Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
Updated September 17, 2026
Quick Summary
Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars are an easy fall dessert made with a buttery crust, spiced apples, salted caramel sauce, and a golden crumb topping. They taste like apple pie with a delicious salted caramel twist and are perfect for fall parties, potlucks, and Thanksgiving.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItIf you love apple pie and salted caramel, you are going to love these Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars. They have a buttery crust, a layer of sweet and tart spiced apples, a generous drizzle of salted caramel sauce, and a golden crumb topping.
The combination of apples and caramel is hard to beat, and these apple crumb bars are much easier to make than a traditional apple pie. Everything is baked in a 9×13-inch pan, then cut into squares for an easy dessert that’s perfect for fall gatherings, potlucks, Halloween parties, and Thanksgiving.
I love serving the bars warm with vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of salted caramel sauce. They are one of my favorite apple desserts to make when the weather turns cooler.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Apple Crumb Bars
- Easy to make: You don’t have to make a pie crust or fuss with rolling dough. The buttery dough works as both the crust and crumb topping.
- The apple-caramel combination: Sweet and tart apples, warm spices, and salted caramel make the perfect fall dessert.
- Great for a crowd: The bars are baked in a 9×13-inch pan and cut into 24 squares, so they’re perfect for sharing.
- Make-ahead friendly: You can make the bars ahead of time and even freeze them for later.
- Perfect for fall: Serve them for Thanksgiving, holiday parties, potlucks, or anytime you have apples to use up.
Ingredients (with Helpful Notes)
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make these apple crumb bars. Here are a few notes about the key ingredients:
- Apples: I like Granny Smith apples because their tartness balances the sweet caramel, but Honeycrisp apples are also delicious.
- Lemon juice: Adds brightness to the apple filling and helps keep the apples from browning.
- Cornstarch: Helps thicken the apple filling as the bars bake.
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice give the apples classic apple pie flavor.
- Butter: Use cold unsalted butter for the buttery crust and crumb topping.
- Egg: Helps bind the crumb mixture together.
- Salted caramel sauce: I love using my homemade salted caramel sauce, but a good store-bought caramel sauce works too. I do like Trader Joe’s!
Tips for Making Apple Crumb Bars
Use a tart apple: Granny Smith apples are my favorite because they hold their shape and balance the sweetness of the caramel and crumb topping. Honeycrisp are another great option.
Cut the apples into small, even pieces: This helps them cook evenly and makes the bars easier to cut and eat.
Keep the butter cold: Cold butter gives the crust and crumb topping their delicious, buttery texture.
Don’t overmix the dough: The mixture should be crumbly with small pieces of butter throughout. That’s exactly what you want for both the crust and topping.
Line the pan with parchment: This isn’t required, but it makes it much easier to lift the cooled bars out of the pan and cut them into squares.
Let the bars cool completely: The filling needs time to set. If you cut into the bars while they’re hot, they will be much harder to slice neatly.
Use homemade or store-bought caramel: Homemade salted caramel sauce is my favorite, but your favorite store-bought caramel sauce works just fine for an easy shortcut.
How to Make Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
These apple crumb bars are easy to make and don’t require a pie crust. The buttery dough does double duty as the crust and the crumb topping, with a layer of spiced apples and salted caramel in between.
- Make the apple filling. Toss the apples with lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and warm spices. The apples should be evenly coated before they go into the pan.
- Make the crumb mixture. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and butter until you have a crumbly mixture. You’ll use part of it for the bottom crust and save the rest for the topping.
- Build the bars. Press the crust mixture firmly into a parchment-lined pan. Add the spiced apples, drizzle with salted caramel, then sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top.
- Bake until golden. The bars are ready when the top is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Cool completely before cutting. This is important! The caramel and apple filling need time to set so you can cut the bars into neat squares. If you want to serve them warm, cut them after they’ve cooled and then gently warm individual bars.
How to Serve Apple Crumb Bars
I love serving these bars slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of salted caramel sauce. You can also serve them at room temperature, which makes them especially convenient for parties and potlucks.
How to Store
Store cooled apple crumb bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving, or warm individual bars gently in the microwave.
Can You Freeze Apple Crumb Bars?
Yes! These bars freeze well, which makes them a great make-ahead dessert. Let the bars cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 5 cups peeled and diced apples (I used Granny Smith)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice
- 3/4 cup Salted Caramel Sauce (can use store bought)
For the Crust and Crumb Topping:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Serving:
- Vanilla ice cream and extra salted caramel sauce, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- For the apple filling- place the diced apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground all-spice. Pour over the apples and carefully combine. Set aside.
