It’s fall and it’s apple season! Two of our favorite things. Our Caramel Apple Crumble Bars are the perfect treat for this time of year as dessert (à la mode!) or with your breakfast tea.

We are fortunate that we live near Apple Hill, where there are more apples than you can imagine. You can pick your own apples off the tree, if you like. They are so fresh and crisp and sweet! So when apple season comes around, we bake as much as we can with fresh apples…pies, donuts, applesauce and Caramel Apple Crumble Bars. Yummy!

Do you have apples where you live? What’s your favorite thing to make with them? Remember to eat your apple-a-day!

Caramel Apple Crumble Bars

Shortbread Base

• 2 cups (9 oz) AP flour
• ½ cup (2.2 oz) confectioner’s sugar
• 1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• ½ tsp salt

Apple Filling

• 4 large apples (we use Granny Smith) cored, peeled and slices about ¼” thick
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp fresh ground nutmeg

Caramel drizzle

• 1 cup salted caramel ice cream topping
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Crumb Topping

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed

For the base: Heat oven to 350.  Line 9 x 13 pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray. Put flour, sugar and salt in bowl of mixer or food processor and combine.  Add butter, and blend to a fine crumb.  Press into prepared pan.  Bake 15-20 minutes until light brown around edges.

While the base bakes, prepare the filling, caramel drizzle and topping.

For the apple filling: Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over sliced apples and toss to coat.

For the caramel drizzle: Combine caramel sauce and flour and mix well. Set aside.

For the topping: Combine the Mix oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Using pastry blender, mix in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Set aside.

Assembly:  Spread apples evenly over warm shortbread base, overlapping as necessary to make a relatively flat top. Place the caramel drizzle into a zip lock bag and cut off one corner. Drizzle the caramel evenly over the apples. Sprinkle streusel over the caramel and distribute evenly. Return to oven and bake for another 30 minutes or so until golden brown.  Cool completely on wire rack and then cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours before cutting into bars.

Bars can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Makes 48 – 1.5” square bars