The Ultimate Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars (Easy Recipe!)

It's Friday night, October 24th, here in Austin. The weather is finally perfect-cool, crisp, and just begging for an open window and a warm oven. This is the time of year my kitchen officially switches to fall comfort baking, and these Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars are always first on the list. They are the absolute best of all worlds: a buttery, chewy oatmeal cookie crust, a layer of tender, cinnamon-spiced apples, and a rich, gooey drizzle of salted caramel sauce, all topped with more of that delicious crumble. They are dangerously easy to make and the first thing to vanish at any fall gathering.

Jump to:

• The Perfect One-Pan Fall Dessert
• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients
• How to Make Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars
• Tips and Tricks for Success
• Variations
• How to Serve
• Make Ahead and Storage
• Recipe Notes / What I Learned
• Nutrition Snapshot
• Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars
• FAQs

The Perfect One-Pan Fall Dessert

What I absolutely love about this recipe is the pure genius of the crust and topping. It's a brilliant 2-in-1 shortcut. You make one single bowl of a buttery, oaty, brown sugar crumble, press half of it into the pan as the crust, and save the other half for the topping. It uses melted butter, so there's no cutting in cold butter, no pastry blender needed. It's the perfect, simple, gooey dessert for a Thanksgiving potluck or a cozy weekend treat.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Tastes Like a Caramel Apple Pie: You get all the comforting flavours of a gooey caramel apple pie, but in a simple, easy-to-eat, portable bar.
• Brilliant 2-in-1 Crust & Crumble: The dough for the crust and the crumble is made in one bowl with melted butter, saving you time and dishes.
• Incredible Textures: This bar has it all: a chewy oat crust, tender spiced apples, a gooey caramel layer, and a crisp, buttery crumble topping.
• Perfect for a Crowd: This recipe is baked in a 9x13 inch pan, making it the ideal easy dessert to feed a group for a holiday or party.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to create these addictive bars. For the full list with precise measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post!

For the Crust & Crumble

• All-Purpose Flour: Spoon and level your flour to ensure you don't use too much, which can make the bars dry.
• Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats) provide the best chewy texture.
• Brown Sugar: Packed light brown sugar is the key to that chewy, butterscotch-like flavour.
• Spices: Ground cinnamon and salt (to balance the sweetness).
• Butter: Unsalted butter, melted.

For the Apple & Caramel Filling

• Apples: 4 cups of peeled, chopped apples. I insist on a firm, tart baking apple like Granny Smith.
• Caramel Sauce: ½ cup of a good-quality salted caramel sauce. A thick, jarred ice cream topping works perfectly here.
• Spices: More ground cinnamon and a touch of ground nutmeg (optional, but lovely).

How to Make Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars

This is a simple, one-bake method.

Step 1: Preheat and Make the Crust/Topping

First, I preheat my oven to 375°F (190°C). I line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.

In a large bowl, I combine the all-purpose flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and the first teaspoon of cinnamon. I whisk it all together. I pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture is evenly moistened and forms coarse crumbs.

Step 2: Layer the Ingredients

I press about two-thirds (⅔) of this crumble mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the crust.

In a separate bowl, I toss the peeled and diced apples with the second teaspoon of cinnamon and the nutmeg. I spread this apple mixture evenly over the crust.

Next, I drizzle the salted caramel sauce as evenly as I can over the layer of apples.

Finally, I sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture evenly over the top of the caramel and apples.

Step 3: Bake and Cool

I bake the bars for 40-45 minutes, or until the topping is a deep golden brown and the apple-caramel mixture is bubbling around the edges.

I let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. This is the most important step! It will take at least 2-3 hours. This allows the hot caramel and apple juices to cool and set. If you cut them while warm, they will be a delicious, gooey mess.

Once cooled, I use the parchment "sling" to lift the entire block out, place it on a cutting board, and slice it into bars.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Cutting While Warm: This is the #1 mistake. The bars must be completely cool before slicing, or the caramel-apple filling will be liquid and will ooze everywhere.
2. Using Soft Apples: Do not use a mealy or soft apple (like a Red Delicious). They will turn to watery mush. A firm baking apple (like Granny Smith) is essential.
3. Not Using a Parchment Sling: The caramel makes these bars very sticky. Skipping the parchment paper "sling" will make them nearly impossible to remove from the pan cleanly.

Variations

This recipe is a wonderful base for your favourite fall additions!

• Add Nuts: Add 1 cup of chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts to the crumble topping mixture.
• Add Oats: (This recipe already includes oats!)
• Different Spices: Add ½ teaspoon of ground ginger or cardamom to the apple mixture for a different warm-spice profile.
• Make it Gluten-Free: This is an easy swap. Use a high-quality 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (one that contains xanthan gum) in place of the all-purpose flour and make sure to use certified gluten-free rolled oats.

How to Serve

These Caramel Apple Crisp Bars are the perfect, portable fall dessert.

• They are fantastic served at room temperature with a hot cup of coffee or spiced apple cider.
• They are a guaranteed hit on a Thanksgiving or holiday dessert platter.
• My absolute favourite way: Serve a square slightly warmed (just 15 seconds in the microwave) with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. It's divine!

Make Ahead and Storage

These bars are fantastic for making ahead, as their flavour and texture hold up beautifully.

• Make Ahead: Bake the bars 1-2 days in advance. Keep them in the pan, covered tightly, at room temperature.
• Storage: Store the completely cooled and cut bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• Freezing: These bars freeze wonderfully! Place the cut bars on a baking sheet to freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container, separating layers with parchment paper. They will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Nutrition Snapshot

Estimated Nutrition Per Bar (assuming 24 bars): ~230 calories · 3g protein · 34g carbs · 10g fat (This is an approximation and can vary based on the size of your apples and the type of caramel sauce used.)

FAQs