Salted caramel Sourdough Apple Pie Bars: Blend buttery shortbread with tart apples, cinnamon streusel topping and rich caramel for a delicious fall treat everyone will love.
Don’t get me wrong, a freshly baked apple pie with a sourdough pie crust can be pretty tough to beat in the fall. But sometimes, it can be difficult to fit making a homemade pie from scratch in our busy schedules.
That’s when I turn to Sourdough Apple Pie Bars! The same apple, cinnamon goodness with less fuss.
Fresh apples like tart Granny Smith and sweet Pink Lady, perfectly spiced and laid on top of a buttery shortbread base and topped with a cinnamon-sweet streusel is nothing short of magical!
A little bit of sourdough discard in the shortbread crust adds a unique tang and a nice depth of flavor that makes these bars special.
They’re super easy to whip up and slice perfectly, making them perfect for family gatherings or cozy nights at home.
Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or drizzle with homemade salted caramel sauce for an extra touch of sweetness.
Get ready to enjoy this delicious treat with your loved ones all autumn long!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Faster than apple pie
These salted caramel sourdough apple pie bars let you savor classic apple pie flavors without the fuss. No rolling out pie dough—just press in that buttery shortbread crust!
With juicy apples and a sweet salted caramel drizzle, they’re the perfect cozy fall treat. Whether you go for tart Granny Smith or sweet Pink Lady apples, these bars are easy to make and great for sharing.
Shareable
These salted caramel sourdough apple pie bars are perfect for sharing. Slice them into small pieces for your next get-together, and watch them disappear! They’re ideal for potlucks or dessert tables, so everyone can get in on the yummy goodness.
Apple pie meets apple crisp
With a buttery shortbread crust and a crunchy topping, this dessert blends the best of both worlds. Each bite gives you that perfect mix of soft apples and coarse crumbs on top, making it totally irresistible.
Incredible fall flavor
This treat uses tart Granny Smith apples and totally captures the vibe of apple season. With the addition of vanilla extract and brown sugar, the flavor gets a nice boost, making it a must-bake for your fall lineup. And who says you can’t mix in Pink Lady, Gala, or even a blend of all three?
Ingredients Needed
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!
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
Supplies
Parchment paper
Peeler
Pastry cutter
Rubber spatula
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.
Shortbread Crust
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.
Pinch off pieces of the dough and scatter them evenly in the prepared baking dish. With your fingers or the back of a measuring cup, press the dough to form a crust. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.
Apple Filling
While the shortbread bakes, prepare the apple filling and streusel topping.
Peel and slice the apple into 1/8th inch pieces and add them to a medium bowl. 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. Set aside.
Streusel Topping
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.
Assemble
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.
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!
Homemade Salted Caramel
To a medium pot, add white sugar and 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. Typically, it will dissolve completely in about 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it, and be sure the sugar doesn’t burn.
Next, once the sugar is melted, add in the room temperature butter, stirring vigorously. It will begin to bubble and rise. Be sure to continue to mix, as it will take some stirring to fully incorporate the sugar and butter.
When the sugar and butter are combined, slowly pour in the heavy cream while simultanously stirring.
Continue to cook until the caramel begins to bubble and rise again, about 1-2 minutes.
Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl to cool.
How to Serve
These salted caramel sourdough apple pie bars warm or at room temperature. Drizzle some maple syrup or homemade salted caramel over the top for added sweetness. A scoop of ice cream complements the warm bars nicely. Cut them into generous squares with a sharp knife for easy serving.
How to Store
Store your salted caramel sourdough apple pie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. However, 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. I
f you’re planning to enjoy them the next day, wrap them in a piece of plastic wrap to keep them fresh. Overall, these bars are a great choice for meal prep or snacks throughout the week.
FAQ
What are the best apples to use for these salted caramel sourdough apple pie bars?
For this recipe, tart Granny Smith apples work really well, but if you prefer, you can also go for sweet Pink Lady, Gala, or Honeycrisp apples. In fact, mixing different types of apples can add a nice flavor twist to your apple pie filling. Just be sure the apples are crisp so you get that amazing texture.
How can I make variations on this recipe?
You can easily brighten the flavors by adding lemon juice or lemon zest to the apple mixture, and if you’re looking for a fun twist, consider using different spices like cardamom or ginger.
Additionally, another option for variations is to add nuts to the streusel topping, but keep in mind that these substitutions might affect the water content in the filling, so be sure to keep an eye on that.
Can I use sourdough starter discard in this recipe?
Absolutely! In fact, using sourdough starter discard gives the crust a nice tangy flavor. However, if you have some active sourdough starter, feel free to use that instead. Just be sure to use the same amount in weight!
Is this recipe labor-intensive?
