1-Preheat oven and prepare pan: Getting started with this salted caramel apple crumble bars recipe is straightforward, and I’ll walk you through it step by step. Begin by preheating your oven to 300°F (150°C) and lining an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper to make removal easy later. For more tips on baking basics, check out our baking basics guide on the blog.

2-Mix and bake crust: Mix the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl, then stir in the all-purpose flour to form the shortbread crust. Press this mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake it for 15 minutes until it’s lightly golden. While that’s baking, prepare the apple filling by peeling and thinly slicing the apples, then tossing them with the flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg for a spiced mix.

3-Prepare apple filling: Next, increase the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Spread the apple mixture evenly over the warm crust, making sure to layer the slices tightly for even cooking. In another bowl, combine the rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and cold cubed butter to create the streusel topping use your fingers or a fork to mix until it forms coarse crumbs. Sprinkle this topping over the apples and bake the bars for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the streusel is golden brown.

4-Assemble and bake bars: After baking, let the bars cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then chill them in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight to set properly. Once cooled, cut them into bars and drizzle with salted caramel sauce before serving. You can enjoy these bars warm, at room temperature, or chilled, making them versatile for any occasion.