These Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars have layer upon layer of fall flavor! With a shortbread crust, soft apple filling and a sweet and crunchy oatmeal crumble, this dessert will soon become a favorite!
Jump to Recipe
Fall brings so much excitement - tailgating and football games, a new school year, beautiful changing leaves, sweaters and boot weather and yep, you guessed it, pumpkin/apple everything! Well this year, for our family, there's a whole new level of excitement....

Yep, you read that right, McKinley is going to be a BIG SISTER!! Our family is growing and we are beyond excited! To think in just a few months we will have TWO kiddos in the house (well, three if you count Zach😉) makes me smile about all the fun times to come!
Other than some late night nausea and wicked weird dreams, this pregnancy has been pretty smooth sailing thus far. Baby is healthy and has a strong heartbeat (best sound in the world!) and we're rolling into the second trimester! Woohoo! One down, two to go!

So when I was thinking about what recipe to post with my pregnancy announcement, I was stumped. It would be logical to have a recipe I've been craving, but "open a can of green beans and eat cold" probably wouldn't sound too appealing. Ha! Aren't pregnancy cravings bizarre?!
Ok, so the green beans idea got tossed pretty quick. But I knew whatever recipe I chose had to be something awesome. So, I created these Salted Caramel Apple Crisp Bars in hopes that maybe it would be an option. Turns out these weren't an option, they were the option! For real, I still cannot believe that this was the recipe I came up with on the first try....I'm gonna call that lucky!!
I love apple crisp and I love salted caramel, so marrying these two flavors just seemed like a perfect fit. The combination of flavors and textures just works....and it's a beautiful thing!!! Does the recipe take a little more time due to having three layers? Sure. Is it 100% worth it? Ohhhh yes!!

What kind of apples are best to use in these apple crisp bars?
My two favorite types of apples to use are Braeburns and Jonagolds - they're both have a nice balance of sweetness and tartness and are juicy when cooked without getting mushy!
How should I store leftovers?
If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, you can certainly store these and eat later. Either cover the baking pan with foil or place the bars in an airtight container with a lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Although these are delicious to eat cold, I'd highly recommend popping them in the microwave and topping with a scoop of vanilla ice cream...mmmmmm!
I do not recommend freezing the bars. Although I haven't tried it, I'm worried the bottom crust would get soggy and the topping would lose it's crunchy texture....no bueno!

Apple Desserts that I Love!
Fireball Whiskey Apple Dumplings
Recipe added to the Weekend Potluck and Meal Plan Monday.
Sheree Runion Hyde says
Your recipe for these bars sound so wonderful and I plan to make it for my sisters retirement party. Wish I had a pretty little helper like yours. She is precious! Is the new baby here yet? A little boy?
Kelsey says
Hi Sheree!! Oh I'm sure these bars will be a hit for the retirement party! And thank you - she is at such a fun age! No baby yet - due early March! And we're actually going to wait until he or she is born to find out the gender. We did that with McKinley and loved the surprise! 🙂
Shelly Pedersen says
Hi. These bars sound wonderful! Curious, what size pan do you use for the 2X & 3X recipes? Thanks!
kelsey says
You could double it and put it in a 9x13" pan, for sure!! 🙂
Stacey Vander Schoor says
These bars are amazing! I had a girls get together and made them. Everyone raved about them and wanted the recipe. Huge hit! In fact, every recipe of yours that I've tried, I've loved! FYI, I love seeing you on Hello Iowa!
kelsey says
Awww so happy to hear that!! It's always fun with Megan on Hello Iowa - She makes it so comfortable & fun! Thanks for tuning in! 🙂 ~Kelsey
Vicki L says
So easy and SO delicious. Perfect for a chilly Sunday dinner dessert!