Shortbread Caramel Apple Bars are a handheld dessert with buttery shortbread crust, caramel apple filling and finished with a mile-high crumble topping.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour45 minutesminutes
Total Time 2 hourshours
Servings 24pieces
Calories 334kcal
Author Tristin Rieken
Ingredients
Shortbread
2cupssalted butter4 sticks
1cupgranulated sugar
1 ½cupspowdered sugar
1tablespoonvanilla extract
4cupsall purpose flour
½teaspoonsalt
Caramel Apple Filling
4largeapplespeeled cored and diced, about 3 cups diced
¼teaspooncinnamon
1tablespoongranulated sugar
9ouncescaramel candies30 squares or about ¾ cup melted caramel
Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 9 x 13 inch ¼ sheet pan or baking dish lightly with butter. Toss diced apples with cinnamon and sugar.
4 large apples, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Then add vanilla and mix in flour. Dough will be crumbly.
2 cups salted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 4 cups all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
Sprinkle roughly ⅓ of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan and press to flatten evenly. Cover remaining shortbread crumble with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon apples over the bottom crust.
Bake apple covered crust until golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat caramels over medium heat in a small saucepan with milk. Once melted remove from heat, stir in vanilla and stir until smooth.
9 ounces caramel candies, 3 tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla
After 25 minutes of baking pour caramel sauce over crust and apples making sure to cover all the way to the edges. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and crumble remaining shortbread over the top.