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
Thank you for this fabulous recipe! Brought them to a dinner party and everyone loved them! The Caramel sauce is amazing!
Oh my gosh, these are so good! I made them for our annual Halloween potluck and kept getting asked for the recipe. Of course I shared it. I made them per the recipe using honeycrisp apples. You better believe I’ll be making them again!
Can I make these into small tarts?
Hi Louise, this recipe should work well in small tart pans. We’re unsure of the exact yield and bake time. Let us know if you try it!
Could I substitute a Graham cracker crust instead of shortbread? If so, should I bake it beforehand?
Hi Marissa, a graham cracker crust may get a little soft, but it should still be good! Make sure you pre-bake it for at least 10 minutes.
Has anyone tried freezing these? Hopping to make ahead while I have fresh apples for Christmas
See recipe Notes for freezing instructions!
I make this every fall- everyone loves it. I send the link to so many people because they ask me for the recipe. I love what you do, Sally!
Have you tried using oat flour with this recipe? I make shortbread cookies with oat flour and they come out great. Wondering if the substitution would work here.
Hi Renee, we haven’t tested oat flour here. Let us know if you do!
Delicious! Would you please consider adding the nutritional information for the recipe, please? I need it for my calorie tracking app, and to know how much insulin to use.
Hi Linda, 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
This is my go-to apple bar recipe! It’s always a hit- I often make it without the caramel drizzle and add extra apples- this recipe is a keeper
Fantastic recipe! Someone gave me a bunch of cosmic crisp apples from their tree and I thought I’d try this recipe to start using them up. I wish I had doubled the recipe and perhaps added 1 additional apple (my apples were medium in size). Will definitely make again. Bonus: they were also attractive.
This recipe was a big hit! Made it twice in one weekend.
I made these for a work potluck and everyone loved them! They always love what I make and I tell them it’s another Sally’s Baking Addiction Recipe! I saved some for my family and they thought it was better than apple pie!
Perfect Apple treat! Ingredients were in house and it was simple to make. I used 6 cups Fuji apples, added extra Tblsp each of flour and sugar to apples to account for the extra apple. Baked 35 min and it was perfect.
These were delicious even without the salted caramel sauce (didn’t have time to make it). However, my bars never really crisped up on top and were mushy. I cooked the shortbread layer a few min more than called for because it looked so soft before I took them out. I thought the filling would be ok but they didn’t seem cooked. I left them in longer—maybe 7-8 min longer, which I normally do not do. I follow Sally’s recipes to the letter and they do not disappoint. Wondering if I did something wrong? The recipe is very straightforward, and not technique laden, so I don’t know what the issue would have been. They tasted great but the sogginess was not something I enjoyed!! Please let me know if there was anything I could have done differently. Thank you !!!
Hi Wendy, yes, these are soft bars—not hard or crunchy. Did they solidify a bit more as they cooled? But if you decide to try them again, feel free to bake a few extra minutes if you want them a little more solid. You can even tent the top with foil to prevent burning. Hope this helps!
Will these turn out the same if I use quick oatmeal instead of old fashioned?
Hi Stacie, we only suggest old fashioned whole oats for their big chunky and chewy texture. That being said, you can sub a thinner oat like quick oats if you’d like.
This was a big hit. I swapped the nutmeg with pumpkin pie spice and did not add the caramel topping
I was wondering if I doubled this recipe, could I use a 9X13 pan?
Hi Karen, absolutely. See recipe notes for 9×13 version. Enjoy!
Favourite apple dessert recipe!!!! Super quick and easy to make! I opt for this instead of an apple crisp because of the additional shortbread base. This was my third time making it in a few years and it is still as good as ever!
Hi! is there a way you would suggest baking caramel into the bars?
Hi Krista, this salted caramel isn’t the best for baking into bars, brownies, etc., so we recommend sticking with the drizzle on top!
Hello! Would it be possible to bake this in a tart pan? Would I need to reduce the amount of apples?
Hi Maya, We haven’t tested this recipe in a tart pan, but it should work great!
Made your recipe . Good ratio to crust , apple( I added one more) to streusel topping. Baked it a little longer (another 10 minutes). I don’t think you could add much to make it any better. It’s a keeper for me. and my husband.
These were so good!!! I couldn’t wait for them to fully cool so I ate a piece right away and actually prefer them warm. Then I couldn’t stop myself and ended up eating 3 more pieces Reminds me of the perfect fall dessert I also added a few more spices (dash of cloves and allspice). I wouldn’t mind adding a bit more cinnamon next time. Thank you for the recipe!
These bars are delicious. The only issue is the next day they were kind of soggy. I live in Houston with high humidity and these bars don’t do well in humidity. But they are fabulous if you are serving them the day you make them
Is there a way to switch out something else for the oats in the streusel topping? Say maybe nuts ? Or leave it out all together? We are not big fans of oats in our streusel topping. Also I’m just going to use my homemade apple pie spice, I love the taste it gives apples.
Hi Diana, sure! We recommend trying the crumb topping from this crumb cake recipe. It will be just the right amount for this pan of bars.
Hi Sally, could this be made with vegan butter? I’m looking for something to bake for work and there’s one vegan and one who doesn’t like chocolate! These look really easy to make vegan by swapping the butter but I was just wondering if they’d still taste ok. Thanks!
Hi Alie, We haven’t made the apple pie bars with vegan butter, but you can certainly try!
I made 3 pans of apple pie bars using apples we picked at a local farm and my family went CRAZY over them! Comments like “these are AMAZING” and “OMG this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten!” were sent to me. Thank you, Sally, for another great recipe! You never fail me!
So glad to read this!
This a great recipe
Can you use almond flour for the crust and filling? If so, any changes in measurements or cooking time? How would the taste be different?
Hi Peggy, we don’t recommend almond flour here. It has very different baking properties than all-purpose flour and isn’t always a 1:1 swap. It’s best to stick with all-purpose flour here.
These were wonderful! I work at an RV park and bake cookies every Monday, these were a huge hit! I made them exactly as the recipe says and they were awesome.
This recipe is absolutely wonderful. Plus I have a half jar of salted caramel left. Dangerous