These are best apple pie bars! They have a shortbread crust, caramel apple filling, crunchy streusel topping and salted caramel drizzle.
If you're looking for other apple desserts for apple season, try my mini apple pies, lattice crust apple pie or apple pie cheesecake!
Why You'll Love these Homemade Apple Pie Bars
They're prefect for Thanksgiving. These make for a perfect swap for traditional apple pie!
They're a pretty easy dessert. No need to fuss with pie crust, these are made with a simple cookie crust and streusel topping.
They're a yummy treat. Salted caramel sauce, cookie crust, streusel topping and spiced apples- yum!
Ingredients for Apple Pie Bars
- Butter- make sure it's softened at room temperature
- Sugar- both brown sugar and granulated white sugar are used to sweeten these bars
- Vanilla Extract- adds a sweet note to the bars
- All Purpose Flour- used for the crust and streusel
- Spices- cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger and cloves add warm fall spices to these bars
- Apples- I recommend using honey crisp, pink ladies or gala apples, rather than something tart like granny smith apples
- Heavy Cream- used for the salted caramel sauce
Step by Step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for complete measurements and baking time!
STEP ONE: Make the salted caramel sauce and let it cool. (See my salted caramel blog post for an in depth explanation on how to make homemade caramel sauce.)
STEP TWO: Make the cookie crust. Add the butter, brown sugar, granulated white sugar and vanilla to a large bowl. Cream together on high speed with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the flour, salt and cinnamon. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are fully combined. The mixture will be crumbly. Press the cookie dough into the bottom of a greased metal 9x9 square pan lined with parchment paper. Bake and let cool.
STEP THREE: While the crust bakes make the streusel topping. Add the butter and brown sugar to a medium bowl. Cream together on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, salt and cinnamon to the butter-sugar mixture and mix on low speed until large, coarse crumbs form. Place the streusel in the freezer while working on the filling.
STEP FOUR: Add the apple slices, caramel sauce and spices to a large sauce pan. Stir to coat the apples with the caramel and spices. Cook over medium heat, covered, for 16-20 minutes or until the apples are tender. Stir occasionally to make sure the apples are getting heated evenly. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
STEP FIVE: Add the cooked apple mixture on top of the cookie crust then sprinkle the crumb topping on top of the apples.
STEP SIX: Bake the apple pie bars until lightly golden brown on top. Then let them cool in the pan on a wire rack until completely cooled, about 2 hours. Cut into 16 bars and drizzle caramel sauce over top. Serve with vanilla ice cream or on their own!
FAQs
How do I store these? Store leftover apple bars in an airtight container for up to three days.
What are the best apples to use? My favorite apples for these bars are honeycrisp, pink lady or gala apples!
Can I just use apple pie spice in the apple pie filling? Sure! I would say use about 3 teaspoons.
Can I use store bought salted caramel sauce? Yes!
Pro Tips
If you are prepping the ingredients and peeling the apples ahead of time, toss the apple slices in a little lemon juice to prevent them from browning.
For best results, measure your flour properly. This is always my #1 baking tip. Do not ever scoop a measuring cup into your flour. This will always lead to using too much flour. Instead, sprinkle spoonfuls of flour into your measuring cup and swipe excess flour off with the back of a knife. Or better yet, weigh your flour. 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams.
If you make these apple pie bars please leave a star review! Also, tag me on Instagram @inbloombakery_ so I can see your creation! Follow me on Pinterest for other dessert ideas!
Other Fall Desserts to Try Next Time
📖 Recipe
Apple Pie Bars
Ingredients
For the Salted Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- 5 tablespoon (70 g) salted butter, softened
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt
For the Shortbread Crust
- ½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups (188 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Streusel Topping
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup (94 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Apple Filling
- 5 cups (700 g) apples peeled and diced into ½ inch pieces about 4 large apples
- ½ cup (140 g) salted caramel sauce
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
For the Salted Caramel Sauce
- Add the granulated white sugar to a large sauce pan and heat it over medium-low heat. As the sugar is heating it will crystalize and then eventually all melt down and turn golden in color. When most of the sugar has melted, but there are still a few crystalized clumps, turn the heat down to low so the melted sugar doesn't burn. (Melting all the sugar takes around 20 minutes.)1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
- Once all the sugar has melted and turned golden in color, add in the butter right away. Stir quickly until the butter is incorporated.5 tablespoon (70 g) salted butter, softened
- Then add in the heavy cream and stir quickly again to incorporate everything together. (At this point if you see the butter and cream start to separate from the sugar turn the heat up to medium low and stir vigorously to combine everything together. This can happen if your butter and cream aren't room temperature.)½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- Lastly, add in the sea salt and vanilla and stir to combine.1 teaspoon vanilla, ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt
- Let the caramel simmer on low for 2-3 minutes, then remove it from the heat and allow to cool completely before using.
For the Shortbread Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x9 metal baking pan and line the bottom and two sides with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add the butter, brown sugar, granulated white sugar and vanilla to a large bowl. Cream together on high speed with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, softened, ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar, packed, ⅓ cup (67 g) granulated white sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Add in the flour and salt. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are fully combined. The mixture will be crumbly.1 ½ cups (188 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Press the cookie dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden brown, then let cool.
For the Streusel Topping
- While the crust bakes make the streusel topping. Add the butter and brown sugar to a medium bowl. Cream together on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.6 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar, packed
- Add the flour, salt and cinnamon to the butter-sugar mixture and mix on low speed until large, coarse crumbs form.¾ cup (94 g) all purpose flour, spooned and leveled, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Place the streusel in the freezer while working on the filling.
For the Apple Filling
- Add the apple slices, caramel sauce and spices to a large sauce pan. Stir to coat the apples with the caramel and spices.5 cups (700 g) apples peeled and diced into ½ inch pieces about 4 large apples, ½ cup (140 g) salted caramel sauce, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- Cook over medium heat, covered, for 16-20 minutes or until the apples are tender. Stir occasionally to make sure the apples are getting heated evenly.
- Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Baking the Apple Pie Bars
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Add the cooked apple mixture on top of the cookie crust then sprinkle the streusel on top of the apples.
- Bake the apple pie bars for 30-35 minutes until lightly golden brown on top.
- Then let them cool in the pan on a wire rack until completely cooled, about 2 hours. Cut into 16 bars and drizzle caramel sauce over top. Serve with vanilla ice cream or on their own!
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