Whenever I come across a recipe that includes the words “dulce de leche,” I’m immediately intrigued. I’m a caramel lover, you see, and dulce de leche puts caramel to shame. It’s infinitely more decadent and creamy, and it does magical things to baked goods too. That’s exactly why these Dulce de Leche Apple Bars appeal to me so much.
Where can you find Dulce de Leche?
You can certainly make it yourself. I have a Homemade Dulce de Leche recipe that you can follow. Warning: you’ll want to eat it all with a spoon! But you can usually find it in the store too. I’ve had luck locating in my local grocery store’s “Latin products” aisle. It comes in a can.
In this Dulce de Leche Apple Bars recipe, the dulce de leche is swirled into an apple-infused batter. More apple batter is then spooned on top. For the icing, butter is quickly browned in a saucepan and then mixed with powdered sugar, vanilla and cream. If you pour it on quickly, you can simply tip the pan to and fro until the bars are covered evenly. Or you can choose to add icing to individual pieces. My best tip is to add the half and half gradually until you have a desired consistency for your icing. You don’t want it to be too thin. And if you’re not much of a fan of icing at all, you can make Dulce de Leche Apple Bars with no icing!
That there is pure heaven. You’ll definitely taste the dulce de leche swirled within the bars, and the chunks of apple turn it into over-the-top delicious. These cut up most easily when chilled until firm. A long, thin knife wiped off after each cut ensures clean edges. If you are looking for more treats to make with apples, you might also enjoy my Irish Apple Crisp or these Apple Pie Bars. Fried Apple Rings, Caramel Apple Sheet Cake, and Caramel Apple Scones are delicious apple goodies too!
