Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Bars
These Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Bars feature a buttery shortbread crust, tender cinnamon-spiced apples, and a crunchy oat crumble topping, all finished with a drizzle of gooey salted caramel. Easier than pie and perfect for fall gatherings!
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking pan
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Pastry Cutter or Fork
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (2 sticks)
- 4 medium baking apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce
- flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Press two-thirds of the crumble mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.
- In another bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Toss until evenly coated.
- Spread apple mixture evenly over the crust. Sprinkle remaining crumble mixture over apples.
- Bake 35-45 minutes, until apples are bubbly and topping is golden brown. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- Once cool, drizzle caramel sauce over the top and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Lift out using parchment, slice, and serve.
Notes
For neat slices, let the bars cool completely before cutting. A firm, tart apple like Granny Smith works best, but Honeycrisp is also excellent.