Imagine all the cozy flavors of fall - apples, cinnamon, oats, and gooey caramel - layered together in one easy dessert bar. That's exactly what you get with these caramel apple crisp bars. They're sweet, buttery, a little crunchy on top, and soft and gooey in the middle. Basically, they're like apple crisp and caramel apples rolled into one delicious treat you can slice and share.
Why you'll love these caramel apple crisp bars
These are the best caramel apple bars because they check all the boxes: cozy, easy, and downright irresistible. They're everything you love about apple crisps: sweet apple filling, crispy oat crumbs, and a rich caramel drizzle. They all combine into one sweet, tart, and buttery treat. Plus:
Easy to make. No need to fuss with pie dough! These bars come together quickly with a simple crust, apple filling, crumbly oat topping, and caramel drizzle.
All your favorite fall flavors. Think sweet apples, warm cinnamon, buttery oats, and caramel sauce baked into every bite.
Perfect for gatherings. Whether it's a fall bake sale, holiday dessert table, or just a weekend treat, these bars slice easily and serve a crowd.
No pie pan needed. You get all the flavor of caramel apple pie in a quick and simple bar form. They're like little apple pies you can hold in your hand.
Enjoy any time of the day. Have them topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert, as they are for an after-school snack, or maybe even sneak one in for breakfast (I won't tell).
Bonus! They make your kitchen smell amazing while they bake.
4 Layers of Deliciousness
Oatmeal Cookie Base - is an oat-based dough that is flavored with cinnamon sugar and vanilla. It is baked to form a sturdy base for the delectable apple filling.
Sweet Apple Filling - apples are tossed with a bit of flour to keep the moisture in them, then sweetened with cinnamon and nutmeg flavored sugar.
Streusel Crumbs - are made from the oatmeal base, minus the vanilla, with added pecans for some crunch.
Caramel Topping - adds extra sweetness and is always a great pairing with apples.
Ingredients and what they bring to the bars
This recipe uses simple pantry staples and fresh apples to create layers of flavor and texture. Here's what you'll need:
Cookie base and crumb layer
- All-purpose flour - Forms the structure for both the crust and crumb topping.
- Rolled oats - Add hearty texture and that classic "crisp" vibe.
- Light brown sugar - Sweetens and adds a subtle molasses depth.
- Cinnamon - Warm spice that pairs beautifully with apples.
- Butter - Cold butter makes the base tender and crumbly with a buttery richness.
- Vanilla - Adds a touch of sweetness and rounds out the flavors.
- Pecans - Chopped nuts bring crunch and nutty flavor to the topping.
Apple layer
- Apples - A mix of one tart and one sweet apple gives a nice balance of flavor.
- All-purpose flour - Thickens the apple juices so the filling isn't runny.
- Granulated sugar - Sweetens the apple filling.
- Cinnamon - Cozy spice that enhances the apples.
- Nutmeg - Adds just a hint of warmth and depth.
Toppings
- Powdered sugar - A light dusting over the cooled bars for a pretty finish.
- Caramel bits or squares - Melt into a rich, gooey drizzle.
- Water - Helps thin the caramel for easy drizzling.
Best Apples to Use
You want to use both sweet and tart apples in this recipe to get the most flavor:
- Sweet apple options - Honeycrisp, Fuji, Jazz, and Pink Lady
- Tart apple options - Granny Smith, Jonathan, or Braeburn
How to Make Apple Crisp Bars with Caramel
This recipe for caramel apple bars is simple, but the results are anything but ordinary. Here's what to do:
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter.
- Continue cutting in until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Take ¾ cup and place in a smaller bowl. Add pecans, and set aside. This will be your crumb topping.
- Add vanilla extract to the original oatmeal mixture and mix well. This will be the cookie base. Pour it into the prepared square baking dish and pat evenly into the bottom.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the cookie base is baking, make the apple layer. Mix all apple layer ingredients together. As soon as the cookie base is done, remove from the oven and cover with the apple mixture. Pat gently into place.
- Sprinkle crumb pecan topping over apples and return to oven.
- Bake 30 minutes. Cool, then place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Remove bars from refrigerator. Lift carefully from the pan and place on a wooden cutting board. Cut into 16 small squares.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar, then drizzle with melted caramel. Place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe tips for success
These little tricks will help you get perfect bars every time:
- Cut apples into even cubes. Keeping the cubes roughly the same size ensures they cook evenly and give you a consistent filling.
- Pre-bake the crust. This gives the bars structure and keeps the bottom from getting soggy.
- Cool completely. If you try to cut them too soon, they'll fall apart. Patience pays off!
- Chill for cleaner cuts. Refrigerating before slicing gives you bakery-style squares.
Recipe variations to make them your own
Salted Caramel - just add ¼ teaspoon salt to the melted caramel and stir well. You can also opt to sprinkle a little sea salt over the caramel after it is drizzled over the cooled bars.
Spiced up - Add nutmeg, ginger, or allspice along with cinnamon for extra cozy flavor.
Crumb Topping - Switch out the pecans with walnuts or dried cranberries.
Gluten-free - use a 1:1 gluten-free flour in place of any all-purpose flour in the recipe.
Vegan - substitute the butter for a vegan variety and use a plant-based caramel sauce such as Nature's Charm Coconut Caramel Sauce or, if you prefer, make your own.
Big Batch - Opt to use a 9x13-inch pan for a larger batch, just double the quantities and bake for the same amount of time.
How to store and freeze
Store them covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
They also freeze beautifully. It's best to freeze them without the caramel on top. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Drizzle with caramel before serving.
More Apple Recipes
Caramel Apple Dip is a sweet caramel cream cheese ball, rolled in chocolate and peanuts, making it the perfect appetizer dip for seasonal fall apples.
One Bowl Apple Cake is an easy one-bowl bundt cake that's the ideal dessert for fall.
Easy Apple Crisp by The Forked Spoon is an easy recipe of caramelized apples beneath a cinnamon-spiced oatmeal topping.
Hello Dolly Bars with butterscotch chips, cinnamon, and walnuts are a tasty fall twist of the original.
Find more easy fall recipes here on 2CM!
Caramel Apple Crisp Bars
Ingredients
Cookie Base & Crumb Layer
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons butter, cold
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
Apple Layer
- 2 apples, peeled, cored & cubed (one tart & one sweet)
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Powdered Sugar & Caramel Drizzle
- powdered sugar
- ½ cup Kraft caramel bits or caramel squares, melted
- 2 teaspoons water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. The parchment paper should come up and over the sides. This will allow you to lift the cooked bars out of the dish so they can be cut.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter with pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Take ¾ cup of crumb mixture and place in a smaller bowl. Add pecans, stir, and set aside. This is your crumb topping.
- To the original crumb mixture, add vanilla extract and mix well. Place into the prepared square baking dish and pat evenly into bottom. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.
- While cookie base is baking make the apple layer. Mix all apple layer ingredients together. As soon as cookie base is done, remove from oven and cover with apple mixture. Pat gently into place.
- Sprinkle crumb topping over apples and return to oven. Bake 30 minutes.
- Cool on wire rack for 30-45 minutes then place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- Melt caramel bits and water in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment. Usually takes about 1 minute.
- Remove bars from refrigerator. Lift carefully from pan and place on wooden cutting board. Cut into 16 small squares. Sprinkle with powdered sugar then drizzle with melted caramel. Place in airtight container and store in refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
This post has been updated with more helpful information. It was first published on September 22, 2015.