- For the dough-in a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or by using your hands, until butter is mixed in, but you still have small chunks of butter. Mix the egg and vanilla together. Add into the flour and butter mixture and combine. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan.
- Spread the apple mixture evenly over the bottom crust. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the apple filling. Crumble the remaining dough over the apple caramel layer and pat gently.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares. You can serve the bars with vanilla ice cream and extra salted caramel sauce, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram. Tag @twopeasandpod and hashtag it with #twopeasandtheirpod
Variations
- Try different apples: Use Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or a combination of your favorite baking apples.
- Add nuts: Stir chopped pecans or walnuts into the crumb topping for extra crunch.
- Make them extra caramel-y: Drizzle additional salted caramel sauce over the cooled bars before serving.
- Add a little more spice: Increase the cinnamon or add a pinch of ground cloves for even more fall flavor.
Do you think I could cut the recipe in half and bake in an 8×8 inch pan?
I’d say bake the 9X13 and freeze what you don’t need for later!
That works!
Oh! You have found my weakness!! Caramel!
These look heavenly! Added to my things to bake list and I cannot wait!
Hi there! Do you think I could use potato starch instead of cornstarch? Trying not to buy new ingredients, and I already have potato starch sitting around. Thanks!
I am also wondering if this recipe can be reduced by half and baked in an 8″ x 8″ pan. Thoughts?
I cannot stop eating the caramel sauce! If the bars are as yummy as just the sauce, my waistline is in trouble. Almost done baking in the oven now!
Do you use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream for the caramel sauce?
This is an incredible recipe! I made it for my book group, and everyone loved it.
I just made these and wow, they were so good! I brought them to a potluck and my friends gave rave reviews.
For other people new to caramel making: you can’t underestimate the power of good whisking! My caramel sauce clumped up a bit and I threw it back on the stove to melt it down, even though it was technically at the wrong point in the process since I’d already added the cream. But it was a good troubleshoot since I hadn’t gotten it melted down enough to begin with and it didn’t burn, so it worked out ok!
My son was asking for another type of warm apple dessert. And I found myself on Pinterest, and that led me here.
I’ve already printed this recipe out. We’re moving to a new place in a few weeks, and my son requested that this be the first thing I cook. WE both have total confidence that this will be a great addition to my Fall and Winter favorites.
Thanks in advance!
Enjoy!
These are so, so amazing! I make them at least twice each fall. My first batch of the season is in the oven now 🙂 I realized I didn’t have cream in the fridge tonight for the caramel sauce so I ended up using a jar of caramel that was in my cupboard. I’m sure I’ll miss the homemade stuff, but it still smells delicious.
Hello! About how many apples are needed to make 5 cups?
Thanks 🙂
5 large apples should do the trick! Enjoy!
This is my go-to apple recipe for the fall. You simply cannot go wrong with it. It is a also a bit changeable – I tend to use heaping spoonfuls of the spices and reduce the sugar. Delicious recipe!
Absolutely a winner!
These were amazing! Made exactly as written except for we don’t seem to have canned salted caramel in BC. I used canned dulce de leche – perfect! The only thing for me was that the top didn’t brown in 45 minutes. I ended up broiling it for a minute or two. Maybe next time I’ll just bake it for about an hour? Did others find this too? Otherwise, fantastic recipe.
Whoa,just made half recipe,but a whole recipe for the salted Caramel sauce,as I am making the salted caramel pumpkin pie on Thursday (3rd.year running)
The apple bars look & smell amazing. Will make a full recipe next time.
Can’t wait for dinner to be over so we can dig in!
As always,thank you,
From freezing NH,
Martha
Yay! Enjoy!
Fantastic apple desert. Great for church potluck dessert.
I added chopped walnuts to the dough to satisfy the nut lovers.
Absolutely!
I have been making these for years & when I make them everyone raves about the bars. The homemade salted caramel is added deliciousness! I serve them warm with vanilla bean icecream on the side.
The perfect fall dessert!
This was my fall dessert go-to this year. So yummy with all the nostalgic apple pie flavors elevated by the salted caramel – and in a handheld size! Uniformly loved by all who tried it at multiple holiday parties.
I am so glad you love the recipe!