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
This recipe is delicious. I used gluten free flour and oats and a combination of granny smith and gala apples. It was a big hit.
Easy to make and absolutely fabulous with using the different apple varieties. I used Granny Smith and Honeycrisp. I am giving this recipe 4 stars as it’s very very sweet… Will have to reduce the sugar quantities the next time I make it.
Oh my gosh these are awesome. I am not usually a baker, but these were easy to do and everyone loved it. Exxxxxcellent!
Followed the directions for a double batch but added chopped toasted pecans to the crumble and skipped the caramel sauce. I left it in the fridge overnight before slicing. They turned out perfect! Can’t wait to make these bars again.
Sally! I have been eyeing this recipe for at least a year! I have a bag of Hersheys Salted Caramel Chips that I need to use up. Do you think I could throw these chips in? If yes, how much and which step would I mix it in with?
Thank you soo much!
A loyal follower,
Nadia
Hi Nadia! While you could try adding the chips to the top of the bars, we haven’t tested it and are unsure of the results. They could be delicious in these chocolate cookies, our chewy chocolate chip cookies, or even our oatmeal cookies – in the place of chocolate chips. Let us know what you try!
I doubled the recipe and made some for my family and a batch for my co-workers. It was a huge hit all around. It’s now in my recipe book and I am using it this weekend for our Christmas Bake Exchange (10 batches). Thank you for this recipe.
Made these for Thanksgiving and everyone loved them. The crust is the absolute best. Will definitely make again and will be finding other recipes to use that crust on.
This looks amazing, but do the apples come out crisp in this recipe or are they soft? I don’t like my baked apples to have any crunch to them at all so I’m wondering if I should pre-cook them
Hi Miranda, They will get pretty soft, especially if you slice them thin.
Hi! Thanks for this! I would like to serve these warm. How do you recommend heating them after they have been in the fridge for a long time? Thanks!
This is one of my all time
Favorite recipes! Question – last time I made it – it turned very watery? Not sure what happened but any ideas? It was still yummy- just soggy and didn’t last more than a day….
Hi Kelly, a soggy bar could be caused by under-baking – an easy fix for next time!
Wonderful Dessert!
Hi Sally!
I love your recipes! In fact I’ve made this particular recipe a number of times, and consistently receive great feedback and many thanks for making it again.
My question: I saw your apple slab pie recipe w/maple icing. Do you think the maple icing would work here instead of the caramel sauce?
Thanks!
Happy Thanksgiving
Hi Lisa! So glad you love these bars, they’re definitely a favorite. The maple icing would be delicious here – let us know if you give it a try 🙂
Thank you so much for responding so quickly! I most definitely will let you all know how it went. They’re in the oven right now baking. We’ll have them tonight after dinner (but will sneak a bite before so I can report back -lol).
Thank you again! You guys are awesome…you always respond and are so helpful!
Hi Sally & Team!
Want to let you know I thought I sent in this review earlier, but I must have pressed an incorrect “button!@..Anyway!
I wrote in yesterday w/the question about using the MAPLE ICING shown w/the Slab Pie-if you thought it would go well w/the apple bar cookies? And you said it would. I’m here to report back you are correct (not a surprise ).
I’ve made these bar cookies several times w/the caramel sauce (your recipe), and everyone thoroughly enjoys it! I wanted to try something different so the maple icing sounded good and it is!!! I also added chopped walnuts to the streusel topping. We had these for dessert last evening-So,so good!!!
Thank you for your continued inspiration through this crazy time in our world. Your site makes my heart and soul smile.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
So happy to hear that they turned out, Lisa! Thank you for reporting back and Happy Thanksgiving to you too 🙂
Are these best served slightly warm? Wondering about preparing in advance. Thinking may keep it unassembled and bake mid-day for post Thanksgiving dinner.
Hi Cristin! These apple pie bars can be enjoyed warm, at room temperature, or even cold. They’re great any way!
I just made these and they’re amazing! Just the right amount of sweetness.I did double the recipe and baked it in a 13×9 pan. I’m not sure if my oven wasn’t running hot enough, but I think I’ll need to bake the crust a few extra minutes next time.
Excited to bring these to Thanksgiving! Thanks for the recipe!
Planning on making this tomorrow but have a question. The recipe says 2 lg apples but in the notes it says you’ll end out with 3-4 cups, from 2 apples? Should I just add enough apples to get to 3-4 cups?
