Made with a shortbread crust, spiced apple filling, streusel topping, and homemade salted caramel, these apple pie bars have all the flavors of classic apple pie in an easy-to-serve bar dessert.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since updated it with new photos and additional success tips. Based on reader feedback, I also increased the flour in the crust to help it hold its shape, extended the baking time, and adjusted the instructions so you make and refrigerate the streusel first, which helps it maintain its crumbly texture as it bakes.
Without a doubt, apple pie is my favorite dessert. I love the combination of sweet-tart spiced apples and buttery, flaky pie crust. But when I’m craving those classic flavors without making an entire pie, I turn to today’s dessert.
These salted caramel apple pie bars are an easier, more approachable version of salted caramel apple pie. There’s no traditional pie crust to prepare, but you still get plenty of tender spiced apples, buttery crust, and irresistible salted caramel in every bite.
That’s why I’ve created bar versions of several popular pies on my site, including pumpkin pie bars, cherry pie bars, and blueberry pie bars. You get all the familiar flavors of a homemade pie in an easier-to-make (and easier-to-serve) dessert.
3 Layers to Love
These apple pie bars have a buttery shortbread crust, tender cinnamon-spiced apples, and a crisp brown sugar oat streusel with a drizzle of salty-sweet caramel. They taste like apple pie, but with a softer, more crumbly bar-cookie texture.
- Shortbread Crust: The buttery shortbread crust is much easier to make than a traditional pie crust. It’s simply perfect as the base layer for all your favorite bar desserts. I actually use the same shortbread crust in my recipe for raspberry streusel bars and double the recipe for my lemon bars. It comes together quickly—no waiting for pie dough to chill.
- Apple Pie Filling: No canned filling here. You only need 5 ingredients to make your own apple pie filling, and it tastes incredible!
- Streusel Topping: Instead of a top layer of pie crust like you see on traditional apple pies, we’re topping these apple pie bars with streusel. It’s a scaled-up version of the topping on our caramel apple cheesecake pie.
Here is everything you’ll need:
Overview: How to Make Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
There are just a few steps before you have a delicious fall dessert on your hands!
Make the streusel topping first. I like to make the streusel topping first so it can chill in the refrigerator while I prepare the crust and filling. Keeping the butter cold helps the streusel hold its shape in the oven instead of melting into the bars. I do the same when making chocolate marble pumpkin bread.
The mixture will be crumbly and coarse:
Make the shortbread crust. Melted butter makes the crust especially easy to prepare and press into the pan. I also find that it produces a wonderfully soft yet sturdy base, which is ideal to support all those heavy apples!
An 8-inch square baking pan works best for these bars. Be sure to line it with parchment paper so you can easily lift the entire batch from the pan before slicing. If you need a recommendation, I use and love this baking pan and this baking pan (pictured).
As the crust pre-bakes, prep the apple pie filling. No need to pre-cook the filling on the stove; you can layer it right on top of the warm crust.
Peel the apples and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss with flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg:
What Are the Best Apples for Apple Pie Bars?
Use a firm apple that holds its shape when cooked. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or a combination all work well. If you’re interested in learning more, see my guide to the best apples for baking.
Layer the apple pie filling evenly on top of the crust. It will look like there are too many apple slices, so layer them tightly and press them down to fit. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the apples, and then bake.
Chilling is important: Allow the bars to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, then transfer the bars to the refrigerator. For the cleanest slices, refrigerate the bars for at least 2 hours.
Cut into bars and drizzle with salted caramel sauce. I like to add a little sprinkle of sea salt flakes on top, too, but that’s completely optional.
Salted Caramel Topping
A generous drizzle of salted caramel takes these incredible apple pie bars to a whole new level. Have you ever made salted caramel before? You must. Besides topping these apple pie bars, it’s delicious over ice cream or pancakes, served with apple slices, and so much more. Find 50 ways to eat salted caramel here.
