Name: Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Yield: 9x13" baking dish
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 4 large apples, peeled and diced (I used a combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp); 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup sugar; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon cloves; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 cup old fashioned oats; 2/3 cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 cup all purpose flour; 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 1 cup caramel sauce; 1 teaspoon sea salt

I’ve been dying to go to an apple orchard this fall and finally, FINALLY we are going this week. I don’t know why, but it just doesn’t seem like it’s officially fall without a trip to an orchard.

Or maybe I just really want apple cider donuts and a hot chocolate.

Actually I’m pretty sure I just want another reason to make these Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars. A plethora of apples seems like the perfect reason to me!

These Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars are pretty much what I make when I reallllllly want an apple pie but am way too lazy to actually make an apple pie. It’s just the thought of rolling out pie dough is not appealing 98% of the time. PLUS the crumb topping on these is spot on.

While there are three components to this recipe, individually they are all quite simple. The crust for these bars is a quick and easy brown sugar shortbread crust. The crust is topped with the apple filling which just requires some peeling, dicing, and tossing together. Drizzle it with (store-bought) caramel sauce and top it with your crumb filling and it’s ready for the oven!

Then comes the very important step of drizzling the bars with more caramel sauce and a sprinkle of sea salt. Mmm mmmm! I seriously cannot wait to make these again! I’m thinking next time my piece should be topped with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream…

Looking for more apple recipes? Check these out!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Salted Caramel Apple Crisp with Pretzel Crumb Topping

Caramel Apple Shortcakes

Caramel Apple French Toast Casserole

Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars

Yields 9x13" baking dish

15 minPrep Time

50 minCook Time

1 hr, 5 Total Time

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Ingredients

For the crust:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

4 large apples, peeled and diced (I used a combination of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the crumb topping:

1 cup old fashioned oats
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup caramel sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the crust:

In a bowl with electric mixer, combine butter, brown sugar, and vanilla, and beat until well combined.
Add flour and salt, and beat until combined.
Press into the bottom of a greased 9x13" baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

To make the filling:

Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and set aside while crust bakes.
Once crust has baked, spread apple mixture over crust.
Drizzle with 1/2 cup of caramel sauce.

To make the crumb topping:

Combine all crumb topping ingredients in a bowl and combine with a fork or your fingers until butter is distributed throughout.
Sprinkle on top of apple and caramel.
Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until crumb topping is golden brown.
Drizzle with remaining caramel and sprinkle with sea salt.
Let cool completely.
Cut into squares and enjoy!