If you follow my posts, you know I’ve been making a lot of apple recipes for fall. A LOT.
Well, I had a dilemma. One day, I wanted both a cookie and an apple pie. What to do?! I decided to make a combination…and it’s pretty tasty.
The cookie crust tastes like a snickerdoodle, my favorite cookie, plus it’s gluten-free and paleo (and vegan, of course)!
Caramel Apple Cookie Bars
Course: Uncategorized4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
- Adapted from Ditch the Wheat
2 c. almond flour/meal
1/4 c. coconut oil, softened
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1-2 T. bourbon or other type of alcohol
2-3 small apples, sliced thin, preferably organic
- For the caramel:
- Adapted from Against All Grain
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1 T. organic non-hydrogenated shortening, like Spectrum
1/2 c. almond milk, or other non-dairy milk
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3 T. bourbon
additional cinnamon and vegan sanding sugar, for dusting
Directions
- Directions, for the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 8×8 oven-safe pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the 6 crust ingredients. Once mixed, press the dough down and flatten it evenly in the prepared pan. Bake it for 15 minutes.
- Place the sliced apples in a pleasant pattern and dust them with sanding sugar and cinnamon, if desired. Bake the crust/apples for an additional 20 minutes.
- To make the caramel, follow these steps:
- In a large saucepan over medium-high flame, bring the maple syrup to a low boil. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat, stirring the pan regularly to ensure even browning.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the shortening, milk, and salt until thoroughly combined. Return to the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes. When whisking the caramel, extract it from the heat and apply the splash of bourbon. Allow cooling for 10-15 minutes.
- If the caramel hardens too much, put it back on the stove under low heat. It will soften up.
- Drizzle the caramel over the apples and crust and top with sea salt.
Slice it up into 9 or 12 pieces and enjoy with your favorite cup of tea!
Cheers,
-Aileen
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