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Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars Recipe

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These Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars are a perfect fall treat, featuring a buttery shortbread crust, spiced apple filling, and a rich streusel topping. Drizzled with homemade salted caramel sauce, each bite offers a delicious balance of sweetness and spice. Enjoy the classic flavors of apple pie in a convenient bar form.

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the Shortbread Crust:
    • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the Apple Filling:
    • 5 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
    • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • For the Streusel Topping:
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • For the Salted Caramel Sauce:
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
    • 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  • Prepare the Shortbread Crust: Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (175ยฐC). Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. In a bowl, cream together butter, sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla extract until a dough forms. Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden.
  • Make the Apple Filling: In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Stir to coat the apples evenly.
  • Prepare the Streusel Topping: In another bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in melted butter and stir until the mixture is crumbly.
  • Assemble the Bars: Spread the apple filling over the baked shortbread crust. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the apples.
  • Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the apples are tender.
  • Make the Salted Caramel Sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the granulated sugar until it turns into an amber-colored liquid. Add the butter and stir until melted. Carefully pour in the heavy cream and continue to stir. Remove from heat and add sea salt. Let cool slightly.
  • Serve: Once the bars have cooled, drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the top. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

  • For extra flavor, add a splash of vanilla extract to the apple filling.
  • Store any leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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