Made with a shortbread crust, spiced apple filling, streusel topping, and homemade salted caramel, apple pie bars are just as delicious as apple pie, but much simpler to make. You’ll love this fun twist on a classic dessert!
Without a doubt, apple pie is my favorite dessert. I love the combination of sweet and tart spiced apples with the buttery, flaky pie crust. It’s cozy, comforting, and simply irresistible. I have the recipe memorized and make it year-round, not just at Thanksgiving. Today’s recipe is the bar version of my salted caramel apple pie (the first apple pie recipe I ever shared on my website!). While I love the pie making process, sometimes we don’t have hours to prepare a dessert, which is where apple pie BARS come in. No traditional pie crust, but same delicious flavors.
It’s why I’ve created bar versions of some of the most popular pies on my site, such as pumpkin pie bars, cherry pie bars, and blueberry pie bars.
3 Layers to Love
- Shortbread Crust: The buttery shortbread crust is just like my favorite pie crust recipe, only easier. 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. Lots of streusel because the more streusel the better. 🙂
Best Apples for Apple Pie Bars
Whenever I make apple pie bars, apple pie, or even apple cake, I always use 2 different kinds of apples for more depth of flavor. (One sweet variety, one tart variety.)
Here are some I suggest:
- Sweet apples I love: Jazz, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala, Fuji, and Cortland
- Tart apples I love: Granny Smith, Braeburn, Jonathan, and Pacific Rose
For a detailed list of my favorite apple varieties and when to use each, you can visit my post The Best Apples for Baking.
Overview: How to Make Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Homemade apple pie bars are incredibly simple to make. There’s just a few steps before you have a delicious fall dessert on your hands!
- Make the shortbread crust. Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8×8 inch pan.
- Bake the shortbread crust for 15 minutes.
- Make the apple pie filling.
- Make the streusel topping. The mixture should resemble coarse crumbs.
- 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 on the streusel topping.
- Bake. These bars take about 30-35 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown.
- Chill the bars. Allow them to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
- Cut into bars and drizzle with salted caramel.
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. My recipe for homemade salted caramel is liquid gold and dangerously good. Besides these apple pie bars, it’s delicious on ice cream, pancakes, with apple slices, and more—find 50 ways to eat salted caramel here.
Be warned: Once you start, you won’t be able to stop. I make a batch of salted caramel almost every week and see no problem with this!
One bite of these sweet and salty apple pie bars and you’ll wonder why you haven’t made them sooner!
More Apple Desserts
- Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
- Apple Bundt Cake
- Caramel Apples
- Apple Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting
- Brown Butter Apple Blondies
- Apple Turnovers
- Apple Pie
And honeycrisp apple sangria for a fun fall drink!
Print
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
Baking apple pie as bars is so much easier!
Ingredients
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 (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Apple Filling
- 2 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced (1/4 inch thick)*
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Streusel
- 1/2 cup (43g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 1/3 cup (70g) 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
- homemade salted caramel or store-bought caramel sauce
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 enough overhang on all sides. Set aside.
- Make the crust: Stir the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes and then remove from the oven. (As the crust bakes, you can prepare the filling and streusel.)
- Make the apple filling: Combine the sliced apples, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl until all of the apples are evenly coated. Set aside.
- Make the streusel: Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender or two forks (or even with your hands) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
- Turn the oven up to 350°F (177°C). Evenly layer the apples on top of the warm crust. It will look like there are too many apple slices, so layer them tightly and press them down to fit. Sprinkle the apple layer with streusel and bake for 30–35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Lift the foil or parchment out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into bars. I usually cut them into 16 smaller bars, but you can cut them into 12 larger bars. Once cut, drizzle some salted caramel sauce on top of each. These apple pie bars can be enjoyed warm, at room temperature, or even cold.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The bars will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. You can freeze the bars for up to 3 months. Then, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving and drizzling with caramel.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Pastry Blender
- Apples: I like to use two different kinds of apples for a more complex flavor. I typically use 1 tart apple variety such as Granny Smith, and 1 sweeter apple variety such as Pink Lady. You’ll end up with about 3-4 cups. A little more or less is OK, based on your preference of filling.
- Larger Batch: 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 in step 5 to about 45-55 minutes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made this for our Thanksgiving dessert instead of the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies.
Boy! It was a tremendous hit!
Not too sweet and has been requested to be dessert for Easter!
I made this for our Thanksgiving dessert instead of the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies.
Boy! It was a tremendous hit!
