Caramel Apple Crumb Bars (Print Version)
Buttery shortbread crust topped with spiced apples, rich caramel, and crumbly topping. The ultimate fall dessert bar.
# Ingredient List:
→ Crust and Crumb Base
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed
03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
→ Apple Filling
06 - 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
07 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
08 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
10 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
→ Caramel Layer
11 - 1/2 cup store-bought or homemade caramel sauce
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang on sides for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and cut in using a pastry cutter or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in vanilla extract.
03 - Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture for the topping. Press remaining dough firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
04 - Bake the crust for 12 minutes until slightly set. Remove from oven.
05 - While crust bakes, toss apple slices with lemon juice in a bowl. Add sugar, flour, and cinnamon, stirring until apples are evenly coated.
06 - Spread the apple mixture evenly over the hot crust. Drizzle caramel sauce over the apples.
07 - Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the apple and caramel layer.
08 - Bake for 28-32 minutes until the topping is light golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork.
09 - Let cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour. Lift out using parchment overhang and cut into 16 bars.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The three layer magic of crisp shortbread, tender spiced apples, and buttery crumble creates texture in every single bite
- They taste like an apple pie meets a cookie bar but somehow better than either one alone
02 -
- Butter that warms up while you're making the dough will completely change your texture, so keep it in the fridge until the exact moment you need it
- Cooling completely isn't optional here because the caramel needs to set up or you'll have a delicious but messy situation on your hands
03 -
- Cut your apple slices uniformly thin so they all cook at the same rate and you don't get some crunchy bits among the tender ones
- If your caramel is too thick to drizzle, microwave it for ten seconds and it'll become pourable immediately