Description
These apple crumble bars with oats and caramel sauce are the ultimate comfort dessert. A buttery oat crust, a layer of spiced apples, and a crumbly oat topping, all drizzled with homemade caramel sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the crust and crumble topping:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
- For the apple filling:
- 4 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples (about 4 medium apples, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- For the caramel sauce:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal.
- Make the crust and crumble topping: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture is evenly moistened and crumbly.
- Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the oat mixture for the crumble topping. Press the remaining mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form an even crust.
- Bake the crust for 12 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Make the apple filling: In a medium bowl, toss the sliced apples with granulated sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch until well coated.
- Spread the apple mixture evenly over the pre-baked crust.
- Sprinkle the reserved crumble topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the apples are tender and the crumble topping is golden brown. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- While the bars cool, make the caramel sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar and cream, then bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce over the cooled bars. Let the bars set for at least 20 minutes before cutting into squares using the parchment overhang. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
For best results, allow the bars to cool completely before cutting. Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The caramel sauce can be made ahead and reheated gently before drizzling.
Nutrition
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Sugar: 42 g
- Fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 62 g
- Protein: 4 g