The Little Vintage Baking Company

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Apple Pie Bars

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It’s November and I am still obsessing over apples. I love baking with apples, and while I like baking with pumpkin too, apples are my fall baking favorite. Today I’m sharing with you my apple pie bars. Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples caramelized in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and apple cider are piled onto a buttery, crisp shortbread-like crust and topped with a crunchy walnut and oatmeal streusel topping.

Apple Pie Bars

This recipe makes a full 13×9 pan and can feed quite a few people (12-16) – perfect for any fall parties or get togethers. And let me tell, you these are most definitely a crowd pleaser. They will go fast. However, you can half the recipe for an 8×8 or 9×9 pan if you want less servings.

Apple Pie Bars

The walnut crumble topping

I really wanted this topping to highlight walnuts and oats. Both go so well with the apples and the topping provides a crunchy and chewy textural contrast to the crust and softened apples. Toast the walnuts before using, as toasting will deepen and enhance the flavor. Don’t like walnuts? You can replace the walnuts with the nut of your choice though I would recommend almonds or pecans. Make the topping after making the crust (in the same food processor bowl) then pop the topping into the fridge to keep cold until baking.

Apple Pie Bars

The crust

The crust is similar to a shortbread crust. This buttery, crisp, lightly sweetened crust is the perfect vehicle to pile on loads of caramelized apples. Sugar, flour and salt are combined in the bowl of a food processor, followed by room temperature butter and processed until large clumps form. Press the dough into the lined pan, using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack and even out the crust. I like to use an offset spatula to even and smooth out the top crust.

Apple Pie Bars

Apple Pie Filling

My apple pie filling has multiple uses so this is a good filling to make on repeat. It makes for fantastic cake filling or ice cream topping. The apples are cooked, reduced and caramelized with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and apple cider. Your kitchen will smell amazing. Let the filling cool completely before using.

Apple Pie Bars

If you make these apple pie bars, let me know! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram. I love seeing your bakes and creations.

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more fall baking recipes, check out these posts:

Mulled Apple Cider Cake Donuts

Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies

Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles

Chai Spiced Apple Cranberry Pie

Apple Pie Bars
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Apple Pie Bars

Caramelized apples made with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and apple cider on a crisp shortbread crust and topped with a walnut cinnamon oat streusel
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time1 hr 20 mins
Course: Dessert
Servings: 12 – 16 bars

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 2 ½ cups (420g) all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Walnut Oatmeal Topping

  • 1/4 cup (38g) walnuts, chopped and toasted
  • ¾ cup (90g) all purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup (142g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/3 cup (59g) old fashioned oats

Apple Pie Filling

  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup (142g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 8 medium baking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced I used Granny Smith and Honeycrisp
  • ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ⅓ cup (151g) apple cider

Instructions

Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 12×9 pan with two pieces of parchment paper which extend over the sides to give you a ‘"handles" (this helps with removing the bars easily once it is set).
  • In the bowl of a food processor, place the flour, sugar, and salt, and pulse to combine.
  • Add the butter and pulse until the mixture begins to form large clumps.
  • Press the dough into the prepared pan, then level and smooth it with a bench press or measuring cup. Chill the crust for 10 minutes.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust begins to brown. Let cool completely.

Walnut Oatmeal Topping

  • While the crust bakes, prepare the walnut oatmeal topping.
  • In the bowl of the same food processor used to make the crust, place the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pulse to mix.
  • Add the butter cubes and pulse until mixture begins to stick together and form small clumps. 
  • Add the oats and pulse to incorporate.
  • Remove the bowl from the food processor and remove the center blade. Stir in the walnuts. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Apple Pie Filling

  • In a large skillet with deep sides, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium high heat.
  • Add the apples to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened, about 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg along with apple cider.
  • Cook until the apples have caramelized, softened and the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
  • If there is any sticking, add a tad more apple cider to the skillet to scrape off the bits to the pan. Let cool.

Assemble Bars

  • Once cooled, spread the apple pie filling evenly over the crust.
  • Evenly scatter the walnut oat topping over the apples.
  • Bake for 50-60 minutes until the topping has turned golden brown. Rotate the pan halfway through baking.
  • Let the bars cool completely on the rack before slicing and serving.

