Print

Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Bars

Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Bars - featured image
Print Recipe

Warm, gooey, and impossibly comforting, these Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Bars combine tender apples, buttery oat crumble, and rich salted caramel for the ultimate fall dessert. Perfect for cozy parties, potlucks, or a sweet treat at home.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free blend for GF option)
  • 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for greasing)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups apples (about 3 large or 4 medium), peeled, cored, and diced (Granny Smith + Honeycrisp recommended)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup salted caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought)
  • ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt (for sprinkling)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy lifting. Grease lightly with butter.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir until large crumbs form. Reserve 1 ½ cups of mixture for topping.
  3. Press remaining crumble mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes until lightly golden.
  4. While base bakes, peel, core, and dice apples. Toss with granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice until glossy and slightly sticky.
  5. Spread apple mixture evenly over baked base.
  6. Warm caramel sauce slightly if thick. Drizzle evenly over apple layer. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
  7. Crumble reserved topping mixture over apples and caramel, covering most of the surface.
  8. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 32-38 minutes, until top is golden brown and caramel bubbles at edges. Cover loosely with foil if edges brown too quickly.
  9. Cool in pan for at least 30-40 minutes before lifting out and slicing.
  10. Cut into squares and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Optional: top with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Use gluten-free oats and flour for a GF version. For dairy-free, swap butter for vegan baking sticks. Add chopped pecans or walnuts for extra crunch. Bars are best cooled before slicing for neat pieces. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in microwave or low oven for gooey caramel.

Nutrition

Keywords: salted caramel, apple crumble bars, fall dessert, easy apple bars, cozy party dessert, oat crumble, caramel apple bars, autumn baking

Find it online: https://yumyep.com/salted-caramel-apple-crumble-bars-easy-fall-dessert-for-cozy-parties/