Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
These salted caramel apple pie bars are made with a buttery shortbread crust, caramel apple filling topped with an easy homemade salted caramel sauce. A perfect fall apple dessert with less work and easier to share than an apple pie!
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I love this time of year! And, that time is apple season in the fall. I am fortunate to live close to an apple orchard and go apple picking every year. There is nothing better than a fresh apple picked off the tree, the crisp first bite is so fresh. So with my abundance of apples, I made an apple pie of course, but I also wanted to try something different so along came these apple pie bars.
After several iterations, these are the final creation, I decided to add salted caramel to the apples for sweetness and additional caramel flavor. Also, a lot of recipes had crumb topping, but I kept it simple using the same dough for the crust and the topping. The salted caramel drizzle brings out the salty-sweet enhancing the apples and cinnamon. It doesn’t hurt to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side!
Ingredients needed
Just a few ingredients blend together to create this family-favorite dessert bar. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
Apple Filling
For the apple filling, you will need the following ingredients.
- Apples– I like using Golden delicious or honeycrisp apples. Use your favorite baking apple.
- Lemon juice– to prevent the apples from browning and to brighten up the filling.
- Tapicoa flour– for thickening the filling. You can use cornstarch if you prefer.
- Salted Caramel – to sweeten up the apples and carry through the caramel flavor.
- Brown Sugar– I used light brown sugar.
- Salt – enhances flavor. I used Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- Vanilla extract- adds flavor.
Crust and Topping
The crust and topping are easy to make and you use the same mixture for both! You mix everything together and save some for the topping.
- Butter – unsalted and at room temperature
- Brown Sugar – I used light but dark will work too
- All-purpose flour – I like to use Gold medal All-purpose flour because it has a moderate protein level.
- Salt – I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- Cinnamon – I add a little cinnamon to make this crust pop with extra flavor.
Salted Caramel Sauce
After the bars are baked you drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the bars. I like to use this easy homemade salted caramel sauce, but of course, you can use a store-bought one too!
How to make Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Preheat the oven to Preheat 350°F (177°C) and line an 8″X8″ pan with parchment paper so the parchment paper hangs over the sides of the pan. Set aside.
For the crust: place the butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt beating until combined.
Take two-thirds of the dough and add to an 8×8-inch baking pan. Press it lightly with the floured bottom of a measuring cup. Press dough out 1/2 inch up the sides. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and set aside to cool while you make the apple filling.
Make the apple filling: Combine the sliced peeled apples, lemon juice, tapioca flour, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a large bowl until all of the apples are evenly coated.
Evenly layer the apples on top crust. It will look like there are too many apple slices, so layer them tightly and press them down to fit. Pinch medium pieces of the remaining dough with your fingers and drop them evenly on top of the apples (they will not be covered).
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until top crust is golden brown.
Let them cool completely as they need to set up. Lift the parchment out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut it into bars. Once cut, drizzle some salted caramel sauce on top of each. These apple pie bars can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.
Serving and Storing
We like to serve the bars with vanilla ice cream with an extra drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
These are best served the day they are made. If they aren’t gone in a day, the bars will stay in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze the bars for up to 3 months. Make sure the bars are completely cooled and then place them in a freezer container or freezer bag in a single layer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving, or take a bar out and zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds.
Make ahead and freezer: The unbaked crust and topping dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking, or frozen for up to 1 month.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Equipment
- 1 8×8 pan
- 1 mixer
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ½ sticks butter 85 grams
- ¼ light brown sugar 50 grams
- 2 cups All-purpose flour 240 grams
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
Filling:
- 3 apples peeled and thinly sliced (¼ inch thick)*
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons salted caramel
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour or 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Topping:
- Homemade or store bought caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/177C and line an 8″X8″ pan with parchment paper so the parchment paper hangs over the sides of the pan. Set aside.
For the crust:
- Place the butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt with the paddle attachment and mix until combined.
- Take two-thirds of the dough and add to an 8×8-inch baking pan. Press it lightly with the floured bottom of a measuring cup. Press dough out 1/2 inch up the sides.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and set aside to cool while you make the apple filling.
Make the apple filling:
- Combine the sliced peeled apples, lemon juice, tapioca flour, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a large bowl until all of the apples are evenly coated.
- Evenly layer the apples on top crust. It will look like there are too many apple slices, so layer them tightly and press them down to fit. Pinch medium pieces of the remaining dough with your fingers and drop them evenly on top of the apples (they will not be covered).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until top crust is golden brown.
- Let them cool completely as they need to set up. Lift the parchment out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut it into bars. Once cut, drizzle some salted caramel sauce on top of each. These apple pie bars can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature.
