Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

By Maria Lichty

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Quick Summary

Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars- apple pie bars with a thick buttery crust, a layer of spiced apples, a layer of salted caramel sauce, and a sweet crumb topping. The perfect fall dessert!

salted caramel apple crumb bars cut in squares with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce on top from a spoon.

Are you ready for the most amazing fall dessert?

Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars are one of my favorite treats to make when apples are in season. The bars have a thick buttery crust, a layer of crisp, perfectly spiced apples, a layer of salted caramel sauce, AND a crumb topping.

So basically caramel apples and apple pie combine to create one DELICIOUS dessert!

The bars are made in a 9×13-inch pan, making them perfect for all of your fall parties and potlucks. I love making them for dinner parties, Halloween, and even Thanksgiving. Everyone loves a good apple dessert!

apples, spices, flour, and sugar in bowls on wood cutting board with a knife and kitchen towel.

Apple Filling

For the apple filling, you will need the following ingredients.

  • Apples– I like to use Granny Smith apples, but Honeycrisp are also good. You will need 5 cups of diced apples.
  • Lemon juice– to prevent the apples from browning and to brighten up the filling.
  • Flour– use all-purpose flour
  • Cornstarch– for thickening the filling.
  • Sugar– use granulated (white) sugar.
  • Salt
  • Spices– cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground-all spice.

Crust and Topping

I love this recipe because the crust and topping are easy to make. You mix everything together and half of the mixture is the crust and the other half is the crumb topping.

  • Flour
  • Sugar
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Cinnamon– I add just a hint of cinnamon to the dough to make it extra special.
  • Butter– make sure your butter is COLD!
  • Egg– to bind everything together.
  • Vanilla extract– vanilla adds the best flavor!

Salted Caramel Sauce

Apples and caramel are a match made in heaven. After you put spread the spiced apples over the crust, you drizzle salted caramel sauce over the top! YUM!

I like to use my homemade salted caramel sauce, it is the BEST! Of course, you can use store bought caramel sauce. I like Trader Joe’s.

salted caramel apple crumb bars cut into squares on a wood cutting board with parchment paper.

How to Make Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. You can also line the pan with parchment paper to make the bars easier to lift out of the pan.
apple filling in large bowl for salted caramel apple crumb bars.
  • For the apple filling– place the diced apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground all-spice. Pour over the apples and carefully combine. Set aside.
butter cut in cubes with flour in a large bowl with pastry cutter.
  • For the dough-in a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or by using your hands, until butter is mixed in, but you still have small chunks of butter.
dough pressed in 9x13-inch pan for salted caramel apple crumb bars.
  • Mix the egg and vanilla together. Add into the flour and butter mixture and combine. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan.
diced apples spread over crust and drizzled with salted caramel sauce in a 9x13-inch pan.
  • Spread the apple mixture evenly over the bottom crust. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the apple filling.
unbaked salted caramel apple pie bars with crumb topping in a 9x13-inch pan.
  • Crumble the remaining dough over the apple caramel layer and pat gently.
  • Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares.
salted caramel apple crumb bar topped with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce on plate with fork.

Serving and Storing

We like to cut the bars into squares and serve warm with vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of salted caramel sauce. Dessert heaven!

The bars will stay fresh 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 in a freezer container or freezer bag in a single layer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

More Apple Desserts

salted caramel apple crumb bars cut in squares with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce on parchment paper.
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Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars- apple pie bars with a thick buttery crust, a layer of spiced apples, a layer of salted caramel sauce, and a sweet crumb topping. The perfect fall dessert!
4.64 from 19 votes

Ingredients
  

For the Filling:

For the Crust & Topping:

For Serving:

  • Vanilla ice cream and extra salted caramel sauce, optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • For the apple filling- place the diced apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground all-spice. Pour over the apples and carefully combine. Set aside.
  • For the dough-in a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or by using your hands, until butter is mixed in, but you still have small chunks of butter. Mix the egg and vanilla together. Add into the flour and butter mixture and combine. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan.
  • Spread the apple mixture evenly over the bottom crust. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the apple filling. Crumble the remaining dough over the apple caramel layer and pat gently.
  • Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares. You can serve the bars with vanilla ice cream and extra salted caramel sauce, if desired. 

Notes

Store the bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the bars for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 137mg, Potassium: 76mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 267IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 20mg, Iron: 1mg
Keywords apple

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Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
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4.64 from 19 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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  1. I’d really love one of these for breakfast. Surely that’s okay. And maybe another for snack 😉 Don’t tell.

  2. The combination of apples and salted caramel is spot-on Maria! I just made cupcakes with the same flavor combination! I love salted caramel so much. I’m not surprised everyone loved these!

  3. Oh my, do these crumb bars look delish! My stomach started to growl as soon as I saw them!!!

  4. I have a love/hate relationship with making caramel! I seem to alway burn my first batch!
    These look amazing Maria.

  5. Ha! We’re totally on the same wavelength… I had vision of apple caramel stuff this weekend too. Haven’t posted yet though 🙂

  6. Oh, I know these must be SO GOOD!!! I’m with you…I think I could drink a jar of salted caramel sauce straight up. 😉

  7. These sound fantastic…the perfect way to welcome fall. And I agree – there’s not substitute for homemade caramel!

  8. I am in love with all things salted caramel right now too!!! Guests or not, I think I would have to drink some of that caramel sauce straight from a spoon:-) These look fantastic!!!