Notes

Bars can be frozen for a month.
Bars can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

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If ever there was THE perfect back to school, It’s Almost Fall, Y’all, sort of treat, it’s most certainly these caramel apple cupcakes. Fall may not be here yet, but it’s right around the corner and that’s close enough for me. It’s my favorite time of year so it’s never too early to pull out all the fall and Halloween decorations in my house. It’s also not too early to dive into fall baking, and this year my caramel apple cupcakes are first on the list.  Apple spice cupcakes are filled with a salted caramel apple compote, and topped with brown butter cream cheese frosting, salted caramel drizzle and rolled in roasted, salted peanuts. SO good.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

How to make the apple spice cupcakes

The ingredient that makes these apple spice cupcakes super moist is unsweetened applesauce. Fall spices – cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves makes the cupcakes super flavorful. Like an apple pie in a cupcake. Butter is beaten with brown and granulated sugar until light and creamy, followed by two eggs. After the eggs, and vanilla are incorporated, the batter may look a little curdled. It’s totally ok, keep going. Flour and applesauce are added to the batter alternatively, and the batter is given a final mix with a spatula to ensure everything is incorporated thoroughly.

This batter makes exactly 12 cupcakes. You will use all the batter, so be sure to scrape down the bowl to get every bit of it. After the cupcakes are baked, allow them to cool before adding the apple compote filling.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

How to make the salted caramel apple compote

This filling is so good, it’s hard to not just eat it all out of the pan. And when it’s cooking, your home will smell incredible. You can use any apples you wish in this recipe, but I recommend using apples that don’t get mushy. I’ve used Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples because they’re my favorites to bake with. Dice the apples pretty fine -1/2″ or a bit smaller. You want these apples to be to fit in the cupcakes. The diced apples are mixed with a bit of lemon juice so that they don’t brown while preparing the caramel mixture. Butter and salted caramel sauce are melted together in a saucepan. Cinnamon and salt are whisked in, followed by the apples. The apples cook in the salted caramel sauce until the sauce has thickened, and the apples are tender, about 5-8 minutes. Cool to room temperature before using. I will admit, these cupcakes with the apple compote still warm in the center are amazing. But, too warm and the filling could melt the frosting.

To fill the cupcakes with the compote, use sharp paring knife to cut a hole out of the top of each cupcake, while cutting down into the cupcake at an angle, about an 1″ – 1 1/2″. Don’t cut all the way down to the bottom of the wrapper or the filling will fall out. The piece you remove from coring the cupcakes should be a cone shape. Cut the bottom off of the cone, leaving a flat disc. Fill the cupcakes with the compote to the top, then place on the cupcake “lid”.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

How to make the brown butter frosting

I firmly believe that brown butter makes all baked goods taste better, and this brown butter cream cheese frosting is no exception. Brown the butter and let it cool until semi-solid, where it’s cooled, opaque and similar to a thick paste when stirred. The brown butter is whipped with the cream cheese until light and fluffy, and confectioner’s sugar is added a cup at a time. This is to avoid confectioner’s sugar from flying everywhere. Vanilla and salt are added, and the frosting is whipped on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until the frosting is light and fluffy.

I used an ice cream scoop to place equal amounts of frosting onto the cupcakes. Use an offset spatula to spread out the frosting to the edges of the cupcake, but also while keeping the dome shape. The dome shape gives these more of an apple-like look.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Finishing touches

Roll the sides of the cupcakes through the chopped peanuts to coat. The peanuts are my homage to those store bought caramel apples my kiddos love. You can use any nut you like here – pecans are really good with these, or you can omit them altogether if there’s an allergy.

Drizzle the cupcakes with salted caramel sauce. Pop a popsicle stick, lollypop stick or cake pop stick in the center of the cupcakes, and serve. The cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator due to the cream cheese frosting, but serve at room temperature.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more autumn inspired recipes, check out these posts:

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Brown Butter Maple Pecan Cookies

Caramel Apple Cupcakes
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4.34 from 3 votes

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Apple spice cupcakes filled with a caramel apple compote and topped with brown butter cream cheese frosting, salted caramel and roasted peanuts
Prep Time40 mins
Cook Time18 mins
Total Time58 mins
Course: Dessert
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

Salted Caramel

  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (59ml) water
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Apple Spice Cupcakes

  • 1½ cups (185g) all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (191g) unsweetened applesauce

