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Best Apple Pie Bars with Salted Caramel Sauce

Author: Si Foster
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
cool time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 16
The Best Apple Pie Bars start with a shortbread crust, fresh apple filling and an oat crumble top. Our Salted Caramel Sauce is the perfect way to finish this dessert off!

Ingredients 

Apple Filling:

  • 6 medium Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and sliced
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Crumble Topping:

  • ¾ cup oats, Old Fashioned
  • ¾ cup flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup butter, softened and cubed

Crust:

  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup butter, melted

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set the rack in middle of the oven. Line a 9x13 pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Set aside.

For Filling:

  • Place prepared apples in a medium size bowl. Pour sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg into the bowl. Toss to coat. Set aside.

For Crumble Topping:

  • Combine oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon into a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into pieces and add to dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter, fork or hands, cut butter into dry ingredients until it forms small crumbles. Set aside.

For Crust:

  • Place flour, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a medium size bowl. Add melted butter to dry ingredients and mix well to combine. Press dough into a parchment lined pan.
  • Bake at 350º for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.

Assemble, cool and serve suggestions:

  • Spoon the apple filling on top of the baked crust (no need to let the crust cool). Spread apples into an even layer covering the crust. Do not pat down the apples, they will settle while baking. Sprinkle crumble layer on top of the apple filling, distributing crumble all the way to the corners of the pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the crumble topping is golden brown and the apples are fork tender.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. Serve with salted caramel sauce (optional) and ice cream, or without topping.

Notes

  • We like Granny Smith apples best in this recipe.
  • The caramel sauce (below)  is not necessary, but adds so much to this dessert!  The caramel sauce can be drizzled over the top of bars or spooned on individual pieces. 
  • The recipe calls for allowing the bars to cool completely before serving, which makes it easier to serve if the bars are served as a pick up item. If serving the bars with caramel sauce, they may be served warm using a small spatula. 
  • For make-ahead up to 3 days for crust and crumble: Make the crumble layer, store in fridge in a covered container. Make the crust layer, bake and let cool, cover let sit on countertop for up to 3 days or freeze and thaw before proceeding. Caramel can be made a week ahead, store covered in fridge. Let come to room temp or heat and stir before using. 
  • Any leftover bars are best stored, covered in the fridge.