Caramel Apple Crumb Bars (Print Version)

Tender shortbread layered with spiced caramel apples and buttery crumbs

# What You Need:

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01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.

02 - Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or fingers until crumbly. Stir in vanilla extract.

03 - Reserve 1 1/2 cups of mixture for topping. Press remaining dough evenly into pan bottom to form crust.

04 - Bake crust for 12 minutes, then remove from oven.

05 - Toss apple slices with lemon juice. Add sugar, flour, and cinnamon, tossing to coat evenly.

06 - Spread apple mixture over hot crust. Drizzle caramel sauce over apples. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture evenly on top.

07 - Bake for 28-32 minutes until topping is light golden brown and apples are tender.

08 - Cool completely in pan. Lift out using parchment and cut into bars.

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The texture contrast is unreal, with tender apples, buttery crumbs, and gooey caramel in every single bite.
They taste like you spent hours at the stove, but the whole thing comes together in about an hour.

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Cutting into these bars while they are warm will give you a gooey mess instead of neat squares, patience really pays off here.
The crumb topping might feel thick when you are sprinkling it, but it bakes down into the perfect buttery layer.

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Chill your pan in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking if your butter started softening while you worked.
Room temperature butter is the enemy here, keep everything cold until it hits the oven.