Caramel Apple Compote

  • 2 cups apples, diced in small pieces I used two medium Granny Smith apples.
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (8oz/227) cream cheese, room temp
  • 4 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 salted caramel sauce
  • 3/4 cup roasted, salted peanuts, finely chopped

Instructions

Make the salted caramel

  • In a medium sized saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Stir just until combined. 
  • Place the saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar mixture cook, without stirring, until the sugar mixture turns a rich amber color. Take the mixture off the heat to stop the cooking process.
  • Add the butter to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Be very careful as the mixture is incredibly hot and will bubble up and steam when the butter is added. 
  • Whisk in the heavy cream, followed by the vanilla and the salt until smooth.
  • Let the caramel cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a glass jar to cool completely.

Make the apple spice cupcakes

  • Heat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until they're fully mixed in. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  • Add the flour mixture into the mixer in three additions, alternating with the applesauce in two additions. Start and end with the flour. Mix until just combined. 
  • Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is fully mixed and incorporated.
  • Divide the batter into the liners. You will use every bit of this batter. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before filling.

Make the caramel apple compote filling

  • While the cupcakes cool, make the apple compote. Combine the diced apples and lemon juice, and stir to combine.
  • In a skillet over medium-low heat, combine the butter and the caramel and cook until melted and bubbling. Whisk in the salt and cinnamon.
  • Add the apples to the caramel mixture. Cook until the apples have softened, and are a bit translucent, and the sauce has thickened, about 5-6 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool completely.

Make the brown butter cream cheese frosting

  • Place the butter in a light-colored skillet. Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Keep stirring occasionally.
  • After 5-8 minutes, the butter will begin browning. There will be lightly browned specks forming at the bottom of the pan and it will have a nutty aroma.
  • Once browned to an amber color, remove from heat immediately and allow the butter to cool until solid, but still soft, like a thick paste.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cooled brown butter, and the cream cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined.
  • Mix in the confectioner's sugar, a cup at a time, mixing after each addition until combined.
  • Add the salt and the vanilla.
  • Turn the mixer up to medium speed, and whip for 3 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Whip again for another 2 minutes.

Assemble the cupcakes

  • Using a sharp knife, cut a hole into the center of the cooled cupcakes to create a space for the apple filling. The piece you removed will be the shape of a cone.
  • Spoon the apple mixture inside each carved out cupcake. Fill the cupcake with apple filling to the top. Slice off the pointy end of the cone piece you removed so that it can fit on top of the filling. Place on top of the filling.
  • Use a large ice cream scoop to scoop heaping portions of the frosting onto each of the cupcakes.
  • Use a small, offset spatula to smooth out the frosting to the edges, while still maintaining the dome shape.
  • Place the peanuts in a shallow bowl. Roll the sides of the cupcakes through the peanuts.
  • Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the cupcakes. Insert a popsicle stick or cake pop stick into the center, and serve.

Notes

These cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days. Serve at room temperature.

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

By 5 Comments

Well hello there. It’s officially apple season and I am loving it. To me, baking with apples is so quintessentially fall. Pairing apples with cinnamon and caramel – now that’s when the magic happens. My caramel apple coffee cake is perfect for those chilly fall mornings with a fresh cup of hot coffee, or for an after dinner treat (also with coffee, because, well, coffee). The cake is rustic and beautiful and while it’s perfect for a snack cake, it also makes for an impressive sweet treat for the holidays. This caramel apple coffee cake consists of a sour cream cake batter topped with cinnamon sugar tossed apples and a sweet and crunchy pecan streusel topping and drizzled with salted caramel. The cake is simple to make and absolutely delicious.

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

I found this recipe in a stack of old recipes passed down from my great grandmother. It definitely required quite a bit of tweaking but it’s so awesome to be able to rework one of my great grandmother’s recipes. I learned a lot of my baking from her just by watching her as a child, long before I showed any interest in baking at all. It always fascinated me that she would make pies without recipes and measuring and they came out the same, perfect every time. I can only assume that came from years and years of baking practice.

So, on to making this caramel apple coffee cake.

