Caramel Apple Crumb Bars (Printable)
Tender shortbread layered with spiced caramel apples and buttery crumbs for an irresistible 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
# Directions:
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 Advice:
01 -
- The three texture layers keep every bite interesting and satisfying
- These freeze beautifully so you can pull out homemade dessert anytime
02 -
- Cutting these before they are completely cool creates a gooey mess
- The crumb topping should look sandy not like cookie dough before baking
03 -
- Room temperature butter is your enemy here so keep it cold
- The parchment overhang makes lifting the whole batch out so much easier