Apple Pie Bars — A flaky, buttery crust is topped with homemade apple pie filling and an oat crumble topping in these INCREDIBLE spiced apple pie bars! Salted caramel sauce is the finishing touch because nothing beats the combination of caramel and apples! Make these EASY, no-mixer bars as written for a smaller gathering, or double it for a party!
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Cook Time50 minutesmins
Additional Time2 hourshrs
Total Time3 hourshrs15 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Calories: 298kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
Crust
½cupunsalted buttermelted
¼cupgranulated sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
¼teaspoonsalt
1cupall-purpose flour
Apple Filling
2large applespeeled and thinly sliced (I used Granny Smith and Pink Lady* See Notes)
2tablespoonsall-purpose flour
2tablespoonsgranulated sugar
1 to 2teaspoonsground cinnamonbased on preference
½teaspoonground gingeroptional and to taste
⅛teaspoonground nutmegor to taste
Crumble Topping
½cuplight brown sugarpacked
½cupall-purpose flour
½cupold-fashioned whole rolled oatsdo NOT use quick cook or instant oats
6tablespoonsunsalted buttersoftened
¾cupsalted caramel saucehomemade or store bought **See Notes, for drizzling
Instructions
Crust - Preheat the oven to 300F and line the bottom of an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment. Leave the edges of the parchment over the sides for easy removal. Alternatively, you can also use a high quality, nonstick aluminum foil.
In a medium bowl, add the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and stir to combine.
Fold in the flour and stir until combined.
Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the lined baking pan and bake for 15 minutes at 300F. Set a timer so you don't forget and set aside to cool if you are speedy with steps 5 and 6! Tip - Prepare the filling while the crust is baking to save time.
Apple Filling - To a large bowl, add the sliced apples, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, optional ginger, nutmeg and stir to combine and coat evenly; set aside.
Crumble Topping - To a medium bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, old fashioned whole rolled oats, and butter. With a fork, gently cut the butter into the dry mixture until a crumbly texture is achieved. Tip - I find that softened butter rather than cold butter (more typical) is easier to work and yields the same result in this recipe.
Second Baking - Turn the oven up to 350F degrees. On top of the warm crust, evenly spread the apple filling mixture with a rubber spatula.
Evenly sprinkle the crumble topping mixture on top and bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350F, or until the crumble is golden brown. Baking Tips - Always watch your items and not the time on the clock when determining doneness. When the top is lighlty golden browned and set, and you can see a bit of bubbling from the apple filling beneathe, they're likley done. Rotate pan once halfway through this round of baking to ensure a more evenly golden browned top.
Remove pan from the oven and allow bars to cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours, or overnight. If desired, after cooling at room temp for 20 mintues, you can chill in the fridge 2 hours if you like chilled desserts. Do not cover (either on the counter or in the fridge) or the top won't stay crispy/crumbly and will soften.
Caramel Sauce - When ready to serve, evenly drizzle the caramel sauce over the top as desired, slice, and serve.
Storage - Extra bars will keep airight at room temp or in the fridge (if you like chilled desserts) for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Note that when you cover the bars, the crumble topping will soften as the moisture is trapped inside your pan or container. It doesn't change the taste, just the texture. Similarly, any time you freeze a dessert, thaw, and serve it the texture will also change and in this case, they'll be overall softer and with any slight crunchiness to the crumble topping that they may have had when freshly baked.
Notes
*Apples - I like to use an equal mixture of red + green apples but you can use all of one type if preferred. More importantly than the color, is the texture. I recommend using sturdy, firm apples, such as Jonathan, Pink Lady, Fuji, Gala, or Braeburn as the red choices. And Granny Smith Apples are the logical green apple choice. You want an apple that’s firm and crisp so that it holds its shape once baked and doesn’t soften completely. **Caramel Sauce -
If you’re feeling like store bought is the way to go to save time, and you have a Trader Joe’s in your area, I highly recommend their Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce. It’s not a seasonal product, the taste and texture are very high quality, an opened jar lasts months in a cool cupboard, and it’s max $5 bucks a jar (I think prices vary slightly regionally).
In my local grocery stores (often near the gourmet cheese section), there are a variety of artisanal caramel sauces – both salted caramel sauceand unsalted (normal) caramel sauce. While they’re delicious, their price point is easily in the $10+ range and the jars are sometimes small so this isn’t a “value” option but certainly tasty
Make sure to purchase actual caramel sauce and not any kind of “caramel sundae topping” – here’s lookin’ at you Smuckers squeeze bottles! That’s a totally different product intended to be squeezed over ice cream (probably at a big family picnic) and NOT what you want here
Finally, if you’re not a salted caramel sauce person, go with regular unsalted caramel sauce. I love salty-sweet combos so I will always opt for salted caramel sauce but it’s up to you.
Egg-Free/GF/Vegan - These easy apple pie bars are naturally egg free! You can likely use certified gluten-free flour intended for baking and certified gluten-free oats to keep this a gluten-free dessert with just a couple easy swaps. While I haven't tried to make a vegan version personally, my hunch is that vegan "butter" like the Earth Balance sticks would be a good swap.