Salted Caramel Apple Bars with Shortbread and Oat Crumble (Print-Friendly Version)
Measured apple slices sit between a shortbread base and an oat topping. This source-backed version replaces an incomplete draft that omitted the apple quantity; allow cooling and chilling time before cutting.
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House placeholder — AdSense units launch here# Ingredients You’ll Need:
01 - Crust: 113 g melted butter, 50 g sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 133 g flour
02 - Filling: 315 g peeled apple slices, 16 g flour, 25 g sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
03 - Topping: 43 g rolled oats, 67 g brown sugar, 31 g flour, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 56 g cold butter
04 - Caramel sauce, to drizzle; optional flaky salt
# How to Make It:
01 - Line an 8-inch square pan; heat oven to 300°F. Mix topping dry ingredients, cut in cold butter and refrigerate.
02 - Combine crust ingredients, press evenly into pan and bake about 20 minutes, until edges lightly brown.
03 - Toss quarter-inch apple slices with remaining filling ingredients. Layer onto warm crust; scatter topping over them.
04 - Raise oven to 350°F. Bake 30–35 minutes, checking for golden crumble and tender apples.
05 - Cool 20 minutes, refrigerate at least two hours, then lift out, slice and drizzle with caramel.
# Extra Suggestions:
01 - Weigh the fruit after peeling and removing the cores. Whole apples vary in size, so counting two apples without checking the prepared weight can leave a different depth of filling. Keep the slices similar in thickness; a few thick wedges can stay firm after the surrounding slices soften.
02 - Label bowls crust, filling and topping before weighing. Each has its own flour and sugar allowance, and only the topping butter stays cold. Cross off each measured ingredient as it enters its bowl rather than trying to remember which sugar portion was already used.
03 - Press the crust into the corners with a flat-bottomed cup or a spatula. Check the middle as well as the perimeter; a mound at the center changes the balance of base and fruit in every slice. Use the stated pan size and leave parchment handles clear of the oven heating element.
04 - A warm slab is more fragile than a chilled one. Put the pan on a level rack, then chill before using the parchment to lift it. Cut on a board rather than pressing a sharp knife against the pan coating. Add caramel to the portions being served so stored pieces are easier to handle.