Well here we are, months later & continuing to deal with a global pandemic.  And I am still in the kitchen baking away my feelings, much to my husband’s delight!  With it officially being baking season, I like to shift my treats to match the season and chilly weather desserts are all about apples and caramel for me.  We’ve had a lot of apple treats lately so I decided to focus on the caramel aspect with this delicious recipe I found on the Averie Cooks blog, and it did not disappoint!

These bars are full of caramel-y goodness and the richness of butter cookies to make the perfect balance. And they were so easy! Another bonus is that these are egg-free for anyone with any egg sensitivities.

Salted Caramel Buttery Crumb Bars

Course: Dessert
Keyword: Apple, baking, bars

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup Stick Butter
  • ¾ Cup Powdered Sugar
  • ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 Cup Salted Caramel Sauce I used Smucker’s Salted Caramel Sauce, but you can also make your own if you are feeling ambitious

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F
  • Line an 8×8 pan with parchment and spray with cooking spray.  My favorite is Bak-Klene ZT Nonstick Baking Spray from Williams Sonoma
  • In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes)
  • Mix in the flour until fully combined.
  • Press 1/3 of the dough into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes. While the crust is baking refrigerate the remaining dough.
  • Once the 20 minutes is up, pour the caramel over top of the crust. I used a little more than the ½ cup called for just for good measure
  • Crumble the remaining dough over top of the caramel. It may seem like a lot, but trust the process!
  • Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 25 – 30 minutes, or until the top is barely golden brown and the caramel is bubbling
  • Remove bars from the oven and drizzle a little caramel sauce over the bars
  • Chill your bars for at least 2 hours before cutting.