Not too sweet and has been requested to be dessert for Easter!
Could I substitute margarine for butter to accomodate a guest with a dairy allergy
Hi Lisa! We don’t recommend margarine here. You may have better results with a vegan butter, but we haven’t tested that here.
I’m thinking about adding finely chopped pecans to the shortbread base. Do you think they will burn given the longer bake time? Also im thinking about subbing brown sugar or panela in the base.
Hi Vinnie, we haven’t tried that, but you could also try chopped pecans in place of the oats in the crumble topping. Let us know what you try!
This recipe was so easy to follow, and it turned out absolutely amazing! I added a squeeze of lemon to the filling, which gave it a nice extra zing. I also used two different types of apples, as suggested, and it made such a delicious difference. Next time, I’ll bake the shortbread crust a little longer since mine was a bit doughy, but it still tasted incredible. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
It was also my first time making salted caramel, and I used your recipe—it came out fantastic! I was a bit nervous while cooking it because once the sugar started melting, things moved really quickly, but it all worked out. Overall, an AMAZING recipe!
I made these bars for Thanksgiving and they were by far the favorite dessert! I didn’t have time to make the salted caramel, so used store bought – still so delicious!
Hello, I am planning to make this recipe for Thanksgiving because it sounds amazing. I am wondering if an addition of nuts would be complementary and if so what kind? Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Sam, we haven’t tested it but you can certainly try. Chopped pecans in place of the oats in the crumble topping should work nicely! Let us know if you try anything.
Good morning! I am making these delicious bars today and traveling with them for Thanksgiving. Can I put the caramel on after they cool or wait until I serve? Thanks
You can wait until just before serving!
This is a fantastic recipe. I added a pinch of salt to the streusel and filling. I also made the salted caramel. I let my bra cool for 3 hrs before chilling them in the fridge. I love them cold and honestly don’t think they need the salted caramel. Nice buttery crust, custard like soft apple filling with e crunch of the streusel is great! This tastes like my favorite parts of the apple pie with significantly less work! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
I was in the mood to try a new recipe. when baking for a friends moving day meal. This one was perfect and I think the combo of shortbread crust with apple crisp topping is excellent.
I needed a last minute dessert for a family visit, and those were so easy and quick to make! Everyone absolutely loved them. They are like the perfect child of apple pie and apple crumble. Will definitely be making them again, thanks for sharing.
Could this recipe be used to sub out the apple and make it a pumpkin pie?
Here’s our pumpkin pie bars recipe!
This is one of the best desserts I’ve ever made. And pretty easy to make. I will definitely make it again many times.
Delicious! I’ll cut down on the sugar a bit as they’re REALLY sweet when the salted caramel sauce is added, but who wouldn’t add it?!
I will be using frozen apples, do you recommend prepping any differently?
Thanks
Hi Denise, We haven’t tested this with frozen apples. Fresh fruit is best, but for best results with frozen, thaw the fruit first. Blot dry as much as you can before using in the filling. Let us know if you give it a try!
I had high hopes for these bars
Is the shortbread crust supposed to be soft? I baked mine longer plus did the final bake longer. After they cooled (cut into bars), they are still soft and not like a typical shortbread crust…
Hi Joanne, yes, the crust will be on the softer side. If you think it’s too soft, you can try adding a little more flour next time. Hope this helps for next time, thanks for trying this recipe!
This was so good. Thank you!
If I’m leaving these in the fridge overnight do I cover them?
Fabulous dessert!
Yes, cover them! Glad you love them.
After 18 Minutes the crust seems barely baked. Is it supposed to be this way?
Hi Sandy, it will continue to bake with the rest of the bars – you’re just giving it a head start in the oven.
I love this recipe! I made some peach cobbler filling. I put half apple and half peach! It was so good!
Can I substitute King Arthur gluten free flour instead of all purpose flour?
Hi Rita, that should be fine!
How long will these keep?
The bars will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
This is literally the BEST apple bar recipe I’ve ever made. Delicious crust, wonderful flavors.
Fabulous! Everyone had two of them, which is always a good sign
Amazing! Better than ANY apple pie, cobbler or crisp. Heated with ice cream and caramel sauce over top.
I have made this several times with great success. This time I doubled the recipe added dried cranberries and baked in a 7x 11 pan for the family….A+
These are the nicest things to make, such a nice simple recipe and really fun to make. Love love LOVE
We made these for the first time . Amazing! It was a trial run before Thanksgiving! They won’t make it to the freezer!! And the Carmel sauce!! Wow!
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!