Irresistible Salted Caramel Apple Bars for Fall

Introduction

Irresistible Salted Caramel Apple Bars are the epitome of cozy fall baking. Each bite features a buttery shortbread crust, tender spiced apples, and an ooey-gooey salted caramel drizzle, making this dessert the ultimate crowd-pleaser for gatherings or just a cozy night in. With simple ingredients and an easy assembly, these bars deliver all the flavors of fall apple pie with a fraction of the effort.

What Makes Salted Caramel Apple Bars Irresistible?

This recipe balances sweet, tart apples with the rich decadence of homemade salted caramel. Layered together on a crisp, buttery base and finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, each square packs incredible fall flavor and texture—perfect for treating guests or adding something special to your weekly dessert rotation.

How to Achieve Perfect Caramel & Apple Layers

For the apples, toss sliced or diced pieces with cinnamon, sugar, and a hint of nutmeg. Cook them briefly in a skillet until just softened to concentrate their natural sweetness. The homemade caramel sauce comes together quickly—boil sugar until amber, whisk in butter and cream, then finish with a sprinkle of sea salt for that classic sweet-salty balance. Allow each layer to cool slightly before assembling for optimal texture.

Assembling Your Salted Caramel Apple Bars

Spread the buttery shortbread dough evenly into your lined pan and bake until golden. Layer on the cinnamon apples, then drizzle generously with your salted caramel. Crumble extra dough on top for irresistible texture. Bake until the bars are golden brown and the caramel is bubbling at the edges. Cool completely before slicing for clean, beautiful bars.

Serving Suggestions for a Memorable Dessert

Serve these bars at room temperature or warm them slightly to intensify the caramel. They’re delicious on their own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for extra indulgence. A dusting of powdered sugar or an extra drizzle of caramel sauce elevates their presentation.

Nutritional Information and Serving Size

This recipe yields 12 to 16 bars, depending on how you slice them. Each piece contains approximately 250-300 calories, depending on portion size and extra caramel. It’s a treat to savor and perfect for sharing during fall festivities.

Irresistible Salted Caramel Apple Bars for Fall (Recap)

With a comforting blend of tart apples, rich caramel, and buttery crust, these bars encapsulate autumn’s best flavors in easy-to-serve squares. Their simplicity and bold taste make them a seasonal favorite you’ll want to bake again and again.

💡Meal Planning Tip: Save this recipe to automatically generate an organized shopping list. Every ingredient needed is sorted by store section, so you’ll breeze through shopping knowing you have what you need for a delicious fall dessert.

Instructions

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Make the Crust & Topping: Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add cold butter and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to blend until mixture forms pea-sized crumbs. Mix in egg until dough starts to come together. Press two-thirds into the prepared pan for the bottom crust. Reserve remaining dough for topping.
3. Prepare Apple Filling: In a skillet, cook apples with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg over medium heat until just softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Make Salted Caramel: In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt sugar, stirring constantly, until it turns a golden amber. Carefully whisk in butter, followed by cream (mixture will bubble). Cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and stir in sea salt. Cool slightly.
5. Assemble: Spread apple mixture over the baked crust. Drizzle with about two-thirds of the caramel sauce (save some for topping). Crumble reserved dough over apples and caramel.
6. Bake: Bake for 35-40 minutes, until topping is golden and caramel is bubbling. Cool completely in the pan to set the bars.
7. Serve: Drizzle remaining caramel sauce and extra flaky sea salt on top before slicing into bars.

Weekly Meal Planning

These bars are a fantastic make-ahead dessert, staying fresh for several days and perfect for lunchboxes or impromptu gatherings. Save and schedule this recipe to plan which day you’ll bake them, and instantly generate a smart shopping list—CookifyAI consolidates all your meal ingredients so you know exactly what to buy for the week.

Planning Benefits:

– Automatically calculates total ingredient quantities across all your planned recipes
– Organizes your shopping lists by grocery store section for fast, efficient shopping
– Prevents duplicate purchases and missing ingredients
– Makes your weekly meal prep smooth, budget friendly, and waste free

Pro tip: If making several recipes that use apples or butter, schedule together to streamline your shopping and avoid overbuying.

Cook and Prep Times

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (plus cooling time)

Enjoy these Irresistible Salted Caramel Apple Bars and savor the very best of fall, one scrumptious square at a time!