Treat yourself to salted caramel apple bars that perfectly balance decadence and freshness with every bite! These bars deliver a blend of creamy cheesecake, tender apples, and a luscious caramel drizzle. They will leave you and your guests wanting more!
Indulge in Delicious Salted Caramel Apple Bars
If you’re looking for a dessert that combines a creamy cheesecake filling with the mouthwatering flavors of caramel and apples, look no further! Salted caramel apple bars are the perfect treat to serve your guests and satisfy your sweet tooth. While this dessert requires a little effort to layer, the results are truly worth it.
The Right Tools Make All the Difference
Before you begin, gather your tools and ingredients to ensure a smooth baking process. An 8 x 8-inch baking dish lined with a long piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper will make the bars easy to lift out once they’re baked. Plus, using a food processor or a mixer will save you time and effort, especially when preparing the creamy cheesecake filling. However, if you prefer to go old-school, you can certainly mix everything by hand.
Salted Caramel Apple Bars: Preparing the Perfect Crust
The crust adds a pleasing shortbread-type layer to these bars. Combine flour, brown sugar, and butter until you achieve the perfect consistency. Then press the mixture into the prepared pan to create a foundation that holds all the layers together. Remember to bake it until it’s lightly browned for the best flavor.
Adding the Creamy Cheesecake Filling
Once the crust has cooled slightly, you can move on to the filling! Blend cream cheese with vanilla, sugar, and an egg in a mixer until smooth and creamy. This filling is what makes the dessert truly special, so don’t rush this step!
Salted Caramel Apple Bars: Layering on the Delicious Apple Topping
Now it’s time to elevate your bars with the apple topping. Finely chopping a Gala apple and mixing it with cinnamon and sugar creates a fruity layer. Add the flour, then sprinkle it over the cheesecake for a streusel-like topping. This combination brings both sweetness and texture to your bars.
Drizzling with Salted Caramel
The final touch adds the perfect finish to these cooked bars: the salted caramel drizzle. Prepare it just before serving for maximum freshness. By combining butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and cream in a saucepan, you create a rich sauce that complements the dessert. Drizzling this warm caramel over the bars and finishing with a sprinkle of sea salt adds a gourmet touch that your guests will love. However, if you decide not to add this final indulgence, the bars will still be delicious!
Serving Suggestions and Presentation
Presentation enhances the overall enjoyment of any dessert. To dress up your salted caramel apple bars, consider adding artistic garnishes like thin apple slices and fresh mint leaves. Consider serving the bars in small dishes for a pretty presentation.
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Salted Caramel Apple Bars
Equipment
- 8×8-inch baking dish
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup butter, softened
Filling Ingredients
- 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (1 1/2 8-ounce packages)
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 large egg
Apple Topping Ingredients
- 1 large Gala apple, peeled and finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup butter, softened
Salted Caramel Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- sea salt
Instructions
Crust Instructions
- Place a long sheet of aluminum foil in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish, leaving the long ends hanging over the sides for handles to lift the dessert out after baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and butter. Use your hands to thoroughly work the butter into the flour and sugar, or use a food processor to quickly combine the ingredients.
- Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the aluminum-foiled prepared pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned.
Filling Directions
- Use a mixer to combine the cream cheese, vanilla, sugar, and egg until creamy. Pour into the slightly cooled crust.
Apple Topping Directions
- Combine the chopped apple, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and butter with your hands to work the butter into the flour and sugar, or use a food processor for quick combining. Sprinkle this flour mixture over the apples. Bake for 40 minutes. Cool.
- Lift the dessert out of the baking dish using the aluminum foil handles and place it on a cutting board. Cut the dessert into 16 small, equal-sized pieces or 8 large pieces.
Salted Caramel Directions
- In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup, then bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cream and vanilla. Drizzle over the bars just before serving and sprinkle with sea salt.