These homemade Apple Oatmeal Bars with Cinnamon Caramel Sauce are a sweet tooth’s dream come true. The caramel sauce doubles as a tasty dip for you leftover apples!
Apple Oatmeal Bars with Cinnamon Caramel Sauce
As I’m struggling with letting go of summer, my palate can’t help but navigate toward all things fall. I’ve been seeking out recipes using apples, pumpkins, and…(gasp!)…my stove! Because we grill all year long, even here in the Minnesota Tundra, our oven doesn’t get used much during the summer, except for baking sweets. As the weather cools down, the roasting pans, soup pots, and my favorite Le Creuset French Oven begin to make regular appearances.
Last week I was helping our youngest daughter make a bowl of cinnamon apple oatmeal for breakfast. Yes, it was 90 degrees out, but I couldn’t help my desire to bake something with those flavors of fall. It was almost September, after all!
What Are Apple Oatmeal Bars?
This recipe for Apple Oatmeal Bars with Cinnamon Caramel Sauce is basically a blondie with oatmeal and apples added to it, all moist and yummy. It’s then taken a step further with a generous drizzle of the most delicious caramel sauce, flecked with the warmth of cinnamon. The caramel sauce recipe started out with my favorite caramel apple dip. And then I jazzed it up a bit for these bars. Now this is my favorite apple dip!
I just love that this recipe does double duty…apple oatmeal bars with an incredible caramel sauce AND enough caramel for dipping all the beautiful fall apples that are beginning to appear. Truly, a win-win situation.
Apple Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 2½ cups quick-cooking oats
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup Granny Smith apple peeled and grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8” square baking pan with nonstick spray or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together milk, applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, then mix until combined. Fold shredded apple into the batter.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until golden brown and set in the center.
- Remove bars to a cutting board and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
I’m linking up with
- Cheryl at TidyMom for I’m Lovin’ It (RadLab – easy photo editing tool)
I just wanted to let you know that I linked over to you on my blog today. This apple cake was pretty much life-changing at our house! Don’t be surprised if you hear from me on another What’s Cooking Wednesday…because you are a frequent-flyer recipe source in our kitchen!
Love all your recipes. Thank you.
Thank you, Liz!! :)
These are just lovely! Love apples and oatmeal together!
Just made these bars but with a cinnamon/powder sugar glaze instead of caramel. (That sounds delicious but had to use what I had on hand!) Fresh out of the oven with a glass of cold milk. Mmmmmmmmmm…….. Very nice website, will be back to try some more of your recipes, especially the Cowboy Salsa. Thank you!
Oh my, that ‘improved’ caramel sauce sounds so yummy. Will be trying this recipe for sure.
Ohhhhh, Mom, you’ll love that cinnamon caramel sauce, for sure!!! :)