Easy salted maple caramel apple crisp bars are the perfect fall dessert. Layered in a 9×13 pan, this shortbread crust, fresh apples and oatmeal crumble topped with homemade salted maple caramel will have you delighting in the taste of Autumn.
What makes a home smell more like Autumn than freshly baked apple desserts straight from the oven? I have been baking quite a few fall sweets this year already including, crunchy pumpkin spice granola and a cast iron skillet apple pie.
These scrumptious apple pie bars are so easy to make, bake and take. The first time I prepared them, I took them to our once a month Sunday church potluck. They got rave reviews from several individuals and there were requests for the recipe. So, trust me, this is a must try recipe for the season!
The recipe starts with a shortbread crust, then a layer of seasoned apples, followed by a tasty oatmeal crisp. Then, all those flavors are enhanced when the warm salted caramel maple syrup is drizzled across the top.
Salted Maple Caramel Apple Crisp Bar Layers
- Shortbread Crust: The first layer is a buttery shortbread crust. It is so easy to mix up, press in the pan. It will bake first in the oven before adding all the other layers.
- Apple Pie Filling: A mixture of apples, butter and cinnamon that simmers on the stove before topping on the shortbread.
- Oatmeal Streusel Crisp: A wonderful mixture of oats, sugar, cinnamon, butter and flour that creates the top layer of the apple pie bars.
- Salted Maple Caramel: Have you ever made homemade caramel sauce? Well, this takes that up a notch by using real maple syrup. I can assure you that making homemade caramel is much easier than you might think!
Kitchen Essentials You May Need
- 9 x 13 baking pan – I use a medium stoneware bar pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Pastry Cutter
- Candy Thermometer
How to Make Easy Salted Maple Caramel Apple Crisp Bars
To bake these apple crisp bars, I use my 9×13 stoneware medium size bar pan. I love cooking in stoneware as I feel this is one of the safest, non-toxic types of cookware. To find out more about why I love using stones to bake, read How to Clean and Season Stoneware.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Shortbread Layer
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, packed brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add softened butter and mix. The mixture will look crumbly, and this is okay.
Pour the mixture onto a 9×13 pan. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Apple Filling
Peel and dice apples. In a sauce pan combine apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until apples are slightly softened.
Remove from heat, and spread across the top of the shortbread crust layer. I use a slotted spoon to avoid getting the extra juice from the apples on the shortbread.
Oatmeal Streusel
Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, oats into a medium size bowl. Mix and then using a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture. Spread the streusel over the top of the apples.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 or until streusel is golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool completely. Then refrigerate for 2 hours before drizzling the salted caramel maple sauce over the top.
Salted Caramel Maple Sauce
In a sauce pan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium heat. Allow to simmer until a candy thermometer reaches 230 degrees.
Remove from heat, slowly add cream, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture back to a boil, add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat, add salt and vanilla.
Drizzle over the top of the salted maple caramel apple crisp bars after they have chilled for two hours.
Tips for Making Salted Maple Caramel Apple Crisp Bars
- Golden Delicious, Granny Smith and Jonagolds are three of the most commonly used apples for baking. For this recipe, I used Jonagolds.
- How many apples you will need will depend on how big your apples are. I had small apples and had to use 8 in order to fill the 9×13 size pan
- Wait to make the caramel maple sauce until you are ready to drizzle it on the apple crisp bars. If you make it ahead, you may have to re-heat the sauce to get it to drizzle easily.
Easy Salted Caramel Maple Apple Pie Bars
Easy salted maple caramel apple crisp bars are the perfect fall dessert. Layered in a 9×13 pan, this shortbread crust, fresh apples and oatmeal crumble topped with homemade salted maple caramel will have you delighting in the taste of Autumn.
Ingredients
- Shortbread Layer
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup butter, softened
- Apple Filling
- 6-8 apples, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter
- Streusel Topping
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup oats
- 1/2 cup butter, cold cut into small slices
- Salted Caramel Maple Sauce
- 1 cup real maple syrup
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup cream
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
SHORTBREAD LAYER
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, packed brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add softened butter and mix. The mixture will look crumbly, and this is okay.
Pour the mixture onto a 9×13 pan. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
APPLE FILLING
Peel and dice apples. In a sauce pan combine apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until apples are slightly softened.
Remove from heat, and spread across the top of the shortbread crust layer. I use a slotted spoon to avoid getting the extra juice from the apples on the shortbread.
OATMEAL STREUSEL
Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, oats into a medium size bowl. Mix and then using a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture. Spread the streusel over the top of the apples.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 or until streusel is golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool completely. Then refrigerate for 2 hours before drizzling the salted caramel maple sauce over the top.
SALTED CARAMEL MAPLE SAUCE
In a sauce pan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over medium heat. Allow to simmer until a candy thermometer reaches 230 degrees.
Remove from heat, slowly add cream, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture back to a boil, add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat, add salt and vanilla.
Drizzle over the top of the salted maple caramel apple crisp bars after they have chilled for two hours.
How to Store Apple Crisp Bars
Store in an air tight glass container in the fridge. They should be good in the fridge for up to two weeks but, trust me, they won’t last that long!
More Fall Recipes from Rocky Hedge Farm
- How to Make a Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
- Maple Glazed Cinnamon Rolls
