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Chewy Salted Caramel Apple Cookie Bars

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These chewy salted caramel apple cookie bars offer a perfect balance of sweet and salty with a soft, gooey texture, ideal for cozy snacking and easy to make with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 medium apples, peeled and diced small (preferably Granny Smith)
  • ¾ cup (about 180 ml) salted caramel sauce
  • Pinch of coarse sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt.
  3. Using a mixer, beat the softened butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Gently fold the diced apples into the batter with a spatula.
  7. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan to about 1 inch thickness.
  8. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce over the top in thin streams and swirl gently with a butter knife or skewer to create pockets of caramel.
  9. Bake for 30-35 minutes until edges are golden and set but the center remains soft and chewy. A toothpick inserted should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
  10. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle a pinch of coarse sea salt over the top.
  11. Let the bars cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into squares.

Notes

Use fresh, crisp apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for best texture. Avoid overmixing the dough after adding flour to keep bars tender. Warm caramel sauce slightly if it thickens before drizzling. Bars firm up as they cool, so avoid overbaking. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition

Keywords: chewy cookie bars, salted caramel, apple dessert, cozy snack, easy baking, caramel apple bars

Find it online: https://tastytuck.com/chewy-salted-caramel-apple-cookie-bars-easy-recipe-for-cozy-snacking/