These caramel apple pie oatmeal bars are to die for! They have the best cinnamon apple flavor, and are smothered in sweet caramel sauce. Chef’s kiss! The ingredients are fairly simple, and you likely have them all on hand! I love enjoying these bars as a snack, dessert, or for breakfast. These caramel apple pie oatmeal bars are ready to eat in less than 35 minutes, with minimal prep time. If you are looking for another twist on baked oatmeal, you have to try these!
What makes these caramel apple pie oatmeal bars healthy?
These bars have both brown sugar and granulated sugar. You can use coconut sugar or white sugar where the recipe calls for granulated sugar. Coconut sugar is much healthier because it is a real food, but feel free to use white sugar if that is all you have on hand! These caramel apple pie oatmeal bars will be delicious regardless of which kind of sugar you use.
The primary ingredient in these bars is oatmeal. Oatmeal is incredibly nutritious, full of good fiber, and can help lower cholesterol levels! If you are not a fan of making oatmeal the traditional way, these bars are a great way to get the health benefits from oatmeal.
Caramel Sauce
This sauce is a twist on one of the first recipes on my blog! If you have been following along for a while, you probably remember my caramel apple dip. It pairs so well with apples, so I just knew that I had to include it as a topping in this recipe! With just 3 ingredients, you can have a delicious sauce that rivals store-bought caramel sauces.
I use plain almond butter from Costco because the ingredients are so clean! Another great brand is Justin’s. I love their cinnamon almond butter. You could use that flavor for this sauce, but you would want to omit the extra cinnamon!
You can drizzle the sauce over the bars, or you can spread it on top. I prefer spreading the sauce on top because I like a little with every bite. To each their own!
Other Tips:
- You can leave these bars out at room temperature for 2 days. I recommend refrigerating them so that they last longer! When you get them out of the refrigerator, you can heat them for a few seconds in the microwave. However, I like to enjoy them cold sometimes, too!
- You could use peanut butter instead of almond butter, but I do not recommend it. I love the consistency and flavor that the almond butter brings. Peanut butter has a very strong flavor that will overpower the bars. However, if you love peanut butter, I say go for it!
- These bars are very gooey and are best enjoyed with a fork!
Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 6 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups quick oats
- 1 apple, grated
For the Caramel Sauce
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Combine the melted butter, applesauce, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
- Add the baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- Then add in the oats, and stir until well combined.
- Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper. Evenly pour the oat mixture into the dish and top with the grated apple shreds.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the edges start to crisp.
- Meanwhile, add the almond butter, cinnamon, and maple syrup to a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until fully combined.
- Let the bars cool and then drizzle or spread the "caramel sauce" on top.
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