Sourdough Apple Pie Bars with Salted Caramel

My Sourdough Apple Pie Bars bring classic apple pie filling and cinnamon oat streusel to a buttery shortbread base, finished with salted caramel sauce.

I love this sourdough discard dessert during apple season with tart Granny Smith apples and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. For a softer apple bake, I make Sourdough Apple Cake.

Table of Contents

Quick Look: Sourdough Apple Pie Bars

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Calories: ~305 kcal per bar (based on nutritional panel)
Cook Method: Baked
Flavor Profile: Buttery shortbread crust topped with tender cinnamon-spiced apples, a crunchy oat streusel, and a rich homemade salted caramel drizzle. The ultimate fall dessert bar!
Difficulty: Intermediate — A few components to prep including the shortbread, apple filling, streusel, and caramel sauce, but each step is simple and worth it!

SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON

Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Apple Pie Bars Recipe

Apple pie flavor without rolling pie dough: You get a buttery sourdough dough shortbread crust in an 8×8-inch baking dish instead of a traditional double crust. When you want that full pastry experience, make Easy Sourdough Apple Pie.
Tender apples, crunchy oat topping: The spiced apple layer sits under a brown sugar streusel for a bit of crunch in every bite. For the same cozy contrast without shortbread, turn to Sourdough Apple Crisp.
Easy to share: After the bars chill, I can cut neat squares for a dessert table and add caramel when serving. You can also bring Sourdough Berry Crumble Bars or Easy Sourdough Lemon Bars when I want a sliceable treat.

Ingredients & Substitutions

* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*

Shortbread Crust

Unsalted butter: If you are using salted butter, skip the salt.
Sugar: Cane sugar can be used as a substitute.
Sourdough discard: I prefer using fresh discard for sweet treats. This will give the shortbread a mild tangy flavor, but you can use older discard.
Vanilla: Use vanilla extract over imitation for the best flavor.
Salt: For a bit of contrast.
Flour: I used all-purpose flour.

Apple Filling

Apples: My favorite apple to use for this recipe is Granny Smith, but you can opt for sweeter apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady or Gala apples or do a mixture of your favorites!
Sugar: For a touch more sweetness.
Flour: Helps thicken the apple filling.
Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg complement the apples perfectly.

Streusel Topping

Oats: Old-fashion oats work best for this recipe.
Brown Sugar: For even more caramel-like flavor, you can use dark brown sugar.
Cinnamon: To compliment the apples even more.
Salt: Any unrefined salt will do, but my favorite is Redmond’s unrefined salt for some extra minerals!
Unsalted Butter: Use cold butter. If using salted butter, reduce the salt to 1 gram (¼ teaspoon)

Salted Caramel Sauce

Sugar: Granulated Sugar or Pure Cane Sugar
Unsalted Butter: Omit the salt if you use Salted Butter
Heavy Cream: Brings the creaminess to this luscious caramel sauce.
Salt: I mean, it is called salted caramel!

How to Make Sourdough Apple Pie Bars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the melted butter, sugar, sourdough discard, vanilla extract and salt. Mix with a whisk until smooth.

Add the flour and mix with a rubber spatula until a dough forms.

dough in a flattened out on a baking dish

Pinch off pieces of the dough and scatter them evenly in the prepared baking dish. With your fingers, press the dough to form a crust. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.

While shortbread bakes, prepare the apple filling and streusel topping. Peel and slice the apple into 1/8th inch pieces. Add to a medium bowl.

sliced apple with cinnamon sugar mixture

To the apples, add the sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix with a rubber spatula until the apples are fully coated with the sugar mixture.

To a small bowl, add the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until evenly incorporated.
Cube the cold butter and add to the oat mixture. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, two forks or even your fingers until it looks like coarse crumbs. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Once the shortbread crust is out of the oven, evenly top the apple filling on the warm crust. Then sprinkle the streusel on top. Continue to bake for 35–40 minutes or until the apples are soft and tender. I like to use a toothpick to check.

Cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before placing in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, overnight is best for easy slicing.

A top-down view of a baking sheet filled with squares of apple pie bars.

Slice into 12-16 even slices; serve cool, room temperature or warm. Top with ice cream, homemade caramel sauce (shared below!) or serve plain. Enjoy!

To a medium pot, add white sugar.
Heat to medium heat on the stovetop. Leave the sugar for a few minutes. Once the sugar starts to melt, continue to give it a stir. It will dissolve completely in about 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it, be sure the sugar doesn’t burn.
Once the sugar is melted, add in the room temperature butter, stirring vigorously. It will begin to bubble and rise. Continue to mix. It will take some stirring to incorporate the sugar and butter fully.
When the sugar and butter are combined, slowly pour in the heavy cream while also stirring.
Continue to cook until the caramel begins to bubble and rise again.
Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl to cool.

McKenna’s Helpful Tips

Keep the apple slices thin and even so the fruit softens at the same rate across the pan. We use the same even-slicing habit for Easy Apple Galette with a Sourdough Pie Crust.
Leave the streusel butter cold until I need it; distinct bits make a better crumbly topping. You can use that cold-butter approach in Flaky Maple and Pecan Sourdough Scones too.
Wait until the bars have fully chilled before cutting with a sharp knife, then add the caramel sauce at serving time. I follow a similar set-before-slicing habit with Sourdough Berry Crumble Bars.

How to Store

Store your salted caramel sourdough apple pie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. If you want to keep them longer (I doubt you will! ), place them in the fridge for up to a week. For the best flavor, let them come to room temperature before serving. If you’re enjoying them the next day, wrap them in a piece of plastic wrap to keep them fresh. These bars are a great choice for meal prep or snacks throughout the week.

an apple pie bar with a cream and caramel on top

Sourdough Apple Pie Bar FAQs

What are the best apples for Sourdough Apple Pie Bars with Salted Caramel?

I prefer crisp, tart Granny Smith apples for an apple filling that balances the sweet caramel. Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, or Gala work too, and you can combine tart and sweet varieties. For another dessert that celebrates fresh apple slices, make Easy Apple Galette with a Sourdough Pie Crust.

How can I vary these sourdough apple pie bars?

You can add a little lemon juice or zest to the apples, use ginger or cardamom with the cinnamon, or add nuts to the streusel. Juicier additions can change the filling, so avoid adding too much liquid. When you want an apple-and-cinnamon variation in a different bake, try these Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Scones.

Can I use active sourdough starter instead of discard in these apple pie bars?

You can replace the sourdough starter discard with the same weight of active starter, though I like fresh discard for a milder tang in the shortbread crust. For another apple bake that puts discard to use, try Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Muffins.

Are Sourdough Apple Pie Bars labor-intensive?

Skip the rolling pin and pie plate because the shortbread presses into a square baking dish. Slicing the apples takes some time, and you should plan for at least two hours of chilling so the finished bars cut cleanly. If you want individual pastries instead, make Salted Caramel Apple Sourdough Hand Pies.

Quick Look: Sourdough Apple Pie Bars

SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON

Why You’ll Love This Sourdough Apple Pie Bars Recipe