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Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars Recipe

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★★★★★

4.3 from 54 reviews

These Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars combine tender cinnamon-spiced apples with a buttery oat and flour crust, topped with a luscious homemade salted caramel sauce. Baked to golden perfection, these bars offer the comforting flavors of apple pie in a convenient bar form, perfect for sharing or an indulgent treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Apple Filling

  • 5 medium apples, sliced between 1/8″ and 1/4″ thick (744 grams sliced)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour (21 grams)
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed (73 grams)
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon (7 grams)
  • 3/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • Pinch of salt

Crust and Topping

  • 1 and 1/2 cups salted butter, melted (340 grams, or 24 tbsp)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled or weighed out (390 grams)
  • 2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats (195 grams)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed (330 grams)
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Salted Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup granulated sugar (210 grams)
  • 6 tbsp salted butter, cubed (85 grams)
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream (135 grams)
  • Pinch of fine sea salt

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat your oven to 350℉. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with nonstick spray and line it with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the ends so you can lift the bars out easily for slicing later.
  2. Prep the Apple Filling: In a medium bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice, flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ground cloves, and a pinch of salt. Stir gently with a silicone spatula to combine without breaking the apple slices. Set aside.
  3. Make the Crust/Topping: Melt the salted butter in a large bowl. Stir in the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, light brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until fully combined and crumbly.
  4. Assemble: Reserve 2 cups (about 330 grams) of the crust mixture to use as the topping. Press the remaining crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the base. Give the apple mixture a good stir, then spoon it over the crust base in an even layer, leaving any excess liquid in the bowl. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the apple layer.
  5. Bake: Bake the bars in the preheated oven for 38 to 45 minutes, until the topping is golden and the apples are tender when pierced with a fork. While the bars bake, prepare the salted caramel sauce. Once baked, allow the bars to cool on a wire rack at room temperature for about 1 to 2 hours before slicing.
  6. Make the Salted Caramel Sauce: Prepare the salted caramel sauce following the detailed instructions from the linked salted caramel recipe, which includes heating granulated sugar, adding cubed butter, heavy cream, and finishing with sea salt for perfect caramel flavor and texture.
  7. Serve & Store: Slice the bars and drizzle with salted caramel sauce as desired right before serving. Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Refrigerate the caramel sauce separately in an airtight container or jar. Reheat caramel as needed by microwaving for 20-40 seconds to loosen.
  8. Make-Ahead Tips: Caramel sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated until use. Bars can be made up to one day ahead; cool at room temperature then refrigerate. They are delicious served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Notes

  • Ensure the apples are sliced evenly between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick for consistent baking.
  • Use a silicone spatula to gently mix the apple filling to avoid breaking the slices.
  • Line the baking pan with parchment paper overhang for easy removal of the bars.
  • Make caramel sauce while bars bake to save time.
  • Refrigerate bars and caramel to maintain freshness; reheat caramel before drizzling if desired.

Keywords: Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars, Apple Bars, Salted Caramel, Apple Dessert Bars, Homemade Apple Bars, Fall Dessert, Autumn Treat

Find it online: https://epicrecipebox.com/salted-caramel-apple-pie-bars-recipe/