Not at all. In fact, these salted caramel sourdough apple pie bars are actually a great way to enjoy the flavors of homemade apple pie without all the fuss of making a traditional crust. Instead of using a pie dish, you’ll be baking them in an 8 x 8-inch baking dish, which means everything is easier. While the most time-consuming part is probably slicing the apple slices, overall, it’s pretty simple and perfect for your fall recipes.
Happy baking!
More Recipes Like This:
Apple Cinnamon Sourdough Muffins
Apple Cinnamon Sourdough Scones
Apple Cider Donut Sourdough Quick Bread
Baked Apple Cider Sourdough Donuts
Fluffy Apple Sourdough Pancakes
Sourdough Apple Pie Bars with Salted Caramel
Salted caramel Sourdough Apple Pie Bars: Blend buttery shortbread with tart apples, cinnamon streusel topping and rich caramel for a delicious fall treat everyone will love.
Ingredients
Sourdough Shortcrust
- 113 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 38 grams (3 Tablespoons) sugar
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) sourdough discard
- 4 grams (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 1 gram (1/4 teaspoon) salt
- 175 grams (1 1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
Apple Filling
- 300 grams (about 3 small apples), peeled & sliced thinly *see notes
- 38 grams (3 Tablespoon) sugar
- 27 grams (3 Tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- 3 grams (1 1/2 teaspoons) cinnamon
- 1 gram (1/4 teaspoon) nutmeg
Streusel Topping
- 90 grams (3/4 cup) old-fashioned oats
- 75 grams ( 1/3 cup) brown sugar
- 57 grams (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cold
- 1 gram (1/4 teaspoon) cinnamon
- 3 grams (1/2 teaspoon) salt
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 200 grams (1 cup) sugar
- 85 grams (6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 120 grams (1/2 cup) heavy cream, room temperature
- 3 grams (1/2 teaspoon) salt
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment. Set aside.
Shortbread Crust
2. In a large bowl, add the melted unsalted butter, sugar, sourdough discard, vanilla extract and salt. Mix with a whisk until smooth.
113g (1/2 c) unsalted butter, melted, 38g (3 T) sugar, 50g (1/4 c) discard, 4g (1 tsp) vanilla, 1g (1/4 tsp) salt
3. Add the flour and mix with a rubber spatula until a dough forms.
175g (1 1/4 c) flour
4. Pinch off pieces of the dough and scatter them evenly in the prepared baking dish. With your fingers or the back of a measuring cup, press the dough to form a crust. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven.
Apple Filling
5. While the shortbread bakes, prepare the apple filling and streusel topping.
6. Peel and slice the apple into 1/8th inch pieces and add them to a medium bowl. 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. Set aside.
300g (about 3 small apples), 38g (3 T) sugar, 27g (3 T) flour, 3g (1 1/2 tsp) cinnamon, 1g (1/4 tsp) nutmeg
Streusel Topping
7. To a small bowl, add the old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until evenly incorporated.
90g (3/4 c) old-fashioned oats, 75g (1/3 c) brown sugar, 1g (1/4 tsp) cinnamon, 3g (1/2 tsp) salt
8. 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.
57g (4 T) unsalted butter, cold
Assemble & Bake
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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!
Homemade Salted Caramel
12. To a medium pot, add white sugar and 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. Typically, it will dissolve completely in about 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it, and be sure the sugar doesn’t burn.
200g (1 c) sugar
13. Next, once the sugar is melted, add in the room temperature butter, stirring vigorously. It will begin to bubble and rise. Be sure to continue to mix, as it will take some stirring to fully incorporate the sugar and butter.
85g (6 T) unsalted butter, room temperature
14. When the sugar and butter are combined, slowly pour in the heavy cream while simultaneously stirring, then the salt.
120g (1/2 c) heavy cream, room temperature, 3g (1/2 tsp) salt
15. Continue to cook until the caramel begins to bubble and rise again, about 1-2 minutes.
16. Remove from the heat and pour into a small bowl to cool.
Notes
How to Store
Store your salted caramel sourdough apple pie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. However, 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 planning to enjoy them the next day, wrap them in a piece of plastic wrap to keep them fresh. Overall, these bars are a great choice for meal prep or snacks throughout the week.
FAQ
What are the best apples to use for these salted caramel sourdough apple pie bars?
For this recipe, tart Granny Smith apples work really well, but if you prefer, you can also go for sweet Pink Lady, Gala, or Honeycrisp apples. In fact, mixing different types of apples can add a nice flavor twist to your apple pie filling. Just be sure the apples are crisp so you get that amazing texture.
How can I make variations on this recipe?
You can easily brighten the flavors by adding lemon juice or lemon zest to the apple mixture, and if you’re looking for a fun twist, consider using different spices like cardamom or ginger.
Additionally, another option for variations is to add nuts to the streusel topping, but keep in mind that these substitutions might affect the water content in the filling, so be sure to keep an eye on that.
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