Last week my sister-in-law, Whitney, and I spent some time in the kitchen together and created the most amazing fall dessert.
Because of the chill in the air, we both had fall on the brain. After brainstorming for a bit, we decided to make Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars. We are both in love with salted caramel everything and thought the salted caramel sauce would make the Apple Crumb Bars extra special…and we were right. These bars are extra, extra special! The apple crumb bars are good, but with the salted caramel sauce, they are to die for.
Whitney made the salted caramel sauce, while I worked on the apple crumb bars. Don’t be intimidated by the caramel sauce. I promise it is easy to make. Just make sure you watch it closely. Caramel can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds. You can use store-bought caramel sauce, if you absolutely have to, but I beg you to make homemade salted caramel sauce. It will change your life for the better.
We added fleur de sel to the caramel. If you don’t have fleur de sel, you can use Maldon sea salt flakes. A flaky salt works best because it melts in with the caramel. When Whit was done with the caramel, she let me have a taste-creamy caramel with a hint of salt-perfection. I was tempted to skip the bars and just drink the jar of caramel sauce, but I was trying to be on my best behavior since we had company:)
The bars have a thick buttery crust, a layer of spiced apples that get drizzled with the salted caramel sauce, and a crumb topping. When the bars were cool, I cut them into squares and drizzled them with additional salted caramel sauce.
We served the Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars for dessert and everyone loved them! High five Whitney! We are a great team!
Fall is in the air and that means you need a special fall dessert. It doesn’t get any better than these Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars. So get in the kitchen and make them happen!
And if you are a pumpkin fan, make sure you check out our 50 Pumpkin Recipes for Fall post! You better start now so you can make them all:)
More Bar Desserts:
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
- Peanut Butter S’mores Bars
- Brown Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Bars
Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
Ingredients
For the Apple 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
For the crust:
- 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
- Salted Caramel Sauce
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 about ¾ cup of 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. Drizzle salted caramel sauce over the squares and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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Terrificc! Those looks so irresistible.
Cheers,
Rosa
I’m a total pumpkin fan! Love how delicious these look 🙂
Awesome bars!! I’m drooling!
They look awesome – love all the layers and flavors going on!
Perfect fall dessert!
Yum, the perfect dessert for autumn.
Apples and caramel are such a wonderful combination!
I’d really love one of these for breakfast. Surely that’s okay. And maybe another for snack 😉 Don’t tell.
These look AMAZING!
The combination of apples and salted caramel is spot-on Maria! I just made cupcakes with the same flavor combination! I love salted caramel so much. I’m not surprised everyone loved these!
The bars look awesome!
These look heavenly!! Yum!
Oh my, do these crumb bars look delish! My stomach started to growl as soon as I saw them!!!
Anything salted caramel is my fave!!
man, those look so good!
I have a love/hate relationship with making caramel! I seem to alway burn my first batch!
These look amazing Maria.
I agree-salted caramel makes everything great!
Something about salted + caramel + apple that makes my taste buds sing…..great photos!!!
Salted caramel anything is a win – the drizzle on top really makes this bar heavenly!
Ha! We’re totally on the same wavelength… I had vision of apple caramel stuff this weekend too. Haven’t posted yet though 🙂
Crumb is always yummy! These scream fall. Love that you got to bake with your sil
oooh! YUM! Great pictures too!
UM yes please!!! Salted caramel sauce….heaven
Oh, I know these must be SO GOOD!!! I’m with you…I think I could drink a jar of salted caramel sauce straight up. 😉
Oh wow – 8 am and I am drooling. That caramel looks heavenly!
These sound fantastic…the perfect way to welcome fall. And I agree – there’s not substitute for homemade caramel!
These are just about the most perfect dessert ever!! Can’t wait to whip up a batch for myself!!
Salted caramel ROCKS! These bars look amazing!
I am in love with all things salted caramel right now too!!! Guests or not, I think I would have to drink some of that caramel sauce straight from a spoon:-) These look fantastic!!!
Those would be perfect with my morning cappuccino!
Mmmm caramels and apple, is there a better combination for fall? I think not 🙂 These look great Maria!
ohhhh i cannot wait to make these!
Yup, wonderfully addicting bars! Apple season is upon us and this is a gorgeous and tasty apple treat to kick off the cooler weather!
I want one NOW with my coffee!!! caramel and apple just scream fall and it’s even chilly here this morning!
