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Perfect Caramel Apple Crisp Bars with Easy Oat Streusel

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These caramel apple crisp bars feature a buttery shortbread crust, spiced apple filling, crunchy oat streusel, and a silky caramel sauce. They’re simpler than pie, faster than a cobbler, and perfect for fall gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 medium apples (about 600g), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (16g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup (90g) rolled oats
  • ½ cup (65g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon salt (for salted caramel) or ¼ teaspoon (for sweet caramel)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides. Lightly grease the parchment.
  2. Make the shortbread crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and vanilla. Use a pastry cutter or fingertips to work butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized butter pieces. Press evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes until edges are just golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Prepare the apple filling: In a large bowl, toss apple slices with sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Let sit for 5 minutes.
  4. Make the oat streusel: In another bowl, combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour melted butter over and stir with a fork until moistened and clumpy.
  5. Assemble the bars: Spread apple mixture evenly over pre-baked crust. Sprinkle oat streusel over the top, covering apples completely.
  6. Bake for 35-40 minutes until streusel is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling at edges. If browning too quickly, tent with foil after 25 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
  7. Make the caramel sauce: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, spread sugar in an even layer. Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until sugar melts and turns deep amber (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in butter until incorporated. Slowly drizzle in heavy cream while whisking constantly. Stir in salt and vanilla. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
  8. Drizzle warm caramel sauce over cooled bars. Let cool completely at room temperature (about 2 hours) before slicing. For cleaner slices, refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting. Lift bars out using parchment overhang and cut into squares.

Notes

Don’t overwork the crust; stop when mixture looks like coarse sand. Use a mix of apple varieties (e.g., Honeycrisp and Granny Smith). Watch caramel closely to avoid burning. Let bars cool completely before slicing for clean cuts. For gluten-free, use 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and certified gluten-free oats. For dairy-free, use plant-based butter and coconut cream.

Nutrition

Keywords: caramel apple crisp bars, apple crisp bars, oat streusel, fall dessert, apple dessert, easy dessert

Find it online: https://forkmila.com/perfect-caramel-apple-crisp-bars-with-easy-oat-streusel/