Caramel Apple Bars Recipe

🍎 Caramel Apple Bars

Buttery shortbread, tender cinnamon apples, a crisp oat crumble, and rich caramel make these bars a perfect fall dessert. They slice beautifully and work especially well for autumn gatherings, Thanksgiving, or cozy weekend baking.

Ingredients

Shortbread Crust
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened

Apple Filling
• 3 medium apples, peeled and diced
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Crumble Topping
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup old-fashioned oats
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 6 tbsp cold butter, cubed

Topping
• ½ cup caramel sauce
• Flaky sea salt, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Mix flour, powdered sugar, salt, and softened butter until a crumbly dough forms.
Press the crust firmly into the prepared pan and bake for 15–18 minutes, until lightly golden.
In a bowl, toss the diced apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and flour.
Spread the apple mixture evenly over the warm crust.
For the crumble, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter until coarse crumbs form.
Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the apples.
Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender.
Let the bars cool completely before slicing.
Drizzle generously with caramel sauce and add a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt if desired.