Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
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Sweeten up your day with these caramel apple crumb bars! Moist crust, topped with Dulce de Leche, apples and streusel topping.
Well, apple season is now in full swing so we have been enjoying this fruit a lot. We’ve been making juices, using them in baking (apart from these caramel apple crumb bars I also used them to make Homemade Apple Rings, Apple Pie and Apple Oatmeal Bake as well as enjoying them raw in salads or on their own.
What about you guys? Do you like apples? Do you use them in baking a lot? I bet you have your favorite apple recipes. Let me know!
By the way, did you know that there are over 7,500 apple varieties. It’s a pretty impressive number, isn’t it? (Check these apple facts to learn more about apples).
Step by step how to make caramel apple crumb bars
To make these apple squares with crumb topping you will need:
- For the crust: Flour, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, egg, Greek yogurt and butter.
- For the filling: apples and dulce de leche (or caramel).
- For the streusel topping: butter, flour and sugar.
I recommend starting with the topping, followed by filling and then moving onto the crust. The topping is a simple crumb topping that requires just a bowl and your hands.
Once done, set it aside and move onto grating apples and opening a can/jar of dulce de leche.
The third step is mixing all your crust ingredients together. Now there is a certain order to it: Start with creaming butter. Then add sugar and beat again. Add egg and yogurt. Beat well after each addition.
Finally beat in flour, baking powder and cinnamon (mix these 3 ingredients in advance).
Now it’s time to pour the batter into a baking dish/sheet pan. I used a 10×7.5-inch/26×19-cm glass baking dish for this recipe. It was the perfect size for 9 bars. Spread this with dulce de leche, top with apples and crumb topping.
Baking these caramel apple crumb bars will take about 1 hour. It might sound like a lot of time but you can just set an alarm on your phone and do other things while waiting for these bars to be baked.
Ingredient substitutions:
- Greek yogurt – sour cream or natural yogurt will both work here.
- Granulated sugar – superfine (US)/caster sugar (UK) can also be used.
- Dulce de Leche – any caramel should work here.
Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2.5 ounces Unsalted Butter (70 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 1 Small Egg
- ½ cup Greek Yogurt (125 ml)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (Plain Flour, 110 grams)
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
Filling:
- 1 cup Dulce de Leche (200 grams)
- 2 Large Apples
Streusel Topping:
- ½ stick Unsalted Butter , cold (60 grams)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (Plain Flour, 70 grams)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
Streusel Topping:
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and rub them together until a crumb like texture is formed. Set aside.
Filling:
- Wash and cut apples into quarters. Remove the seeds and any hard parts. Grate and set aside. Measure 1 cup of caramel and set aside.
Crust:
- In a bowl, beat butter, add sugar and continue beating until well combined. Add egg and beat well. Add Greek yogurt and beat again. Mix in flour that has been sifted with baking soda and cinnamon.
- Pour this batter into a baking tray/oven-proof dish (10×7.5 inch/26×19 cm) lined with baking paper.
- Carefully spread Dulce de Leche over the batter. Top with grated apples and streusel topping.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 360°F/180°C for 1 hour or until it is baked through.
- Let it cool down completely before serving.
Do you have to refrigerate these afterward?
Hi Kalli, you don’t have to refrigerate them. Make sure to store them in an air tight container (after being completely cooled down) though.They are best enjoyed within 2-3 days.
These turned out delicious! Mine didn’t look anything like the picture though. They seem more like cake versus a bar.
A couple things.. definitely make sure to spray your baking dish. These were so sticky as it was, I think if I wouldn’t have sprayed, I wouldn’t have been able to get them out of the pan at all.
And make sure your butter is cold when making the streusel topping. Or you’ll end up with a warm, doughy mess like me and have to spend an hour waiting for it to chill to get that crumbly look. And add a good half cup of brown sugar to the topping. Can’t go wrong there. :P
Great recipe! Definitely will make again.
Thanks for finding time to write the feedback, Lisa! I always use baking paper to line the tins and that is what I recommend in my recipes. For me that is the easiest way to get the baked goods out of their tins/pans. I apologize for not stating that the butter should be cold to make the topping. I will fix that in the recipe card so thanks for pointing that out.
Hi! They look fantastic! How long they keep if i store them in the refrigerator? Thank you!
Thank you :)! I have had them in the fridge for 4 days :), taking a few slices each they. However, they are best the first 2 days. I recommend reheating them in the microwave just before eating. Hope this helps.
These look positively decadent. I can feel the sugar buzz just looking at them!
This is a much easier way to enjoy a caramel apple for sure. Nicely done!
Thank you, Jenni!
Love this recipe! With the festive season coming up, I would surely like to try this recipe soon.
Hope you will! :)
This looks so delish!!! YUM!!!!!!
Happy to hear you like it, Deanna!
There is no more delicious combination than apples and dulce de Leche. My mouth is watering!
:) Thanks, Amy!