Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars

Serves 9

20 mins prep

50 mins cook

70 mins total

These salted caramel apple pie bars have a crisp brown sugar shortbread base, gooey caramel apple filling, a crisp crumble topping, and smothered in salted caramel sauce. There's salted caramel sauce in the apple filling! This recipe has everything you need to know to make a homemade caramel sauce but you can use storebought for a shortcut. They're the perfect alternative to a pie because they're much easier to make and serve.

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Salted Caramel Sauce

Combine butter, cream, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat just until it comes to a simmer and set aside for later.
1 tablespoons butter
⅕ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅕ teaspoon sea salt
Add the sugar into a clean heavy bottomed saucepan. Heat on medium-low heat, stirring constantly so that the sugar won't burn. The sugar will clump up as it melts but keep stirring.
¼ cup granulated sugar
As soon as all of the sugar is melted and is a golden color (do not keep heating it or it will taste bitter) take it off the heat. Very carefully add the heated cream mixture in four additions. Whisk well while pouring and in between each addition. If the mixture separates, whisk vigorously to bring it back together. See caramel tips and troubleshooting in recipe notes.
Place back on heat for one minute (optional). Take off the heat and pour into a heat safe jar or container to cool. This helps thicken the caramel sauce even more.

Caramel Apple Filling

Peel and slice apples. Place into a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well to coat. Place on top of baked shortbread crust and smooth to an even layer.
1 ⅕ medium-large apples
¼ tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
½ tablespoons all purpose flour
⅕ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ tablespoon lemon juice

Shortbread Crust

Line an 8" or 9" square pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the edges for lifting the bars out. Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C).
In a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, and salt. Beat well until fluffy and increased in volume, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides a few times in between beating. Add vanilla and beat again.
⅕ cup butter
⅕ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅕ teaspoon sea salt
Sift the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon right into the bowl with the butter. Fold just until it forms a dough with no more dry bits. Add the milk to help it come together.
½ cups all purpose flour
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅕ teaspoon baking powder
⅔ tablespoons milk
Place ¾ of dough into the lined pan and press it in evenly. Use a spatula and clean fingers to help. Poke the base with a fork and bake for 10-12 minutes, until set. It doesn't need to bake all the way through. Prepare filling while it bakes.
Crumble remaining uncooked shortbread base over the top and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until bubbling on the edges. For a crunchier filling, bake for 40 minutes. For a jammy filling, bake for 50-60 minutes (watching so it doesn't burn). Let cool completely to room temperature.
⅕ cup pecans
Lift the bars out onto a cutting board using the parchment paper handles and cut into 9 pieces. Drizzle with leftover salted caramel sauce and sprinkle with flaky salt.
⅕ teaspoon flaky salt