Vegan Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Vegan Caramel Apple Pie Bars- an easy way to enjoy apple pie without all the work!
Apple pie is a fall favorite, but making it from scratch can be a lot of work. Homemade pie crust is a challenge for many bakers, including myself. This version of apple pie uses a fool-proof press-in shortbread crust. It’s filled with spiced and sugared apple slices and topped with oatmeal and brown sugar streusel.
To take these apple pie bars to the next level, top them with my Easy Vegan Caramel Sauce or non-dairy vanilla ice cream.
Vegan Caramel Apple Pie Bars
For the Crust:
Vegan butter
Sugar
Pure vanilla extract
Salt
All-purpose flour
For the filling:
Apples
Flour
Sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
For the Streusel topping:
Old fashioned oats
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Flour
Vegan butter
What kind of apples are best for this recipe?
Honey Crisp, Granny Smith, Gala, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Cortland, and Jonagold are all great choices.
What apples to avoid?
Red Delicious. The texture gets mushy and it loses flavor when you cook it.
You won’t want to use Red Delicious for most baking projects since they are low in acid. When an apple is baked, some of the starches break down and the apple becomes softer. The more acid in an apple, the less the starches break down. That means tart apples like Granny Smith are usually the best choice for baking.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease an 8×8 inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl add the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mix evenly into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake on 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
While the crust is baking, prepare the apple filling and the strusel mix.
To make the apple filling: In a large bowl, add the apple slices, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss until all the slices are evenly coated.
To make the streusel: In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Cut in the chilled butter using a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Vegan Caramel Apple Pie Bars
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup vegan butter, melted
- 1/4 cup pure cane sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the Apple Filling
- 2-3 apples (peeled and sliced thinly)
- 2 tbsp pure cane sugar
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
For the Strusel Topping
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farhenheit and grease an 8×8 inch pan.
- In a medium bowl add the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mix evenly into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake on 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the apple filling and the strusel mix.
- To make the apple filling: In a large bowl, add the apple slices, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Toss until all the slices are evenly coated.
- To make the strusel: In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Cut in the chilled butter using a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Evenly spread the apple slices on top of the crust. Sprinkle the strusel evenly on top of the apples. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool and top with caramel sauce.
Evenly spread the apple slices on top of the crust. Sprinkle the streusel evenly on top of the apples. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool and top with caramel sauce.
Looking for more easy Vegan Desserts?
Ultimate Vegan Pumpkin Coffee Cake
I love seeing your finished recipes! If you enjoyed making these Vegan Caramel Apple Pie Bars, I’d love to see yours on Instagram, just tag me @10IngredientVegan. Happy baking!