Hi Anne! Yes, 3-4 cups is how much you’ll need. Two large apples should get you there, but you’ll need more smaller apples!
Made these again and they came out great! Any info on the calorie count?
Hi Bunny, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Thai was amazing! All your recipes are excellent.
This is the best recipe!! Every time I make these, everyone raves about them. They are one of my go-to desserts for any event.
Great recipe! I finally made these today, and they were delicious! Perfect for Halloween!
I will be sure to try it with oats next time (since I didn’t have any, I just did the streusel without it.). It was still good!
Thank you for sharing!
I discovered as I was mid-recipe that we were bereft of old fashioned oats. What to do for the streusel?
Fortunately we had some pumpkin seed granola, which I used instead. I combined it with the cold butter ( no need for sugar since the pumpkin granola is already sweet).
Wow! Brilliant! Crunchiness! Tastiness!
These. Are. Delicious. The caramel sauce is epic.I will definitely be making these again very soon.
One more question. Would you recommend to pre-bake the shortbread crust on the bottom half of the oven (I’ve heard that’s the best way to do it)? Also, after the apples and streusel topping are added, on which shelf of the oven should it be baked (middle, bottom, top of oven etc.)?
Thanks!
Hi Marlena, we bake both the crust and the full bars on the middle rack. If you find your oven runs a bit hot and the bars are browning too quickly, feel free to use a lower rack and know that they may take a bit longer to bake.
This looks like a great recipe! I made my salted caramel sauce today, and soon, I will make this recipe! I have a question. For the shortbread crust, would you recommend to prick the bottom with a fork and then chilling it before baking it? Also, how do you know when the crust is done pre-baking (I know it says “15 minutes” in the recipe, but what are some other indicators I can use to see if it is done)?
Thanks!
Hi Marlena, we don’t find it necessary to prick the shortbread crust or chill it before baking, although you can if you prefer. The crust will look like it is beginning to bake…it should be browning ever so slightly. It will continue to bake once the apples and crumble are added!
Followed instructions but apples didn’t cook
I figured they would have broken down with some juice like an apple pie
What did I do wrong
Hi Bunny, how thick were your apples sliced? We recommend 1/4 inch thickness so that they can cook through in the bars. They should slightly soften during cook time.
Apples were cut thin but after baking they looked like dried apples. Tasted great anyway! Can I double the crust, it seemed thin. How much longer to bake if I do
Hi Sally, haven’t actually made these yet I do plan to. I did however use your short bread crust for your easy cheesecake recipe, since I didn’t have graham crackers I thought why not. Turned out very good. Will definitely make again . Thanks for all you do.
I’ve made these with and without the caramel sauce and they’re delicious both ways. Love how easy they are to make, definitely going to be making them regularly!
These are so delicious! They were a hit with my family. Only question, has anyone made these vegan friendly? Please share your thoughts or substitutions. I wanted to make these again for a different occasion, but I have a family member who is vegan. Would love any input 🙂
Hi Katerina, We’re so glad you and your family loved these! We haven’t made the apple pie bars with vegan butter, but you can certainly try!
Hey Katerina, I made this recipe using vegan butter and it turned out great! I did not make any other substitutions since there’s no egg or milk, etc in the recipe. however, I did not make the salted caramel topping, so I can’t speak to how that would be using vegan butter and vegan cream 🙂 Hope this helps you.
Hi Katerina,
I made them several times vegan and they were delicious. Used vegan butter (don‘t use magarine). Also made many recipes here which were not vegan, just replaced the eggs with soy flour ( 1 egg = 1 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp Water mixed) 🙂
As a long time experienced baker, one of my family’s and friends’ favourite desserts is your salted caramel apple pie..
It’s legendary!
So I’m going to make these bars as well
Has anyone tried this with gluten free flour?
I was thinking of making these for a bake sale. Would the caramel make them too messy to package for individual bars at a bake sale?
Yes…Bob Mills 1 to 1 and it was perfect
Yes, I made last year using Bob’s Red Mill one for one GF flour. Worked great.
These are FABULOUS! A huge hit with everyone…and an easy-to-follow recipe, as all of yours are Sally!
I love this recipe and have made it several times. BUT, the bars always seem soggy the day after. What can I do to prevent this?
Hi Leigh, did you pre-bake the crust for 15 minutes? A slightly longer pre-bake should help for next time!