Absolutely. Homemade salted caramel is fantastic, but your favorite store-bought caramel sauce works well here, too. Add the caramel right before or after cutting into bars.
Yes! The recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch pan. Pre-bake the crust for 18 minutes, then extend the bake time to 45–55 minutes.
You can freeze the bars for up to 3 months. See freezing instructions in the recipe Notes section below.
One bite of these sweet and slightly salty apple pie bars and you’ll wonder why you haven’t made them sooner. They are a forever favorite!
Here is the salted caramel sauce recipe.
Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 bars
- Category: Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Made with a shortbread crust, spiced apple filling, streusel topping, and homemade salted caramel, these apple pie bars have all the flavors of classic apple pie in an easy-to-serve bar dessert.
Ingredients
Streusel
- 1/2 cup (43g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Shortbread Crust
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 1 Tablespoon (133g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Apple Filling
- 2 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced (about 2.5 cups or 315g; 1/4-inch-thick slices)
- 2 Tablespoons (16g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Garnish
- homemade salted caramel or store-bought caramel sauce
- optional: flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on all sides. Set aside.
- Make the streusel first: In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender or two forks (or even with your hands) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Place in the refrigerator until step 6.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, stir together the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour and mix until everything is combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. While the crust bakes, prepare the filling.
- Make the apple filling: In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, stirring until all of the apples are evenly coated. Set aside.
- After you remove the crust from the oven, increase the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C).
- Pour the apple filling on top of the warm crust and spread/press into an even layer. It will look like there are too many apple slices, so layer them tightly and press them down to fit. Sprinkle the cold streusel evenly on top.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Lift the bars out of the pan by gripping the parchment paper overhang; transfer to a cutting board and cut into squares. Drizzle caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using.
- These apple pie bars can be enjoyed warm, cold, or at room temperature. Store covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the bars (without the caramel sauce drizzle) for up to 3 months. Layer them in an airtight freezer-safe container or bag with parchment paper between the layers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm them up to your liking and drizzle with salted caramel sauce to serve.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Apple Peeler | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Pastry Blender
- Apples: I like to use two different kinds of apples for the best texture and depth of flavor. I typically use one tart apple variety such as Granny Smith, and one sweet apple variety such as Pink Lady or Honeycrisp.
- Larger Batch: Recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch pan. Pre-bake the crust for 18 minutes (step 3), then extend the bake time to 45–55 minutes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I plan to make 2 pans of these bars. Is one recipe of the caramel enough to top both pans? Thanks!
Hi Barbara, it really depends on how much caramel you want to drizzle over the top. It should be enough for a light drizzle over both pans. Enjoy!
This recipe is fantastic!! I am making it for the second time. I have apples I need to use up and this is a great and easy recipe.
Made these for the family were huge hit will make again Thanks for all the wonderful recipes and great tips .
Honest to goodness……. This is one of the best dessert recipes I’ve ever made. And I’ve made a lot! It whips up easy because when the crust is baking you can make the other components. I use David lebeivitz’s salted butter caramel recipe and it’s to die for on these and is so easy once you get it. I also sprinkle a tiny bit of fleur de sel on top. My twin brother and sister in law are absolutely obsessed with these and I had to make them more because he ate them all the first time and she ate them all the second batch that’s how good these babies are. Thanks for the recipe! I feel like a baking extraordinaire when I whip up these little guys. I usually make them just as you wrote your recipe and they’re perfect every time.
These turned out amazing!! Sally’s has become my go to for all recipes (Maryland girl here and even the crabcake recipe is delish)! Your recipes are simply the best – easy to follow and delicious. Even my “I don’t eat dessert” husband couldn’t resist! The salted caramel recipe definitely added to it! Thank you!!
I made these today for my son’s HS football team dinner and everyone went crazy for them!! Amazing. I left the oats out of the streusel because I prefer it that way. Otherwise made exactly as the recipe said, made the caramel too. Thanks so much!!!