Mmm salted caramel and apples should get married 🙂
You do know how to come up with mouthwatering recipes every time. 😀
High five right back at ya!! Thanks for the shout out, the bars were soooo delish!!!…and I loved baking with you!!
I love salted caramel. It’s so heavenly. In fact it’s sounding pretty darned good right now…
Extra drippy caramel sauce for me please!! These bars look amazing!!
Wow! This just screams “Fall”. I can’t wait to try these!
YUMMY!!! on my to do list!!
I want a SIL who makes salted caramel!! 🙂 These look ridiculously good!!
Wow! These look amazing!
I want this for my birthday instead of cake ! I Love salted caramel 🙂
Freaking out over this! Fall can now begin! Seriously have to try this!
What a way to kick off fall baking! These look beyond amazing. Great reinvention of the caramel apple combo!
The salted caramel sounds so good! I made caramel for the first time this weekend- not as hard as it sounds!
I prefer apple to pumpkin when it comes to fall recipes, so I’m definitely keeping this recipe in mind for the coming months!
I love everything about this! Salted caramel gets me every time.
I can’t stop staring at these! I must make them soon. I was telling a friend the other day that all these fall recipes I keep seeing on pinterest are making me crave a warm, spiced apple dessert and salted caramel ANYTHING is my favorite. So thanks to you and your sister for this recipe. I might even have it with this new salted caramel ice cream I discovered last week and may or may not have eaten a whole pint in two days!!
..another salted caramel fan here! ..on my list to bake! gorgeous blog, btw, love it!
I am so ready for the onslaught of Fall recipes. Best time of the year and these bars are a great way to start out!
These are just wonderful!!!! Perfect fall treat!
these look like heaven!
fabulouss!
Salted.Caramel.APPLE.Bars. This is what a Princess CRAVES! I just have to ensure that I don’t get any poison apples and I’ll be fine! And it’s the perfect season for this too, it’s fall baby!
May all your royal adventures be yummy and sugary sweet,
The Teen Princess of Buttermilk Springs
look delicious!
these look incredible!!
Is it wrong if I eat the whole pan? Oh. My. Gosh!
I’ve made caramel apple bars with caramels in them but never caramel sauce–definitely want to give this idea a go!!
A perfect fall dessert. Yum!
i have seen so many apple crumble bars before, but none of them have ever made me salivate like this! excuse me while i get a napkin 😛
I want! Though its difficult for me to let go of summer, just yet 😉
These look amazing! I will have to try ASAP!
these ARE very special! yum!! the pictures are gorgeous, the recipe is awesome, and now i’m super excited for fall 🙂
I would love to make these bars!! Perfect segway into Fall foods, and that salted caramel sauce looks divine.. seriously, I would do a double batch and then put this sauce on every dessert I ate 🙂
Wow! These bars look incredible, all of mu favourite things rolled into one!
I love everything about these, and can’t imagine how good they are with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Okay! These were seriously so scrumditiliumptious! The entire thing just melts in your mouth. I can’t wait to make these again. These are so going in our family favorites!
Yum! Great flavor!! Hubby LOVED them.
However I cooked them like the recipe called for in a 9×13 and I found them to be too crumbly and messy to be called “squares”. Mine turned out more cobbler like. Maybe will try a larger pan next time or put less dough?
These look perfect for fall! I love that you put the homemade caramel in the bars AND on top!! oh and definitely no shame in just drinking the caramel straight from the jar;)
Thanks so much for linking up your yummy treats Maria!!
I featured them in my wrap up!
Um…YUM. They look and sound and taste (imaginarily) amaaazing!!! It’s def. on my list now.
I’m one of those people who’s scared to make my own caramel. I need to just try it, I know. Caramel and apples are such a perfect match!
Made these this weekend. They are amazing. My daughter asked if she could have a jar of this caramel for Christmas. She loved it that much!
So beautiful. Can not wait to try these!
These are total crumb bar perfection!
Made these today and they are so good! You won’t be disappointed if you try them. I used store bought caramel because the last two times I tried to make my own it got burnt. Few changes….I cut back on the sugar that was mixed in with the apples by 1/2 cup and I sprinkled sea salt flakes on top of the bars instead of mixing it in with the caramel.
Found this recipe via Pinterest & had to try it. OMGosh… it doesn’t disappoint. AT. ALL. So yummy. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. 🙂
Oh, my god. Making these. Today!!!!!!!!!!!!! what beautiful photos. And yes, there is nothing like homemade caramel sauce.
I made these last weekend and they were a hit! The sauce is so delicious I would drink it alone. 🙂
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!