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

The key to making the cake batter light and tender is room temperature ingredients and also making sure to adequately beat together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. I know we see the “beat until light and fluffy” terminology often, but it really is an important step, and one that is absolutely necessary for helping create the texture of your cake. I used sour cream in this recipe for flavor and for added moisture. Note that the batter will be quite thick. Spoon it into  a 9″ springform pan and use an offset spatula to make sure it’s evenly distributed in the pan.

About the apples

My preferred baking apple is Granny Smith, particularly when I’m using streusels, frostings, etc. that will be adding extra sweetness. For this recipe, I like the contrast of the tart apples to the sweet streusel and caramel toppings. But you can definitely use your favorite baking apple. Honeycrisp and Braeburns are also awesome to bake with. The apples are peeled and sliced, and tossed with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Slice your apples to about 1/4″ thick. You don’t want them too thick otherwise they won’t cook all the way through. The apples are then layered flat on top of the cake batter. I leave a really small space in the center without apples so that I can check if the cake is done without the apples skewing the result.

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

I use a food processor to make my streusel, as I do my tart and pie doughs, just because I find it to be easier and faster than doing it by hand. Pulse together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add in the butter chunks and pulse until small clumps start to form and the mixture no longer looks powdery. Mix in your pecans last so that they retain their crunchiness and don’t end up pulverized. Scatter the streusel evenly over the apples. The streusel can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

The caramel apple coffee cake takes quite a while to bake, about 60 minutes or so. However, it’s important to check on the cake starting at about 40-45 minutes because baking times can vary depending on the juiciness of the apples. The cake is done when a tester comes out with few crumbs.

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

How to make the salted caramel sauce

While the cake is baking, or even a few days in advance, make the salted caramel sauce. I start this caramel sauce with a wet mix – a mixture of sugar and water. After the the water and sugar is mixed, set down that whisk, and leave it be. Let the mixture boil until it turns a rich amber color. Then immediately remove from the heat to stop the cooking process. Be careful when adding the butter and the cream, as they cause the mixture to sputter and steam. So watch those fingers. Let the cake cool until just warm or room temperature before drizzling with caramel sauce. And because it’s always okay to be extra with caramel, go ahead and drizzle a bit more on each slice before serving.

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

This caramel apple coffee cake is a total winner and an absolute comforting fall bake. If you try my caramel apple coffee cake, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram so I can see your creation!

For another fall inspired recipe, try these pumpkin cream cheese muffins!

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake
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4.67 from 3 votes

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

This caramel apple coffee cake consists of a sour cream cake batter topped with cinnamon sugar tossed apples and a sweet and crunchy pecan streusel topping and drizzled with salted caramel.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 15 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Apple Coffee Cake:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup sour cream, full fat, room temperature
  • 2 cups apples, peeled and sliced (about 2-3 medium apples)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Streusel Topping:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
  • 2/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Salted Caramel Sauce:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature,
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the salted caramel.

  • In a medium sized saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Whisk just until combined. 
  • Place the saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar mixture cook, without stirring, until the sugar mixture turns a rich amber color. Take the mixture off the heat to stop the cooking process.
  • Add the butter to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Be very careful as the mixture is incredibly hot and will bubble up and steam when the butter is added. 
  • Whisk in the heavy cream, followed by the vanilla and the salt until smooth.
  • Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a glass jar to cool completely.

Make the streusel.

  • In the bowl of a food processor, place the flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Pulse to mix.
  • Add the butter cubes and pulse until mixture begins to stick together and form small clumps. 
  • Remove the bowl from the food processor and remove the center blade. Stir in the pecans. If not using right away, store in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Make the apple coffee cake.

  • Heat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9" springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. 
  • Place the butter and the sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed, stopping to scrape the bowl every so often, until the mixture is light, fluffy and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. 
  • Add eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.
  • Add the flour mixture to the batter in three batches, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. 
  • Remove the bowl from the mixer, and scrape down the the bowl and give it a stir to ensure the flour is fully incorporated.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared spring form pan and smooth with an offset spatula.
  • Place the peeled and sliced apples into a medium sized bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and stir to coat the apples.
  • Layer the apples, slightly overlapping, onto the cake batter. 
  • Sprinkle the streusel topping on top of the apples. 
  • Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with few moist crumbs. 
  • Cool the cake in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. When the cake has cooled a bit, but is still warm, drizzle the cake with caramel sauce, cut into wedges and serve. 

Notes

Store caramel sauce in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.