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Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars

Salted caramel apple crisp bars with a buttery oat crumble base and topping, layered with cinnamon-spiced apples and gooey caramel, then baked until golden and bubbly. The bars finish with a flaky sea salt sprinkle for a sweet-salty bite and clean, sliceable squares after cooling.
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Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 280
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Oat crumble crust and topping
  • 2 cup rolled oats
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar
  • 1 lb cold butter, cubed
Apple layer
  • 4 apples, peeled and diced
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
Caramel layer and topping
  • 1 cup caramel sauce
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt, for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a baking dish with a light coating of fat for easy release.
  2. Mix rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and cold butter, cubed until crumbly with no dry flour patches.
Assemble
  1. Press two-thirds of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the dish to form an even crust.
  2. Toss apples, peeled and diced with lemon juice and cinnamon, then spread over the crust in a single layer.
  3. Drizzle caramel sauce evenly over the apples so it reaches the edges.
  4. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the top and finish with flaky sea salt for topping.
Bake and cool
  1. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the filling is visibly bubbly.
  2. Cool completely before slicing into bars so the caramel and apples set for clean, shareable squares.

Notes

For the cleanest bar slices, let the pan cool fully before cutting; chilling after cooling can further firm the caramel layer. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freezing is not recommended due to caramel texture changes, but a small batch can be made ahead and baked right before serving. For a lighter option, use reduced-sugar caramel sauce and keep the rest the same for a slightly less sweet bar.