These bite-size salted caramel apple pie bars pack all the flavor of apple pie into one handheld square. Serve them snack-size for the family or cut small for easy, elegant fall entertaining.
If you love apple pie but want a simpler, bite-size version, these salted caramel apple pie bars are your answer. Think of them as a handheld apple pie: a buttery shortbread crust, tender cinnamon-spiced apples, and crunchy oat streusel, cut into squares and finished with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
I'm a trained pastry chef, and even I'd rather make these than fuss with a full pie crust some days. One pan, no pie dish, and squares you can size however you like.
Don't they look so cute all lined up on a serving tray? Who knew apple pie could look so elegant?
Why You'll Love These Apple Pie Bars
Easy, no pie dough required. Everything comes together in bowls and bakes in one pan, so you get that classic apple pie taste for a fraction of the effort.
Bite-size or bigger, your call. Once they're baked and chilled, cut them into small squares for a party or potluck, or into larger pieces for a plated dessert.
Make-ahead and freezer-friendly. They freeze well too, so stash a batch and pull out a few whenever an apple pie craving hits.
All the flavors of fall. Apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salted caramel sauce in every bite.
If you like desserts in this size, check out my mini classic apple pies and apple spice cake.
Ingredients for Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
For the shortbread crust
You'll only need four ingredients here, and the star is melted butter, which makes it so easy to mix together. Combine it with a little sugar, flour and salt and you've got a buttery base that is sturdy enough to hold the filling but still tender when you bite into it.
For the apple filling
You'll cook thinly sliced apples with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom until they're soft and caramelized. After cooling slightly, stir in vanilla and lemon zest for just a hint of brightness to balance the sweetness. Gala, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady apples are great choices but you can mix in a Granny Smith if you like a tart bite.
For the streusel topping
The crumbly oat topping is the best part of an apple crisp and it's layered right on top. It's made with oats, flour, brown sugar, butter, and a touch of cinnamon and salt.
How to Make Bite-Size Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
These bars come together in three easy layers. First, simply mix the dough ingredients in a bowl and stir with a spatula or your hands until it comes together. Press it into the bottom of an 8x8 parchment lined buttered pan. Bake the buttery shortbread crust until lightly golden.
While it bakes, prepare the apple filling by cooking the fruit. Melt the butter in a large pan over medium high heat and then toss in all the other filling ingredients except the vanilla and zest. Cook it down until the apples are soft and you no longer have liquid in the pan. Then mix in the vanilla and zest.
Finally, you need to make the top streusel layer. Prepare it while your apples are cooking or cooling. Mix the oats, flour and sugar together in a medium bowl and work the butter in with a fork until you have a crumbly mixture.
Once all the parts are made just layer the apples over the crust, and then sprinkle the streusel over the apples. I like to use my offset spatula to get everything nice and smooth.
Smooth down the apples first and once you sprinkle over the streusel, move the spatula around gently to make sure everything is nice and flat. Return the pan to the oven and bake it again to get everything nicely browned and set.
Don't make these while you are hungry! The smell coming from the oven will drive you insane.
Once the pan has cooled and been chilled, cut them into small bite-size squares for a party, or larger pieces if you're serving them plated. Drizzle the pieces with store-bought or homemade salted caramel sauce just before serving. They taste great without it, but a little salted caramel sauce just gives them that extra wow!
Freezing Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
You can make these ahead of time and freeze them. Be sure to wrap the whole slab tightly in plastic. If you cut them up in squares first (recommended), then place a piece of parchment paper between layers in an airtight container. Cut them while still cold (but not frozen) if you had not already cut it but bring it to room temperature before serving.
I don't recommend adding the salted caramel sauce until it's time to serve. This is only because it makes layering them in your freezer container difficult from the stickiness.
Serving Suggestions
These bars are versatile. Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or chilled straight from the fridge for a firmer texture. For a party or potluck, cut them into small squares and set them out on a dessert table as a handheld finger dessert alongside fall favorites like pumpkin spice cookies or mini chocolate pecan pies.
They're great for holidays too. Bring them to Thanksgiving as a bite-size alternative to a whole pie, or bake a batch for a Fourth of July dessert table and decorate with a drizzle of red and blue candy melts alongside the caramel. However you serve them, they'll disappear quickly.
These salted caramel apple pie bars are the ultimate handheld apple pie: easy, make-ahead, and full of fall flavor. With a buttery crust, tender apple filling, oat streusel topping, and a drizzle of caramel, they're a crowd-pleaser for any occasion.
Bake a pan, slice them up, freeze extras, and enjoy the comforting taste of apple pie anytime!
Bite-Size Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
For the perfect fall dessert, make these salted caramel apple pie bars. Serve as snack size bars or elegant bite size pieces for easy stylish entertaining.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
For the apple layer:
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 apples, peeled, cored thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
For the topping:
- ½ cup oats
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cubed
- salted caramel sauce (store bought or homemade)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Grease an 8x8 pan with butter and line it with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
- Combine the all purpose flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter to form a soft dough. You may need to use your hands to bring it together.
- Press the dough in the bottom of the pan and smooth it out with the back of an offset spatula.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes until lightly browned and set.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the sugar, apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom and stir to coat the apples. Cook the apples until they are soft and there is no longer any liquid. If you need to add a bit of water to prevent sticking, then do so. Let the apples cool. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest.
- In a large bowl, mix the oats, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter cubes and work it in using a fork until the ingredients are blended and crumbly.
- Spread the apple filling over the crust.
- Spread the streusel topping over the apples, pressing them down slightly.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the topping is golden.
- Cool completely. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.
- Using the parchment overhangs, carefully lift the entire slab out of the pan and move it to a cutting board.
- Cut out small bite size squares or larger squares if you want with a sharp knife.
- Drizzle the bars with salted caramel sauce.
Notes
Time Saver Tip: If you want to skip the chill time, you can but it will make cutting the squares neatly more difficult.
Food Prep: To cut your apples, cut them in half first and remove the
core. Then place each half flat side down and cut ¼ inch slices the long way and then one more cut perpendicular through the middle.
Variations: You can substitute oats for crushed nuts or use
a combination of both.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 2 mini barsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 362Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 51mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 4gSugar: 19gProtein: 4g
This nutrition information is only an approximate provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. Information comes from Nutritionix, an automated nutrition calculator.
Courtney Clemmons says
Looks delicious! Do these need to be stored in the refrigerator?