Caramel Apple Oatmeal Bars

Name: Caramel Apple Oatmeal Bars
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 255 min
Ingredients: 3 medium-large (400 grams -3 and 1/2 cups) preferably Granny Smith apples,; 20 g (2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour,; 14 g (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 140 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour, (dip and sweep); 130 g (1 and 1/3 cup) rolled oats; 105 g (1 cup) granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 150 g(2/3 cup) unsalted butter, melted*; 1 recipe dry method or wet method

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You’ll love these apple oatmeal bars if you enjoy sweet and tart desserts. These perfectly spiced oatmeal bars are so delicious with Granny Smith apples and caramel sauce on top. I use the same dough for the crust and crumbles. This is a simple easy baking recipe for Fall with a delicious result!

Apple oatmeal bars with caramel sauce on top with an apple in the background.

If you like crispy and soft dessert combinations, you’ll enjoy today’s recipe. Softness comes from the apple filling and crunchiness comes from the crumbles.

This apple crisp bar recipe is as delicious and easy as my apple pie bars recipe so I really want you to try this Fall dessert. Let’s see the differences between the two recipes.

My apple pie bars use only flour for the crust and crumbles whereas my caramel apple bars use a combination of flour and oatmeal.

You can use any apple you like in apple pie bars but in today’s recipe I especially use Granny Smith or at least an apple on the tangy side as I use my caramel sauce in this recipe.

Caramel apple oatmeal bars on a white surface.

Before going into the ingredients list, I want to share that recently I posted my apple cinnamon bundt cake recipe where I use caramel with sweet and tangy apples. If you are especially looking for apple caramel desserts, you should also try that recipe.

Ingredients you’ll need

Ingredients of apple oatmeal bars on a white surface.

Apples-As I mentioned above, I especially use Granny Smith apples as they go perfect with caramel sauce. If you can’t find Granny Smith, you should use any apple on the tangy side.
Cinnamon and nutmeg-These two spices compliment apples so well.
Oats-I use old fashioned rolled oats.
Flour-I use all purpose flour both for the dough and for the apple filling to thicken the apple mixture.
Butter-I use melted butter. Butter not only brings the dough together, it makes delicious crust and crumbles.
Sugar-I use sugar in the dough, just a little in the filling and while making caramel sauce.
Heavy Cream-I use it to make caramel sauce but if you already have caramel sauce, you can definitely use it. I make a full recipe but actually ½ cup caramel is enough, I simply use the other half to serve if someone wants extra caramel on top.

Step by step instructions

First I peel and core the apples, cut them into small pieces. I place them into a medium bowl, add nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar and flour. Then I stir them until all combined well with a spoon or spatula.

Collage of mixing apple pieces, spices, flour and sugar.

Next, I place the rolled oats, flour, sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl and stir with a spoon or a spatula.

Collage of mixing oats, flour, cinnamon and flour.

I add the melted butter and stir.

Collage of adding melted butter over flour mixture and stirring.

Then I set aside ⅓ of the mixture (to be precise it is 180 grams or almost loosely 1 cup) to use for the crumbles and place ⅔ of the mixture (340 grams) into an 8 inch (20cm) square oven-proof dish that is lined with parchment paper.

You can use your hand or a spoon to press the mixture to the dish.

Dough that is lined into an oven proof dish.

I place the apple mixture over the crust and then sprinkle the dough that I set aside over the apples. It is important that you should gently press the crumbles so they stick to the apples.

Although this is a simple step, you can’t imagine what a difference it makes. When you cut it into slices, they will hold their shape.

Please note that these Granny Smith apples don’t leave any juice but if you are planning to use another apple variation and it leaves the juice, leave the excess juice in the bowl before placing over the dough.

Collage of adding the apples over the dough and adding the crumble dough on top.

I bake for almost 50 minutes until the crumbles are golden brown.

Apple oatmeal bars after baked in a dish.

Caramel Sauce

While it is baking I make my homemade caramel sauce. But if you already have your caramel sauce, you can use it.

If you do so, you should remove it from the fridge so it will be in a pourable consistency. You can hasten this step by putting it over low-medium heat and stirring.

If you do my caramel sauce, I give you 2 options. You can either use my homemade caramel sauce recipe which is a dry method, meaning I melt the sugar and then add the heavy cream.

Or you can check my how to make caramel sauce post for the wet method where I melt the sugar with water first and then add the heavy cream.

Both recipes are very easy to make as long as you make the recipe as it writes. The key point is, when the sugar melts you should add the heavy cream gradually while stirring at the same time so there won’t be any lumps.

Assembling

Before I pour the caramel sauce on top I let the apple bar cool for an hour.

Apple oatmeal bars in a baking dish with caramel sauce and apples in the background.

After I pour the sauce, I gently swirl the dish, so the caramel sauce spreads.

Collage of pouring the caramel sauce over the baked dish.

I wait at least half an hour before I place it in the fridge. You should let it completely cool for an extra 1 and ½ hours in the fridge. This step is essential if you want to have proper slices.

I gently cut it into 16 slices with a sharp knife.