Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
Published on October 26, 2022
Quick Summary
Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars- apple pie bars with a thick buttery crust, a layer of spiced apples, a layer of salted caramel sauce, and a sweet crumb topping. The perfect fall dessert!
Are you ready for the most amazing fall dessert?
Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars are one of my favorite treats to make when apples are in season. The bars have a thick buttery crust, a layer of crisp, perfectly spiced apples, a layer of salted caramel sauce, AND a crumb topping.
So basically caramel apples and apple pie combine to create one DELICIOUS dessert!
The bars are made in a 9×13-inch pan, making them perfect for all of your fall parties and potlucks. I love making them for dinner parties, Halloween, and even Thanksgiving. Everyone loves a good apple dessert!
Apple Filling
For the apple filling, you will need the following ingredients.
- Apples– I like to use Granny Smith apples, but Honeycrisp are also good. You will need 5 cups of diced apples.
- Lemon juice– to prevent the apples from browning and to brighten up the filling.
- Flour– use all-purpose flour
- Cornstarch– for thickening the filling.
- Sugar– use granulated (white) sugar.
- Salt
- Spices– cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground-all spice.
Crust and Topping
I love this recipe because the crust and topping are easy to make. You mix everything together and half of the mixture is the crust and the other half is the crumb topping.
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon– I add just a hint of cinnamon to the dough to make it extra special.
- Butter– make sure your butter is COLD!
- Egg– to bind everything together.
- Vanilla extract– vanilla adds the best flavor!
Salted Caramel Sauce
Apples and caramel are a match made in heaven. After you put spread the spiced apples over the crust, you drizzle salted caramel sauce over the top! YUM!
I like to use my homemade salted caramel sauce, it is the BEST! Of course, you can use store bought caramel sauce. I like Trader Joe’s.
How to Make Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. You can also line the pan with parchment paper to make the bars easier to lift out of the pan.
- For the apple filling– place the diced apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground all-spice. Pour over the apples and carefully combine. Set aside.
- For the dough-in a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or by using your hands, until butter is mixed in, but you still have small chunks of butter.
- Mix the egg and vanilla together. Add into the flour and butter mixture and combine. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan.
- Spread the apple mixture evenly over the bottom crust. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the apple filling.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the apple caramel layer and pat gently.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares.
Serving and Storing
We like to cut the bars into squares and serve warm with vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of salted caramel sauce. Dessert heaven!
The bars will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze the bars for up to 3 months. Make sure the bars are completely cooled and then place in a freezer container or freezer bag in a single layer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
More Apple Desserts
- Apple Cobbler
- Cinnamon Apple Crumble
- Apple Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Apple Galette
- Apple Slab Pie with Crumb Topping
- Apple Hand Pies
Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 5 cups peeled and diced apples (I used Granny Smith)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice
- 3/4 cup Salted Caramel Sauce (can use store bought)
For the Crust & Topping:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Serving:
- Vanilla ice cream and extra salted caramel sauce, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- For the apple filling- place the diced apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground all-spice. Pour over the apples and carefully combine. Set aside.
- For the dough-in a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or by using your hands, until butter is mixed in, but you still have small chunks of butter. Mix the egg and vanilla together. Add into the flour and butter mixture and combine. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan.
- Spread the apple mixture evenly over the bottom crust. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the apple filling. Crumble the remaining dough over the apple caramel layer and pat gently.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares. You can serve the bars with vanilla ice cream and extra salted caramel sauce, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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Do you think I could cut the recipe in half and bake in an 8×8 inch pan?
Oh! You have found my weakness!! Caramel!
These look heavenly! Added to my things to bake list and I cannot wait!
Hi there! Do you think I could use potato starch instead of cornstarch? Trying not to buy new ingredients, and I already have potato starch sitting around. Thanks!
I am also wondering if this recipe can be reduced by half and baked in an 8″ x 8″ pan. Thoughts?
I cannot stop eating the caramel sauce! If the bars are as yummy as just the sauce, my waistline is in trouble. Almost done baking in the oven now!
Do you use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream for the caramel sauce?
This is an incredible recipe! I made it for my book group, and everyone loved it.
I just made these and wow, they were so good! I brought them to a potluck and my friends gave rave reviews.
For other people new to caramel making: you can’t underestimate the power of good whisking! My caramel sauce clumped up a bit and I threw it back on the stove to melt it down, even though it was technically at the wrong point in the process since I’d already added the cream. But it was a good troubleshoot since I hadn’t gotten it melted down enough to begin with and it didn’t burn, so it worked out ok!
My son was asking for another type of warm apple dessert. And I found myself on Pinterest, and that led me here.
I’ve already printed this recipe out. We’re moving to a new place in a few weeks, and my son requested that this be the first thing I cook. WE both have total confidence that this will be a great addition to my Fall and Winter favorites.
Thanks in advance!
Enjoy!
These are so, so amazing! I make them at least twice each fall. My first batch of the season is in the oven now 🙂 I realized I didn’t have cream in the fridge tonight for the caramel sauce so I ended up using a jar of caramel that was in my cupboard. I’m sure I’ll miss the homemade stuff, but it still smells delicious.
Hello! About how many apples are needed to make 5 cups?
Thanks 🙂
5 large apples should do the trick! Enjoy!
This is my go-to apple recipe for the fall. You simply cannot go wrong with it. It is a also a bit changeable – I tend to use heaping spoonfuls of the spices and reduce the sugar. Delicious recipe!
Absolutely a winner!
These were amazing! Made exactly as written except for we don’t seem to have canned salted caramel in BC. I used canned dulce de leche – perfect! The only thing for me was that the top didn’t brown in 45 minutes. I ended up broiling it for a minute or two. Maybe next time I’ll just bake it for about an hour? Did others find this too? Otherwise, fantastic recipe.
Whoa,just made half recipe,but a whole recipe for the salted Caramel sauce,as I am making the salted caramel pumpkin pie on Thursday (3rd.year running)
The apple bars look & smell amazing. Will make a full recipe next time.
Can’t wait for dinner to be over so we can dig in!
As always,thank you,
From freezing NH,
Martha
Yay! Enjoy!
Fantastic apple desert. Great for church potluck dessert.
I added chopped walnuts to the dough to satisfy the nut lovers.
Absolutely!