These apple crumble bars with salted date caramel drizzle blend the cozy elements of both apple crumble and pie into an incredibly delicious bar! A buttery shortbread crust is topped with spiced apples and an oat crumble then baked until golden. Once cool, the bars get a healthy drizzle of salted date caramel.
The idea for these apple crumble bars has been brewing in my brain for a while and I’m so incredibly happy with how it turned out! You get so many great layers of flavors and texture in these bars: buttery crust, tender spiced apples, crunchy crumble, and a smooth salted date caramel. While these bars have several steps, they are all incredibly easy. And, I kept the ingredient list as small as possible without compromising on flavor. Let’s bake a batch and embrace all the cozy autumnal vibes!
Notes on Ingredients and Substitutions
You can absolutely make these vegan with one easy swap — use an equal amount of melted vegan baking butter instead! As for making them gluten free, I haven’t tried it yet but I suspect an all-purpose GF baking mix should work well because I’ve made a similar recipe with it in the past. I HIGHLY recommend using a tart and firm apple like Granny Smith here as it will hold its shape after baking AND keep these from being overly sweet. They’re pretty easy to find in stores, too! As for the date caramel, it really takes these over the top and pairs so well with the apples but if you want to save a few minutes, feel free to use a store-bought caramel sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Just like with an apple pie, you need to let these bars cool FULLY before slicing and enjoying. It allows the juices to thicken and the bars to firm up which will allow them to be sliced easier.
- If your date caramel is on the thicker side, you can pop it in a piping bag (or sandwich bag with one of the tips snipped off) and pipe it over the top in a zig-zag pattern rather than trying to drizzle it. This is what I did for the photos!
Apple Crumble Bars in 8 Simple Steps
More Recipes for Apple Season
If you want an equally cozy apple dessert with less steps and hands-on time, I highly recommend my maple cinnamon apple crumble. You can pair it with my salted date caramel or your favorite ice cream, or both! For something on the savory side, try my kale, apple, and celery salad with homemade maple Dijon dressing. Enjoy it as a side or top it with your favorite protein! For an impressive looking dessert without much effort, try my baked apples with walnuts and sage. Serve them with a scoop of ice cream or maple-sweetned yogurt.
Apple Crumble Bars with Salted Date Caramel Drizzle
- Total Time: 1 hour – 1 hour 12 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These apple crumble bars with salted date caramel drizzle blend the cozy elements of both apple crumble and pie into an incredibly delicious bar! A buttery shortbread crust is topped with spiced apples and an oat crumble then baked until golden. Once cool, the bars get a healthy drizzle of salted date caramel.
Ingredients
For the crust and crumble
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- Scant 1/2 cup rolled oats
for the apple filling and serving
- 3 medium granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup salted date caramel
Instructions
Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking pan then line it with parchment leaving an overhang. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Make the crust by mixing together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the vanilla and melted butter and mix until combined. Place about 2/3 of this mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Leave the remaining 1/3 of the mixture in the bowl then mix in the oats and set aside for later for the crumble topping. Bake the crust for 15-17 minutes until pale in color and the outer edges and corners look just baked. Once you remove the crust, increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
While the crust layer bakes, make the apple filling by tossing together the sliced apples, flour, brown sugar, and spices. Make sure the apples are evenly coated in the dry ingredients.
Arrange the apple filling and any dry ingredients remaining in the bottom of the bowl over the top of the par-baked crust in an even layer, pressing down gently to ensure all nooks and crannies are filled. Crumble the oat mixture over the top evenly. Bake the bars at 350 for 30-40 min until the topping is golden and the juices from the apples are bubbling.
Cool the bars completely before slicing into 9 equal squares. When ready to serve, drizzle with the salted date caramel.
Keep leftovers in a container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days for best flavor.
Notes
- Slice the apples into roughly 1/4-inch thick slices.
- Use an equal amount of vegan block butter or baking sticks to keep this recipe entirely vegan.
- If you want a smaller serving size, cut the bars into 16 equal squares.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-57 minutes
Perfect fall treat!!
Couldn’t agree more! Thanks Cara! 🙂
What a great way to make use of apples!
Thanks Kanyi! Definitely my new go-to dessert for apple season 🙂
These bars got me really excited for fall to finally come right now. I’m enjoying them in my air-conditioning though.
I hear ya! I’m anxiously awaiting its arrival in the comfort of my AC, too.
I had to make these. They looked so delicious, and they were. The salted date caramel was so creative. The shortbread was perfectly buttery. It was a bit of Fall in every bite.
I’m so happy you enjoyed them! They’re my ideal fall dessert 🙂
Oh my! I made these are they were fantastic. I wasn’t going to make the caramel to go with them, but changed my mind last minute- what a game changer!! Thank you for the incredible recipe.
So glad you decided to make them with the date caramel! It’s so easy to make and really elevates the bars!
The combination of spiced apples, buttery shortbread, and oat crumble sounds so comforting and perfect for fall.
You’re spot on with them being perfect for fall! Definitely my go-to dessert after I go apple picking 🙂
I made these yesterday and they are my new favorite dessert! That caramel, OMG, so good.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! The caramel really does elevate these from great to freaking amazing.
My favorite treat during apple season! Love that this uses the same mixture for both the crust and crumble topping. The date caramel really elevates these and makes them so incredibly delicious.
These were delicious! I love all things apple. They did not last long at my house, but now I was thinking of making them again and freezing for lunches. Do you think these will freeze well? Thanks in advance.
So glad you enjoyed them! If it were me I would probably freeze them without the date caramel because I think the texture of it would be off after defrosting or re-heating the bars. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
These look amazingly good. Can’t wait to try them!
So happy to hear! Definitely my favorite apple dessert these days 🙂