Oatmeal Apple Bars with Caramel and Pecans
These oatmeal apple bars with caramel and pecans are the ultimate fall dessert—soft, chewy, and loaded with cinnamon-spiced apples. A buttery oat crust and crumble topping sandwich gooey caramel and toasted pecans for a cozy, crowd-pleasing treat. Perfect for holidays, potlucks, or anytime you’re craving apple crisp in bar form!
Servings: 24 bars
Calories: 202kcal
Ingredients
Base
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon divided
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
Apple filling
- 3 cups apples, about 2-3 apples, peeled and thinly sliced (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith recommended)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- ½ cup caramel sauce, store-bought or homemade plus more for topping
- ½ cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, one teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Pour melted butter over the mixture and stir with a fork until crumbly.
- Press half of the mixture firmly into the prepared pan, reserving the remaining crumble. Use your fingers to spread the mixture evenly and press it into the sides and corners. Fill in gaps with more crumble as needed, not using more than two-thirds of the total. Optionally, use the bottom of a glass or flat side of a mallet to press evenly. Bake crust for 10 minutes (won’t be completely cooked), then remove from oven.
- While the crust bakes, combine the apple slices, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and the remaining half-teaspoon of cinnamon in a bowl. Toss gently to coat evenly.
- Spread the apple filling evenly over the pre-baked crust. Drizzle a half cup of caramel sauce over apples. Sprinkle the remaining crumble mixture and toasted pecans evenly across the caramel sauce. Bake at 350°F for an additional 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden and apples are tender.
- Cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars. Drizzle with extra caramel sauce and more pecans, if desired, before serving. Serve alone or warm up and serve with vanilla ice cream!
Notes
- Toast your pecans: It brings out a deeper, nutty flavor. To quickly toast pecans, microwave chopped nuts on a saucer for 2–3 minutes, tasting and adding 30-second bursts as needed. Or roast in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes (whole pecans take longer).
- Cool before cutting: They’ll crumble if you cut while warm (though warm, gooey bites are tempting!).
- Don’t skip the parchment: It makes removing and cutting much easier.
- Balance your apples: A mix of tart Granny Smith and sweet Honeycrisp is unbeatable.
Nutrition
Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 127mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 251IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
