Valentina Ablaev
These caramel apple bars are the perfect combination of texture and flavor! You get a crisp buttery crust, silky cheesecake, and tender apples in every bite. Everything is topped off with a generous drizzle of caramel, making it an incredible fall treat.
Fall Desserts
There’s nothing quite like autumn baking; if you’re sick of the pumpkin desserts, apples are the next best thing! Don’t get me wrong, our pumpkin cheesecake bars are to die for, but these caramel apple bars are truly special.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- Easy baking. This recipe is easy to make and perfect for involving kids in the fun!
- Perfect gift. What’s better than a gift you can eat? These bars are a great holiday gift for neighbors, teachers, and friends!
- Holiday spirit. My favorite thing about the holidays is getting into the season with cooking. Fill your home with the smell of baked apples and cinnamon; it’s better than any candle!
Ingredients for Caramel Apple Bars
- Crust – This crust is similar to a shortbread crust, made with butter, flour, and sugar.
- Cheesecake layer – These bars feature a layer of our easy-baked cheesecake. It’s delicious in cake form and makes for an incredible dessert bar.
- Apple filling – This apple filling is simple and made with Granny Smith apples, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Streusel – This buttery streusel is made with the classic ingredients: brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon. However, the addition of walnuts takes it to the next level!
- Caramel – Caramel sauce is a must as a garnish for these bars.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Tools for this Apple Dessert Recipe
Shop Valentina’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and kitchen must-haves!
- A 9×13” baking pan fits these bars perfectly.
- You’ll want to use nonstick parchment paper to prevent these bars from sticking to your pan after baking.
How to Make Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Numbered Instructions on how to make the recipe:
- Make the crust. Mix flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly, then press into the pan and set aside.
2. Make the filling. Beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Pour over the crust.
3. Apple layer. Toss apples with sugar and cinnamon. Spread evenly over the cheesecake layer.
4. Make the streusel. Mix the sugar, flour, and butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts, then sprinkle the mixture over the apples.
5. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 45–55 minutes, until the center is slightly jiggly.
6. Cool & serve. Cool for at least 2 hours, cut into squares, drizzle with caramel, and enjoy!
Valentina’s Tips:
- Customize your bars. These caramel bars are great for experimentation! For a heartier dessert, add oats to the streusel.
- Keep an eye on the baking. The key to delicious bars is not over-baking them. You want to see a slight jiggle as you take them out of the oven.
How to Store Leftovers
- Storage. Leftover bars can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Because of the cheesecake layer, they shouldn’t be left at room temperature for too long.
- Freeze. We don’t recommend freezing these apple bars as they don’t hold up well after thawing.
More Dessert Recipes
If you enjoyed this apple caramel bar recipe, be sure to try our other easy fall dessert recipes; here are some of our favorites:
Pastry Desserts- Pancakes
- Sweet Bread & Loaves
- Sweet Breakfast
- Roulades & Cake Rolls
- Cupcakes & Muffins
- Cookies & Bars
- Sweet Bread
If you try this caramel apple pie bars or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below—we appreciate it!
Caramel Apple Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temp (16 Tbsp)
Cheesecake filling:
- 3 8-oz. each blocks cream cheese, room temp
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- Apple filling:
- 3 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and diced
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Streusel topping:
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened (4 Tbsp)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
Topping:
- 3 Tbsp caramel
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13″ baking pan with parchment paper.
Make the crust:
- Mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the butter and work it in with your hands or a pastry cutter until the mixture is crumbly. Press the mixture into the pan and set aside.
Make filling:
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Pour over the crust.
Apple filling:
- In a medium bowl, combine the apples, sugar, and cinnamon; set aside.
Streusel:
- Combine the sugar, all-purpose flour, and cubed butter until a crumbly mixture forms. Add the walnuts and toss to combine.
- Add the crumble streusel topping over the apples and cheesecake mixture.
Bake:
- Bake at 350°F 45-55 minutes. The center should still be slightly jiggly.
- Cool for at least 2 hours. Cut into squares and drizzle with caramel.
- Serve and enjoy, friends.
Notes
- What apples are best? We use Granny Smith apples to balance out the sweetness of these bars.
- Don’t overbake. When baking the apple bars, watch them after 45 minutes. You want the center to be slightly jiggly.
- Line your baking pan. Don’t skip the parchment paper on your baking dish, as you don’t want the bars to stick to the pan.
- Storage. Keep leftover bars in the fridge, tightly sealed. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days if stored correctly.
Nutrition
FAQs
For a sweet caramel bar, we love to use Granny Smith apples. The tartness balances out the sweetness of the dessert.
For peak freshness, make these bars no more than one day in advance.
Yes, you can absolutely make a graham cracker crust instead of a pie crust.
