Chocolate Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
These dessert bars have a buttery crust and crumble on top, a gooey cinnamon-sugar apple filling, with caramels, chocolate chips, and sea salt sprinkled on top.
With summer coming to a close and kids back in school, it makes me feel ready for fall flavors and all things apple! It’s one of my favorite fruits to bake with, so naturally, I had to share this new recipe with you!
I bet that when you think of apples, you think of complimentary flavors like cinnamon, and maybe even caramel, but have you tried chocolate with your apple desserts? I’ll tell you what… it’s pretty much amazing!
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This dessert has apples, cinnamon, caramel, chocolate and even a bit of sea salt for the perfect touch!
How to Make It
Peel and dice up 4 to 5 Granny Smith Apples (about 4 to 5 cups diced).
Toss the apples in 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp cornstarch, 2 tsp cinnamon, and 3 Tbsp lemon juice. Let macerate (release juices) for 5 minutes.
Melt 6 Tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan, add apples and cook for 10 minutes or until desired softness.
While the apples cook, prepare the crust.
Using the paddle attachment fitted on a KitchenAid mixer, stir up 3 cups of flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.
Add 1 cup (2 sticks) of cold butter one Tablespoon at a time, while the mixer is running, until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Add 1 egg and mix until the dough comes together, in large crumbs.
Remove bowl and paddle from the KitchenAid mixer.
Press 2/3 of the crust onto the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to press it flat and into the corners.
Spread the cooked apples on top of the crust.
Sprinkle with the remaining crumb dough.
Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden on top.
Meanwhile, cut up 24 soft caramels into fourths, and measure 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 1 tsp sea salt.
Once the crust is golden, sprinkle the cut-up caramels and chocolate chips on top.
Return to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes more until the chocolate and caramels are melty.
Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle with sea salt.
Allow to cool slightly before cutting and consuming.
Chocolate Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
Ingredients
Apples
- 4 to 5 cups (372-465 g) Granny Smith Apples, peeled and diced (about 4 to 5 large apples)
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, gently packed
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 6 Tbsp (85 g) butter
Crust
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon & level)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (226 g) cold butter, (2 sticks) cut into Tablespoons (16 pieces)
- 1 large egg
Toppings
- 24 soft caramels, quartered (I used Lancaster Caramel Soft Crémes; about 3/4 cup of quartered pieces)
- ½ cup (85 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, (I prefer Guittard chocolate chips)
- 1 tsp course sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the diced apples in brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Let macerate (release juices) for 5 minutes.
- Melt 6 Tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan, add the apples with their juices, and cook for 10 minutes or until desired softness. Allow to cool slightly.
- While the apples cook, prepare the crust: Using the paddle attachment fitted on a KitchenAid mixer, stir flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
- Add cold butter one Tablespoon at a time, while the mixer is running, until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add egg and mix until the dough comes together, in large crumbs.
- Press ⅔ of the crust onto the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Spread the cooked apples on top of the crust. Sprinkle with the remaining crumb dough.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden on top.
- Meanwhile, cut up 24 soft caramels into fourths, and measure ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 1 tsp sea salt.
- Once the crust is golden, sprinkle the cut-up caramels and chocolate chips on top.
- Return pan to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes more until the chocolate and caramels are melty.
- Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle with sea salt.
- Allow to cool slightly before cutting and consuming.
Notes
Did you make this?
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