  9. Yup, wonderfully addicting bars! Apple season is upon us and this is a gorgeous and tasty apple treat to kick off the cooler weather!

  10. The salted caramel sounds so good! I made caramel for the first time this weekend- not as hard as it sounds!

    I prefer apple to pumpkin when it comes to fall recipes, so I’m definitely keeping this recipe in mind for the coming months!

  11. I can’t stop staring at these! I must make them soon. I was telling a friend the other day that all these fall recipes I keep seeing on pinterest are making me crave a warm, spiced apple dessert and salted caramel ANYTHING is my favorite. So thanks to you and your sister for this recipe. I might even have it with this new salted caramel ice cream I discovered last week and may or may not have eaten a whole pint in two days!!

  12. Salted.Caramel.APPLE.Bars. This is what a Princess CRAVES! I just have to ensure that I don’t get any poison apples and I’ll be fine! And it’s the perfect season for this too, it’s fall baby!

    May all your royal adventures be yummy and sugary sweet,
    The Teen Princess of Buttermilk Springs

  13. I’ve made caramel apple bars with caramels in them but never caramel sauce–definitely want to give this idea a go!!

  14. i have seen so many apple crumble bars before, but none of them have ever made me salivate like this! excuse me while i get a napkin 😛

  15. these ARE very special! yum!! the pictures are gorgeous, the recipe is awesome, and now i’m super excited for fall 🙂

  16. I would love to make these bars!! Perfect segway into Fall foods, and that salted caramel sauce looks divine.. seriously, I would do a double batch and then put this sauce on every dessert I ate 🙂

  17. I love everything about these, and can’t imagine how good they are with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

  18. Okay! These were seriously so scrumditiliumptious! The entire thing just melts in your mouth. I can’t wait to make these again. These are so going in our family favorites!

  19. Yum! Great flavor!! Hubby LOVED them.

    However I cooked them like the recipe called for in a 9×13 and I found them to be too crumbly and messy to be called “squares”. Mine turned out more cobbler like. Maybe will try a larger pan next time or put less dough?

  20. These look perfect for fall! I love that you put the homemade caramel in the bars AND on top!! oh and definitely no shame in just drinking the caramel straight from the jar;)

  21. I’m one of those people who’s scared to make my own caramel. I need to just try it, I know. Caramel and apples are such a perfect match!

  22. Made these this weekend. They are amazing. My daughter asked if she could have a jar of this caramel for Christmas. She loved it that much!

  23. Made these today and they are so good! You won’t be disappointed if you try them. I used store bought caramel because the last two times I tried to make my own it got burnt. Few changes….I cut back on the sugar that was mixed in with the apples by 1/2 cup and I sprinkled sea salt flakes on top of the bars instead of mixing it in with the caramel.

  24. Found this recipe via Pinterest & had to try it. OMGosh… it doesn’t disappoint. AT. ALL. So yummy. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. 🙂

  25. Oh, my god. Making these. Today!!!!!!!!!!!!! what beautiful photos. And yes, there is nothing like homemade caramel sauce.

  26. Hi there! Do you think I could use potato starch instead of cornstarch? Trying not to buy new ingredients, and I already have potato starch sitting around. Thanks!

  27. I cannot stop eating the caramel sauce! If the bars are as yummy as just the sauce, my waistline is in trouble. Almost done baking in the oven now!

  28. I just made these and wow, they were so good! I brought them to a potluck and my friends gave rave reviews.

    For other people new to caramel making: you can’t underestimate the power of good whisking! My caramel sauce clumped up a bit and I threw it back on the stove to melt it down, even though it was technically at the wrong point in the process since I’d already added the cream. But it was a good troubleshoot since I hadn’t gotten it melted down enough to begin with and it didn’t burn, so it worked out ok!

  29. My son was asking for another type of warm apple dessert. And I found myself on Pinterest, and that led me here.
    I’ve already printed this recipe out. We’re moving to a new place in a few weeks, and my son requested that this be the first thing I cook. WE both have total confidence that this will be a great addition to my Fall and Winter favorites.
    Thanks in advance!

  30. These are so, so amazing! I make them at least twice each fall. My first batch of the season is in the oven now 🙂 I realized I didn’t have cream in the fridge tonight for the caramel sauce so I ended up using a jar of caramel that was in my cupboard. I’m sure I’ll miss the homemade stuff, but it still smells delicious.

  31. 5 stars
    This is my go-to apple recipe for the fall. You simply cannot go wrong with it. It is a also a bit changeable – I tend to use heaping spoonfuls of the spices and reduce the sugar. Delicious recipe!

  32. 4 stars
    These were amazing! Made exactly as written except for we don’t seem to have canned salted caramel in BC. I used canned dulce de leche – perfect! The only thing for me was that the top didn’t brown in 45 minutes. I ended up broiling it for a minute or two. Maybe next time I’ll just bake it for about an hour? Did others find this too? Otherwise, fantastic recipe.

  33. 5 stars
    Whoa,just made half recipe,but a whole recipe for the salted Caramel sauce,as I am making the salted caramel pumpkin pie on Thursday (3rd.year running)
    The apple bars look & smell amazing. Will make a full recipe next time.
    Can’t wait for dinner to be over so we can dig in!
    As always,thank you,
    From freezing NH,
    Martha

  34. 5 stars
    Fantastic apple desert. Great for church potluck dessert.
    I added chopped walnuts to the dough to satisfy the nut lovers.