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Creamy Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars

creamy salted caramel apple crisp bars - featured image
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A rich and indulgent fall dessert featuring a buttery oat crust, tart spiced apples, and a creamy salted caramel layer stabilized with cream cheese. These bars offer a perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors with a satisfying texture contrast.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup store-bought salted caramel sauce
  • Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides, and lightly grease.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, ¼ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and work it in with fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse sand with pea-sized clumps.
  3. Press half of the crumble mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form the base crust.
  4. Toss sliced apples with 2 tbsp granulated sugar, lemon juice, and ½ tsp cinnamon. Spread evenly over the crust.
  5. In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese and ¼ cup granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract. Spread this layer evenly over the apples.
  6. Slightly warm the salted caramel sauce to make it spreadable. Drizzle over the cream cheese layer and swirl gently with a knife to create ribbons; do not mix completely.
  7. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture evenly over the caramel layer and press down gently.
  8. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
  9. Cool completely at room temperature for at least 2 hours, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting to ensure the bars set properly.
  10. Cut into squares and garnish with flaky sea salt before serving.

Notes

Do not cut the bars while warm, as the layers will fall apart. Ensure butter is cold for a flaky crust. Use firm apples like Granny Smith to prevent mushiness. The bars improve in flavor after sitting in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple crisp, salted caramel, cream cheese bars, fall dessert, easy baking, comfort food, apple dessert, caramel bars

Find it online: https://gleefulfork.com/creamy-salted-caramel-apple-crisp-bars-easy-fall-dessert/