Caramel Apple Slab Pie Bars Recipe
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for filling)
- 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce (plus extra for drizzling)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out later. Lightly grease any exposed pan surfaces with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 2 cups of flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to work the cold, cubed butter into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse crumbs. Remove 1 cup of this mixture and set it aside in a separate small bowl; stir the rolled oats into this reserved cup to create your topping.
- Press the remaining flour and butter mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of your prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are just barely starting to turn golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- While the crust is baking, place the sliced apples in a large bowl. Toss them with the lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and the 2 tablespoons of flour. Stir until all the apple slices are evenly coated in the spice mixture.
- Arrange the apple slices over the pre-baked crust in an even layer. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce over the top of the apples. Finally, sprinkle the reserved oat and crumb mixture evenly over the caramel layer.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the apple filling is bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. For the cleanest cuts, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing.