Caramel Apple Oat Squares

Caramel apples are a favorite fall treat of mine. That’s probably why I tried making these Caramel Apple Oat Squares years ago when I clipped the recipe from a magazine—how could I resist a recipe with that wonderful caramel apple flavor? These dessert squares are kind of like having a caramel apple pie, but a little easier and quicker to make. And I like that there are oats in the crust. I added some cinnamon to the crumb mixture and used chopped pecans instead of the walnuts that were used in the original recipe—you can use whichever you prefer.

Caramel Apple Oat Squares

  • Servings: 12
  • Difficulty: easy
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CARAMEL APPLE OAT SQUARES by NancyC, adapted  from Eagle Brand®

Makes a 13 x 9″ pan, about 12 servings                                     Caramel Apple Oat Squares @ NancyC

  • 1 3/4 cups unsifted all-purpose unbleached flour
  • 1 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into chunks
  • 1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
  • 20 caramels, unwrapped
  • 1 (14-ounce) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 1 (21-ounce) can apple pie filling (I saw a version of this recipe where someone used fresh thinly sliced apples, but they didn’t say how many…I think 2 1/2 cups would work if you wanted to try that)

Heat oven to 350˚F. In large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Cut in chunks of butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture; press remainder on the bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven.

In small bowl, add chopped nuts to reserved crumb mixture; set aside.

In heavy saucepan, melt caramels with sweetened condensed milk over low heat, stirring until smooth.

Spoon apple pie filling (or thinly sliced fresh apples if you’re wanting to try that) over the partially baked crust. Top with caramel mixture, then the reserved crumb-nut mixture.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Let cool about 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into squares and serve while still warm. These taste great served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, too!

Recipe from NancyC | nancy-c.com

Sometimes the caramel mixture bubbles up around the edges while baking…don’t be alarmed if yours is doing this…it will settle down when it’s out of the oven! You may need to loosen the caramel from the edges of the pan as you’re cutting this into squares.

Are you a fan of caramel apples, too? What kind of caramel apple-flavored goodies do you like to make?

Sharing at Pink Saturday, Farmhouse Friday, Meal Plan Monday, Weekend Potluck, Thursday Favorite Things, Full Plate Thursday, Grace at Home, Wonderful Wednesday, Inspire Me Monday, Hearth & Soul.

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