These Apple Oatmeal Crumb Bars are perfect for fall. Filled with oatmeal, brown sugar, & cinnamon apples – they taste amazing drizzled with salted caramel sauce!
I’m a firm believer in an apple a day. Which is exactly why these Apple Oatmeal Crumb Bars are so perfect. Delicious brown sugar oatmeal cookie base, a layer of cinnamon apples, and topped with crunchy crumble topping.
The best part is you can eat them with salted caramel sauce and ice cream for dessert, then have the leftovers for breakfast. Don’t you love it when desserts multitask like that?
They’re perfect for a fall dessert or whenever you feel like a comforting, super easy, no mixer recipe that’s filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, crunchy crumbly oatmeal streusel, and delicious apple filling. 
What’s even better about these apple oatmeal crumb bars is that the oatmeal cookie base doubles as the crunchy crumble topping. So there’s less mess and fewer steps.
To make the the oatmeal layer we first toss together some flour, cinnamon, salt & oatmeal; then stir in some melted butter, brown sugar, one egg yolk and vanilla. The mixture is dry and crumbly – almost like damp sand with some large chunks and some dry crumbs. We reserve 1 heaping cup of the mixture for the crunchy topping, and the rest we press into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the base.
Then comes the cinnamon apples. It’s a delicious layer of sliced apples tossed with cinnamon, a little sugar, a touch of nutmeg, and some cornstarch (to help with thickening). I recommend using tart apples for baking, like Granny Smith. A lot of the sourness is lost in the cooking process.
Then for the crumble topping we’ll add in a little extra sugar & flour to the reserved oatmeal mixture and sprinkle it on top of the apple layer. I like to make a little fist around the mixture to create crumbly crumbles. I’m 100% in favor of large crumble pieces.
Honestly – the hardest part of the recipe is slicing the apples. (I have a hatred of peeling fruit)…But these apple oatmeal crumble bars are my new favorite apple treat. Here’s some of the other apple recipes I’m craving this fall:
- Caramel Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake Dip from Buns in My Oven
- Dutch Apple Pie Muffins from The Merchant Baker
PS – You can find detailed instructions on making salted caramel sauce here
PPS – Are you eating these for dessert or breakfast? Or both if you someone manage to have leftovers???
PPPS – I’m nosy
Apple Oatmeal Crumb Bars
Ingredients
For The Crumb Layers
- 1 and ¼ cup all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats not quick oats or instant oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup melted butter cooled to room temperature
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
For the Apple Layer
- 2 large apples cored, pealed and sliced about ¼ inch thick
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 inch square baking pan with aluminium foil and spray lightly with cooking spray or grease with butter.
- In a large bowl whisk together the first 4 ingredients (from the flour to the salt). (Don't add in the extra 1 tablespoon flour & brown sugar listed at the end of the ingredient list - we'll add these in later). In a separate medium sized bowl whisk together the melted butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, vanilla and egg yolk. Add the butter mixture into the flour mixture, stirring everything together using a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula. The mixture will be like damp sand with some large clumps and some crumbly pieces. Reserve 1 heaping cup of the mixture, and press the remaining oatmeal mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- To make the apple mixture, toss together the sliced apples with the cinnamon, granulated sugar and cornstarch until the apples are evenly coated. Arrange the apples into an even layer over top of the bottom oatmeal layer.
- In a small bowl mix the reserved 1 cup of oatmeal mixture with the extra 1 tablespoon of flour and brown sugar. Crumble the oatmeal mixture over top of the apple layer. Some of the crumbles will be large than others - and that's ok. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture begins to brown on the top.
- Allow to cool fully before cutting into bars. Bars can be warmed up before serving if you prefer.
Nutrition
I could eat those for breakfasts!