Irresistibly Delicious Caramel Apple Pie Bars: The Ultimate Fall Baking Delight
As the leaves begin to change color and a crisp chill fills the air, there’s no better time to embrace the warmth and comfort of fall baking. The abundance of fresh, juicy apples signals a season filled with delightful treats, and these Caramel Apple Pie Bars are destined to become a cherished tradition in your home. Imagine a golden, buttery shortbread crust, generously filled with tender, cinnamon-spiced apples, crowned with a crumbly streusel topping, and then drizzled with a rich, sticky caramel sauce. It’s a symphony of textures and flavors that captures the very essence of autumn in every single bite.
While a classic apple pie holds a special place in our hearts, these apple pie bars offer an incredibly convenient and equally satisfying alternative. Forget the fuss of rolling out a top crust; these bars provide all the beloved flavors of traditional apple pie in an easy-to-serve, shareable format. Perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, or simply a cozy evening at home, they eliminate the mess and make portioning a breeze. They’re a modern twist on a timeless dessert, promising flakey goodness and warm baked apples without the extra effort.
The foundation of these magnificent bars is a rich and tender shortbread crust. Crafted from a simple blend of flour, powdered sugar, and cold butter, this crust bakes up perfectly golden and crumbly, offering a sturdy yet delicate base that complements the soft apple filling beautifully. Unlike a traditional pie crust that can sometimes be daunting, this shortbread crust is incredibly forgiving and simple to press into the pan, ensuring a consistently delicious result every time. Its buttery richness provides the perfect contrast to the tartness of the apples and the sweetness of the caramel.
Nestled atop this delightful crust is the heart of our dessert: a generous layer of cinnamon-spiced apples. We use a pound of freshly peeled and thinly sliced apples, coated in a delightful mixture of all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, aromatic cinnamon, a hint of cloves, and warming allspice. This carefully balanced blend of spices infuses the apples with that unmistakable autumnal flavor, ensuring each slice is tender, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. The apples soften to a succulent consistency, bursting with a sweet and tangy profile that forms the ideal canvas for the other components.
No apple pie bar is complete without a glorious streusel topping, and ours is truly outstanding. This crumbly, golden layer is made from a blend of light brown sugar, old-fashioned oats, all-purpose flour, cold butter, and another dash of cinnamon. As it bakes, it creates a wonderfully crisp and buttery crunch that provides a delightful textural contrast to the soft apples beneath. The oats add a wholesome chewiness, while the brown sugar caramelizes, adding depth and warmth to the overall flavor profile. It’s this perfect interplay of textures and tastes that elevates these bars from good to absolutely amazing.
What truly makes these bars extraordinary is the luxurious finish: a generous caramel drizzle. Caramel and apples are a match made in culinary heaven, evoking memories of classic carnival treats and cozy autumn evenings. The rich, buttery sweetness of the caramel cascades over the warm, spiced apples and crunchy streusel, infusing every nook and cranny with its luscious flavor. This final touch ties all the elements together, creating a harmonious and utterly irresistible dessert that tastes just like a caramel apple pie, but in a much more accessible bar form.
Choosing the Best Apples for Your Caramel Apple Pie Bars
The success of any apple dessert largely depends on the apples you choose. For optimal flavor and texture in your Caramel Apple Pie Bars, I highly recommend using a mix of apple varieties. Combining different types allows you to achieve a more complex flavor profile and ensures some apples hold their shape while others soften beautifully. Some of my personal favorites for baking include:
- Honeycrisp: Known for its crisp texture and perfectly balanced sweet-tart flavor. It holds its shape well when baked.
- Braeburn: Offers a delightful blend of sweetness and tartness, with a firm texture that stands up to baking.
- Pink Lady (Cripps Pink): Sweet with a tart finish, these apples are firm and maintain their texture, preventing a mushy filling.
- Cortland: A slightly softer apple with a sweet-tart taste, it’s great for adding a tender element to the filling and doesn’t brown quickly.
- Granny Smith: A classic for baking due to its firm, tart flesh. It provides a bright counterpoint to the sweetness of the caramel and other ingredients.
- Gala: Sweet and mild, Gala apples offer a softer texture when baked, contributing to the overall tender feel of the apple layer.
You can typically find most of these varieties at your local grocery store or farmer’s market. I often pick two kinds of apples – for example, a tart Granny Smith and a sweet Gala or Honeycrisp – and use them in a 50/50 ratio. This combination gives you the best of both worlds: a delightful tartness that cuts through the richness and varying textures for a more interesting bite. Feel free to experiment with your favorite baking apples; no matter your choice, these caramel apple pie bars are guaranteed to turn out amazing!
The process of making these caramel apple pie bars is surprisingly straightforward, allowing even novice bakers to achieve spectacular results. It begins with creating the simple shortbread crust, which is then partially baked to ensure it’s perfectly crisp. While the crust is baking, you prepare the seasoned apple filling and the crumbly streusel topping. Once the crust is ready, the apples are spread over it, followed by the streusel, and then everything bakes to golden perfection. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool before drizzling with caramel and enjoying!
These versatile apple pie bars are fantastic served in many ways. Enjoy them warm, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream melting over the top, creating an even more decadent experience. They are equally delicious served cold, making them an excellent make-ahead dessert or a delightful addition to lunchboxes. For best results, allow them to cool completely before slicing, especially if you want clean, neat bars. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can also be frozen for longer storage, making them perfect for enjoying a taste of fall anytime.
Embrace the cozy spirit of fall by whipping up a batch of these extraordinary Caramel Apple Pie Bars. They are a true celebration of seasonal flavors, combining the comforting familiarity of apple pie with the delightful indulgence of caramel. Whether you’re baking for a special occasion or simply treating yourself, these bars promise to deliver pure autumnal bliss. We hope they become a treasured recipe in your collection, bringing joy and delicious aromas to your kitchen year after year.
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Caramel Apple Pie Bars
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Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes (cold)
Filling
- 1 pound apples, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon all spice
Topping
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes (cold)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line an 8×8 inch baking dish with foil, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out later.
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For the crust: In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and 1/2 cup cold butter (cut into cubes). Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, mix until the ingredients come together to form a soft dough. Press this dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake for 18 minutes.
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Meanwhile, prepare the apple filling. In a separate large bowl, combine the thinly sliced apples with 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon allspice. Toss gently until the apple slices are well coated with the spice mixture.
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Next, prepare the streusel topping. In another bowl, mix together 3/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup cold butter (cut into cubes), and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse, crumbly dough.
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Once the crust has had its initial bake, carefully pour the coated apple slices over the hot crust. Spread them into an even layer using a spatula. Then, evenly crumble the streusel topping over the apples, making sure to cover them completely.
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Return the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes, or until the streusel topping is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with a knife.
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Remove the Caramel Apple Pie Bars from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan before lifting them out using the foil overhang. This step is crucial for the bars to set properly. When ready to serve, drizzle generously with your favorite caramel sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
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This recipe is linked to The Country Cook