These Caramel Apple Crumble Bars are made with a delicious oatmeal crumble crust, coconut, caramel, and apples infused with spices. They’re drizzled with caramel sauce, and every bite is perfect! It’s the perfect dessert and even better when served with ice cream.
It’s fall, and if you’re looking for a dessert recipe to make with the abundance of apples you have from apple picking, these Caramel Apple Crumble Bars are worth every bite!
They remind me of a classic apple pie, and I love the layers of apples and oatmeal crust on the bottom. But my favorite part of this recipe is the pile of irresistible crumble and melted caramel on the top!
Check out our gooey chocolate caramel bars and raspberry shortbread bars if you love bars.
How To Make Caramel Apple Crumble Bars
Table of Contents
- In a large mixing bowl, stir apples and 1/2 cup sugar. Let it sit for 20 minutes to get soft and juicy.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 13×9 baking pan with foil and then overlay with parchment paper. Leave extra parchment paper hanging over the sides so you can remove the bars easily.
- Drain the apples and discard liquid. Stir in 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, vanilla,
cardamon and nutmeg into the apples and combine well.
- In a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, combine oats, soft butter, baking soda, 1/2 cup shredded coconut, remaining 3 cups flour, remaining 1 1/2 cups brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Mix on medium until combined and crumbly.
- Press 4 cups (save the rest for later) of the crumb mixture into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Stir pecans into the remaining crumb mixture you saved. You will add this to the top and also store some for ice cream topping, yum!
- Spread apple mixture over the baked, warm crust. Sprinkle with some of the reserved oat crumbs.
- Bake for 40 minutes, them remove and let it cool and then refrigerate it until it’s firm, about 1-3 hours.
- Using the excess parchment paper, pull to remove from the pan and then cut into bars.
- Melt the caramels as advised on the package. You can use the microwave in 15-second intervals until melted.
- Drizzle the caramel over the cut bars and serve. You can refrigerate for 3 days.
- This is best served with vanilla ice cream, extra crumb topping and more caramel sauce. You can also add butterscotch morsels to the top as well. Literally heaven in a bowl!
Caramel Candies – An Awesome Drizzle!
Since these are apple bars with caramel sauce, who remembers these caramel candies? Brings back childhood memories!
Unwrapping each individual caramel and then quickly melting them makes it easy to drizzle caramel over the top.
This sauce is sweet and creamy, perfectly complementing the apple crumble, it lifts the classic crumble bar to the next level!
The Tastiest Homemade Crumble Topping
This crumble topping is AMAZING! From pecans to coconuts It’s got so many great flavors and it MUST be added to ice cream too.
It’s also truly the best ice cream topper ever. Make sure you save some on the side to use as an apple crumble topping. Add in butterscotch morsels too!
I really think that serving these Caramel Apple Crumble Bars with ice cream is the best way to serve them. Add a few apple slices on the side, more caramel and crumble and you have not only a delicious fall
Tips For Making Caramel Apple Crumble Bars
- Try to use the freshest apples available.
- Serve With ice cream and slices of apples.
- Add spices if you like such as cardamom or cinnamon
Check Out These Other Recipes with Apples
Cast Iron Olive Oil and Apple Cakes
Hard Apple Cider Punch With Kombucha
Easy Apple Crisp Recipe
The BEST Apple Cider Donuts
If you have tried this Caramel Apple Crumble Bar recipe, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
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Caramel Apple Crumble Bars
Ingredients
- 3 large Honeycrisp apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 3 1/2 cups cups flour, divided , save 1/2 cup to use seperatley
- 2 cups brown sugar , save 1/2 cup to use seperatley
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamon
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 bag caramel candies, unwrapped
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup butterscotch morsels , not mandatory, but good!
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, stir apples and 1/2 cup sugar. Let it sit for 20 minutes to get soft and juicy.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 13×9 baking pan with foil and then overlay with parchment paper. Leave extra parchment paper hanging over the sides so you can remove the bars easily.
- Drain the apples and discard liquid. Stir in 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, vanilla, cardamon and nutmeg into the apples and combine well.
- In a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, combine oats, soft butter, baking soda, 1/2 cup shredded coconut, remaining 3 cups flour, remaining 1 1/2 cups brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Mix on medium until combined and crumbly.
- Press 4 cups (save the rest for later) of the crumb mixture into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Stir pecans into the remaining crumb mixture you saved. You will add this to the top and also store some for ice cream topping, yum!
- Spread apple mixture over the baked, warm crust. Sprinkle with some of the reserved oat crumbs.
- Bake for 40 minutes, them remove and let it cool and then refrigerate it until it’s firm, about 1-3 hours.
- Using the excess parchment paper, pull to remove from the pan and then cut into bars.
- Melt the caramels as advised on the package. You can use the microwave in 15-second intervals until melted.
- Drizzle the caramel over the cut bars and serve. You can refrigerate for 3 days.
- This is best served with vanilla ice cream, extra crumb topping and more caramel sauce. You can also add butterscotch morsels to the top as well. Literally heaven in a bowl!
Nutrition
Recipe Adapted from Paula Dean Apple Crisp Bars
Just checking to see if you received my question as I would like to make these.
I also do not have coconut, and the other people enjoying this do not care for coconut. Let me know if I need to omit it or use the same amount of a different ingredient. Thanks again hearts ❤️
Hi Angie, it’s hard to say because we haven’t made it without. You can just leave it out and see what happens or maybe add chopped walnuts or somehting else. It’s hard to suggest without trying, but good luck!
I really want to try this. I have a few questions. I do not have any oats at all. I only have flour made from oats. (I put my oats in my food processor and made it into flour) and I do not have pecans, only walnuts. Can you please let me know if I can make this using my oar flour and walnuts? If so, the amounts and any other be instructions. Thank you!!!! ❤️
These caramel apple crumble bars look amazing! Talk about a perfect pairing of fall flavors. Can’t wait to give them a try!
I made something very similar ages ago, and I still think it is one of my favourite recipes. I have GOT to try out your version!
Yes, please!!! Can I have a couple of these bars with extra caramel and ice cream?))))
You really have me at that caramel drizzle. Your photos are so pretty, this dessert looks amazing. Perfect timing, apple season is here! Thanks for another great recipe.
Of course, I want my apple crumbles with ice cream too and excessive caramel drizzle, that way I can have my sweet craving in one sitting. I will have second and third serving too. Those pictures really have me drooling here, and this will be a perfect use of extra apples on hand. Love this recipe.
This looks perfect! You can’t go wrong with apples and caramel! Definitely trying this.
Oh. My. Goodness. Is this for realy?! These caramel apple crumble bars looks absolutely divine! I bet my kids would have a blast making them with me, especially drizzling that yummy caramel sauce!
I just love these bars! They’re the perfect fall dessert and so easy to make. The caramel really puts them over the top. Thanks for sharing!
I love apples in anything, but to combine it with caramel??? I’m drooling! These crumble bars have the perfect texture and are so moist! I can’t wait to try your delicious recipe!
Oh good grief! I’m like drooling over here! These bars sound amazing…. espcially that caramel. It’s just oozing out! YUMMO!!!
This is really mouth watering! I’ve been thinking of a good recipe to make using apples and you came at a perfect time. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!!