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)
Oh that sauce has me drooling!! I’m SO ready for fall food!!
Thanks so much for linking up Brenda! I featured your post in my wrap up http://tidymom.net/2012/a-taste-of-fall/
Have a fabulous rest of the weekend!
the only reason I’m ok with summer ending is because my craving for fall flavors is so stinken insane! Bring on anything apple, cinnamon and caramel,. yes please! These look GREAT!
I’m completely with you, Julia. The flavors of fall are completely yummy, and something to always look forward to. So nice to hear from you, thanks!
oh.my.heavens.
Brenda! These looks so good! PINNED!
oh my goodness, this cinnamon caramel sauce looks so delicious. And perfect with apple oatmeal bars too.
Ohhhh my! These sound amazing! The caramel is truly the kicker :)
I’d be ridiculously happy to have a bite of this!
yep it’s official I’m ready for the HOT weather to take a break so I can start making some of these yummy Fall recipes! YUM, cinnamon caramel sauce sounds wonderful!
Wow, these bars sound so moist and delicious and that caramel dip itself, yum!
These bars have fall written all over them! I want!
Thanks, Jessica! :)
I want this in my face! I’m drooling!
Hi, Heather! :)
The bars themselves look scrumptious enough but that cinnamon caramel sauce must take them over the top of the delicious mark! What a lovely Fall treat.
You are so right, Paula. That cinnamon caramel sauce is crazy good!!!
Oh wow! I love caramel with apples! I made some apple bars last week, but used a powdered sugar glaze on my bars. And my bars did not have any oatmeal in them either. But after reading your recipe, I think yours sounds better!
We loved the ones I made a lot, so we are REALLY going to love yours I bet!
I have an Orchard and Cider Mill just down the street from where I live here in Michigan and they sell apples,cider, and hot donuts as well as other yummy treats! I am going to call and see if they are open yet! :-)
We have a few orchards nearby that do the same thing. It’s impossible to leave without eating a fresh warm apple donut!!!
I’m so ready for fall and there is absolutely nothing better than caramel to usher it right on in!
Honestly, I haven’t been ready to let go of summer, but what’s a girl to do?! I do love fall and all its splendor. It’s the season that comes next, with all its cold, that I’m not so crazy about. ;)
These bars make me excited for fall!
Me too! Me too! ;)
Oh. My. Word. It’s like taking a bite out of fall!
Yes, so good. Bring it on!
These bars look fabulous!
Thank you, Katrina!
Delicious and perfect for fall!
Thank you, Lynna!
These bars look fabulous, Brenda! I love the cinnamon caramel sauce!
Thanks, Laura. :)
Looks like the perfect way to kick off fall! Yum.
Thank you – so nice to hear from you!