These look and taste great! They came together very easily and after following the advice to make sure to press the apples down into the crust they have stayed together much better than another similar recipe I have tried. My personal preference is to have warm apple desserts so that is the only downside to these but these are much easier to bring and share than apple crisp or pie.
Oh, thank you caramel apple Gods!!! These are to die for…. I made two batches of caramel (thank you for the tip that the sugar will clump and look bad before it finally breaks down, as I would have assumed I did something wrong!), with the second batch cutting the salt because the first was too salty. Mixed them together and was perfect (1/2 total salt). My in-laws are visiting and gobbled this up. I loved that I can splurge on a decadent dessert as a small size (vs whole piece of pie).
A definite keeper! ⭐️
I don’t even like apple pie and I loved these. I made them with gluten free measure for measure flour for my friends and family (one of my friends and a family member has Celiac Disease) and they came out amazing. I doubled the recipe and the whole tray was gone. Everyone loved them and multiple people went back for seconds. I will make these again for sure!
Can you please share what gluten free flour you used? I made these and they were so amazing and now I want to try a gluten free version for my sister but I was afraid it wouldn’t be the same. Thanks in advance!
I took two bites and said that this is legit the best thing I’ve ever made! My husband said that was saying a lot. Needless to say- he was absolutely speechless during his first helping. Thank you for such an amazing recipe!! Planning on sharing with some extended family this weekend. Now I have a perfect excuse to go pick some apples!
Loooved this recipe. Perfect for when you’re just craving a little piece of indulgence. I didn’t have an 8×8 pan so I used a muffin tin with silicone wrappers instead and just cut the apples a little smaller so they would fit (same baking time). It was a great success! Thank you for sharing such an awesome recipe!!!
Absolutely delicious! I made these last night for a Bunko group I attend. Everyone is to bring a Fall themed appetizer or dessert. The apple pie bars are delicious just as they are…. but add the decadent, warm salted caramel sauce and it’s a winner on a whole other level.
Thank you, Sally, for another great recipe!
Absolutely delicious Sally, I’m going to get so fat if I keep looking at your site – everytime I find 20 new things that I want to try – how’s a girl supposed to lose weight?! 😉
Very Good recipe. My only thing is I’ll probably chop the apples into smaller pieces. Miss the juicy filling like in a pie. But the taste is definitely apple pie in a bar as stated 🙂 very simple recipe as well and the streusal is delicious with Sally’s homemade caramel! Recommend if you enjoy apple pie flavor.
I have made this recipe several times. They are a HUGE hit every time. So easy and so delicious.
Hi Sally, I am not yet getting that fall feeling in California’s September heat so I was wondering if I could use peaches instead of apples in this recipe. I thought I could use your peaches n cream recipe for the peach filling layer and glaze but I really want to try the peach bars with your shortbread crust from this apple bar recipe. What do you think?
That should work, Darla! Let us know how it turns out for you.
It worked out great using the Peaches n Cream bars recipe for the filling with the Carmel Apple Pie Bar shortbread crust and topping. They were delicious. In fact they were so good I had to quickly give them away so I didn’t eat too many. This week I am going to try making them with gluten free flour. Fingers crossed!
SALLY You are the QUEEN once again!! WOW is this recipe awesome. I have a bad habit of wondering what to do with my time, and I get these emails from you and poof I am in a baking mod. My husband thinks I am brilliant and my friends think I should open a bakery. I laugh and say it’s not me its Sally. The only thing I did different from your recipe is I like using powder sugar in my short bread. The carmel I used was a goats milk so the flavor profile jumped with the apples. what an awesome treat! Thank you
Delicious – a little too sweet for me, going to cut down the sugar a bit, and make sure to get the shortbread base a little more crispy. Definitely a keeper!
OFF THE CHARTS Incredibly Good!!!
