Caramel Apple Crumb Bars (Printable)

Buttery shortbread base topped with spiced apples, rich caramel, and golden crumbs for the perfect fall dessert.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Crust and Crumb

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed
03 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Apple Filling

06 - 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced
07 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
08 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
10 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Caramel Layer

11 - 1/2 cup store-bought or homemade caramel sauce

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter and cut it in using a pastry cutter or your fingers until crumbly. Stir in vanilla extract.
03 - Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the mixture for the topping. Press the remaining dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.
04 - Bake the crust for 12 minutes, then remove from oven.
05 - While the crust is baking, place apple slices in a bowl and toss with lemon juice. Add sugar, flour, and cinnamon, tossing to coat.
06 - Spread the apple mixture evenly over the hot crust. Drizzle caramel sauce over the apples.
07 - Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture evenly over the top.
08 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until the topping is light golden brown and apples are tender.
09 - Let cool completely in the pan, then lift out using parchment and cut into bars.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The shortbread crust gets incredibly tender and buttery, almost like a cookie
  • You get all the flavors of apple pie with half the effort and time
  • The caramel layer creates these gooey pockets that make every bite special
  • These bars actually taste better the next day as the flavors meld together
02 -
  • Cold butter is essential for the shortbread texture, warm butter will make the crust tough and dense
  • Letting the bars cool completely is agonizing but absolutely necessary for clean cuts
  • Using a mix of apple varieties gives you the best balance of texture and flavor
03 -
  • If your apples are especially juicy, add an extra teaspoon of flour to the filling
  • Room temperature caramel sauce is much easier to drizzle than cold from the fridge
  • A pizza cutter makes the cleanest cuts through these bars

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