland. Avoid soft apples like McIntosh or Red Delicious. I also think Gala are lacking in flavor so I don’t tend to use them.

More Apple Desserts to Love:

• Caramel Apple Cake
• Caramel Apple Cider Cookies
• Salted Caramel Apple Galette
• Cranberry Apple Crisp
• Homemade Apple Fritters
• Caramel Apple Crumb Cake
• Apple Cider Old Fashioned Cocktails

---

---