OMG (I know I say that every time I bake one of your recipes!).
This is ridiculously easy,and buttery melt in your mouth good(scrumptious more like it!!) .
I’m ready to get into Fall Baking (deserves to be capitalized-lol), and gave this a try.
Like a reader said,don’t be turned off by “the steps” involved. It goes by quickly,it’s easy to understand,and before you know it, you’re enjoying the finished product.
I also made the “salted caramel “recipe. So easy!!!
My fiancé loved it all!
Thank you Sally & Team
Lisa
This recipe is outstanding! I’m normally not a person for apple desserts, but I loved it, and everyone that’s had it has raves about it!
Hi Sally, I made these and they were absolutely delicious, thank you. One question – the apple layer came away very easily from the base, any suggestions to stop this please?
Hi Sarah, We are so happy you enjoyed these! To help the layers stick together a bit better, make sure the crust is still warm when you add the apple mixture. Also, layer the apples tightly and press them down to fit. Hope this helps!
These were so good. Don’t be fooled by how many steps it *seems*. Quick and easy wa! Great wy to use up apples. I also was suspicious that an 8×8 pan would produce enough bars but somehow it did So delicious!!! That shortbread bottom is probably my favorite part surprisingly!
Can’t wait to make this recipe esp since I stink at making pie crust! But only 2 apples doesn’t seem like very much.
This looks amazing! I have homemade frozen apple pie filling. Do you have any suggestions for using that?
Hi Molly, we haven’t tested this recipe with apple pie filling, but it should work. It may end up being a bit sweet. We’d recommend thawing before using here. Let us know how it goes!
Question
I wonder if I could triple this and use a 15 in jelly roll pan
Wondering if it would be deep enough and also the bake times
Thanks for any thoughts!
Hi Julie, We have not tested that size pan but don’t recommend tripling the recipe. You can certainly double it in a 9×13 inch pan – see recipe notes for details.
Just wondering why larger than 2 times the recipe would not work if you increase the recipe to the correct proportion based on the pan size and keep an eye on it when baking to determine when it’s done (assuming it would have to bake at least as long as the 9×13”pan). Am I missing something scientific (such as will the center not cook if the pan is bigger than a certain size)? Thanks in advance!
Hi Dixie, these apple bars can be so wet that working with a larger volume may result in disappointing results, especially the crust. (It’s a wet crust mixture when you press it into the pan.) The center may not bake properly either. Doubling is great and works well, we know that!
Just put these in to chill. Looks and smalls great, can’t wait to try them. I’ve never made a bar before and some will be a neighbor gift ..any tips on getting nice clean cuts?
Hi Elizabeth! These bars are a favorite, so glad you’re giving them a try. For clean cuts, make sure to use a sharp knife and wipe it off after each slice. Hope they’re a hit!
Love your recipes so much! The layout of them is very organized and well thought out. What’s more, I adore reading the stories and background of each of them! Not something we can say about all the blogs out there! Keep doing what you’re doing girl, you’re amazing!
I just made these, including the salted caramel by your recipe, and they are insane! Feel like making 5 more batches and eat all day long. Excellent recipe! Thank you:)
Easy to make but deeply delicious! Buttery, warm and not overly sweet; this’ll be a regular snack/dessert I’ll add to my recipe log.
These are delicious. Of course, as it came from Sally! Those little tips are always so helpful. Especially love the make ahead instructions. Thank you
How do you store after baking? How many days is this going to be fresh? Thank you
I am sorry but I just read the note so I know how to storage but I would like to give this one as a gift. Do I have to put it in a cooler until I give it to my friend? Would you do that?
Hi Koffee! It depends on how long after baking you plan to give the pie as a gift. For anything longer than a couple days, we would freeze the baked pie, then thaw just before giving it away if the pie will be eaten right away. You could also give the pie frozen and instruct the recipient to thaw and enjoy when they are ready to eat it. Hope this helps!