Caramel apples are so good, but they’re kind of a pain. The big stick, the messy factor, no thanks. I put the flavor of caramel apples into soft, chewy bars. No sticks necessary. These apple caramel bars are super soft, moist, dense and remind me of an apple version of Soft Carrot Cake Bars but use grated apples rather than grated carrots. I used my go-to blondies base recipe as the jumping off point. 30+ versions of blondies later, it’s a keeper. There are three apples in the 8×8-inch pan. It’s always nice to work in some extra fruits or veggies by way of dessert.
The bars are portable and make a great addition to lunch boxes. Now that back-to-school season is upon us, the challenge of finding things that are a hit with kids but that moms can live with is a daily exercise in creativity and resourcefulness. The bars are a slam dunk. They’re comforting, homey, packed with flavor, the apples add so much chewy texture, and the homemade salted caramel drizzle complements the sweet apples perfectly. Many of my desserts I donate to friends, my daughter’s teachers, or people in my building after we have a piece or two. When you bake six days a week and have cakes, cookies, bars, and pie coming out of the ying-yang you just have to. However, I happily hoarded the caramel apple bars and they got softer and tasted even better a couple days after I baked them as the flavors married. I’d sure like to open my lunchbox and have one of these staring back at me!
Ingredients in Caramel Apple Bars
This apple bars recipe is quick and easy, and it calls for just a handful of basic ingredients. To make the easy apple bars, you’ll need:
Unsalted Horizon Organic Butter Horizon Organic Egg Light brown sugar Vanilla extract Ground cinnamon, nutmeg & salt All-purpose flour Apples Caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
What Kind of Apples Are Best?
I used Fuji apples and recommend a firm apple that’s not too tart. However, any baking apple should work.
How to Make Caramel Apple Bars
The apple caramel bars are simple to prepare and there’s minimal cleanup afterwards. Win! Here’s an overview of the baking process:
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes, you can double this recipe and bake it in a 9×13-inch pan. The bake time should remain roughly the same.
How to Store Leftovers
The caramel apple bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Bars get softer on days 2 and 3 and the flavors marry; I think the taste peaks 1-2 days after baking.
Tips for Making the Caramel Apple Bars
I recommend lining your pan with foil before turning the batter into it. This step isn’t necessary, but it makes cleanup so much easier. You need to let the blondies cool for 30 minutes before topping with caramel sauce. If you add the caramel sauce to the piping hot blondies, it will just soak straight into the bars. If desired, you can omit the caramel sauce to make classic apple bars. However, we love salted caramel sauce in our house and I can’t make these bars without it!
More Easy Apple Desserts:
ALL OF MY APPLE RECIPES! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars — The soft yet dense apple cheesecake layer tops a crisp, brown sugar-graham cracker crust, while gooey, salted caramel drenches the top.
Cinnamon Spice Applesauce Bread with Honey Butter — Applesauce keeps this bread so soft and moist! It’s like apple spice cake, disguised as ‘bread’ so you can have extra.
Apple Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer apple cake that’s to-die-for!! Loaded with juicy apples in every bite, perfectly spiced, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting! So DELISH!!
Apple Fritter Bread — Soft, fluffy bread that’s stuffed AND topped with apples, cinnamon, and sugar!! Like apple fritters in bread form!! Best apple bread EVER!
Cinnamon Roll Apple Bake — A layer of cinnamon rolls topped with apples and a crunchy oatmeal crumble makes this the ULTIMATE apple crisp!! EASY, ready in 40 minutes, and tastes AMAZING!!
Carrot Apple Cream Cheese Cake — If you like carrot cake, you’re going to LOVE this version that includes apples and a tunnel of cream cheese that runs through the center!! EASY, amazing, and a MUST-MAKE!!
Apple Pie Bread with Streusel Topping — If you like apple crumble pie, you’re going to love this EASY no-mixer apple pie bread!! Soft, tender, moist bread with the contrast of the slightly crunchy crumble topping is PERFECT!
Post is brought to you by Horizon Organic. Recipe, images, and opinions expressed are my own. Follow @Horizon_Organic #HorizonB2S to exchange great parenting tips. This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.
