Salted Caramel Apple Crumble Bars
These salted caramel apple crumble bars with oat streusel are a quick, cozy dessert featuring a tender apple filling under a crisp, buttery oat topping with a perfect balance of sweet and salty caramel.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (190g)
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (90g)
- ½ cup packed brown sugar (100g)
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (170g)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 medium apples, peeled and sliced (about 600g)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar (65g)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup salted caramel sauce (120ml)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy lifting.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold, cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or fingertips to blend until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits.
- Press half of the streusel mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes until set and lightly golden. Let cool slightly.
- Peel, core, and slice apples. Toss them in a bowl with granulated sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and salted caramel sauce, stirring gently to coat evenly.
- Spread the apple mixture evenly over the pre-baked crust. Sprinkle the remaining streusel mixture on top, distributing evenly.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the topping is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbly. If topping browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
- Cool completely on a rack for at least 1 hour before cutting to allow filling to set.
- Use parchment paper overhang to lift bars from pan and cut into squares or rectangles. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Use cold butter for crumbly streusel texture. Mix tart and sweet apples for balanced flavor. Do not overmix streusel to avoid tough crust. Cool bars completely before cutting to prevent filling from spilling. For gluten-free, substitute flour with almond or oat flour and use gluten-free oats. For vegan, use dairy-free butter or coconut oil and dairy-free caramel sauce. Drain excess apple juice if needed to avoid soggy bars.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (1/12 of recip
- Calories: 280
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 2
Keywords: salted caramel, apple crumble bars, oat streusel, quick dessert, cozy dessert, fall dessert, easy baking