Caramel Apple Bars feature bits of fresh apple and caramel with a buttery oatmeal base and topping. A fall dessert perfect for entertaining!
As a physical therapy student, Bob has three clinicals he must complete. His current clinical is in acute care, and he works at a hospital with a big group of women.
I had the pleasure of meeting them, and they seem like such a fun group! I decided to make these Caramel Apple Bars for Bob to take and and share with his coworkers.
Of course I had to try one to make sure they were ok, and Bob participated too. We really like these a lot! They are very gooey and moist, and the perfect balance of sweet and salty.
We actually found out the next day, after they had chilled overnight in the fridge, that the bars stay together better and even the flavor is better, so I highly recommend following the recipe's suggestion to chill.
Recipe Details
The crumb mixture is prepared and all but 2 cups is pressed into the bottom of the pan to make the crust of the bars.
The apples are tossed with flour and layered on top of the crust, then it's time to add the caramel.
I found these Kraft Caramel Bits at the store and thought they were such an ingenious idea - who wants to unwrap an entire bag of caramels!
I did some reading online to find out whether I still needed to melt them - the reviews were mixed.
I decided to just dump them in the bars.
While I think this was super easy and made for less cleanup, I'd like to try these with the caramel pre-melted and drizzled next time. The bits yield bars with little clumps of caramel, which is great, but I'd like to compare the two methods.
As far as the taste of the bits, they aren't quite as good as the wrapped caramels by themselves, but it's hard to tell a difference in these bars.
I think they are a great alternative if you're in a time crunch or if the thought of unwrapping 45-50 caramels makes you run the other way!
The remaining 2 cups of crumbs are added to the top of the bars, then they are baked.
Slice the bars when warm, but then chill them in the refrigerator to set them up. This helps them stay together and also improves the flavor.
Gluten Free Option
I haven't tried it myself with this recipe, but I have good luck using a Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour in place of all purpose flour in most baked goods.
📖 Recipe
Caramel Apple Bars
Ingredients
For the Crumbs:
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup 1 stick butter (softened)
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups quick cooking oats
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For the Filling:
- 4 ½ cups chopped, peeled tart apples (3 medium or 4 small)
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 bag 14 ounces caramels, unwrapped (or 1 bag Caramel Bits)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
For the Crumb Mixture:
- Mix brown sugar, butter, and shortening in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer.1 cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup 1 stick butter, ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- Stir the flour, the oats, salt, and baking soda. Reserve 2 cups oat mixture; press remaining oat mixture in ungreased, 13 x 9 x 2-inch rectangular pan.1 ¾ cups all purpose flour, 1 ½ cups quick cooking oats, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda
Make Filling and Assemble Bars:
- Toss apples and 3 tablespoons flour; spread over mixture in pan.4 ½ cups chopped, peeled tart apples, 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- Heat caramels over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted; pour evenly over apples. Alternatively, evenly disperse caramel bits over the apples.1 bag 14 ounces caramels, unwrapped
- Sprinkle reserved oat mixture on top; press lightly.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender (mine took about 35 minutes). Cut bars while warm. Store covered in refrigerator.
Sherri Murphy says
Looks delicious. A must try recipe.
chow and chatter says
oh delicious thanks so much for visiting my blog
Melissa says
I just saw those caramel bits at the grocery store! These bars look perfect for fall.
Bob says
Oooo, I love apple bars! Those look fantastic.
CaSaundraLeigh says
I love using my caramel bits!! I do pre-melt them though, they turn out a lot better than when I didn't melt them.
Kerstin says
Oh, these look delicious! I'm going to have to look for the caramel bits, what a great product!
Unknown says
Ooh... these look a little like the peach crumb bars I recently made. I bet the caramel bits make them much more fun though! I can't believe I've never seen those before!
Anonymous says
Hi....I need help. I tried to Pin these wonderful bars but could not copy the picture.