• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Kudos Kitchen by Renee

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Dessert Recipes » Brownies and Cookie Bars Recipes

    Published: Sep 7, 2011 · Modified: Jul 9, 2025 by Renée · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    Apple Raisin Caramel Cookie Bars

    Jump to Recipe
    A Pinterest pin for Apple Raisin Caramel Cookies Bars along with a title text.

    Apple Raisin Caramel Cookie Bars have all the flavors you'd expect in a great fall dessert. The taste of the tart apples, spicy, comforting cinnamon, plump raisins, and salted caramel topping makes these dessert bars completely crave-worthy.

    Two image collage for apple raisin cookie bars drizzled with caramel, and one showing nuts and raisins.

    Apple desserts are always a hit, and I've got plenty of them on my website that you need to know about. Especially these Apple Pie Wedges, Apple Cider Donut Muffins, Apple and Pear Blossoms, German Sunken Apple Cake, and Apple Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate.

    This recipe post and its contents may include affiliate links for your consideration. I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases, but your prices are never increased as a result. Thank you.

    Table of Contents Found Here
    • The ingredient list:
    • What I wrote about this recipe in 2011
    • Add in and substitution suggestions:
    • Can homemade caramel be used for these cookie bars?
    • How many drizzled caramel apple raisin bars does this recipe make?
    • Can these apple cookie bars be frozen after baking?
    • Additional related recipes for you to enjoy:
    • Printable Recipe Card
    • Apple Raisin Caramel Cookie Bars
    • Please comment if you've made this recipe.

    Subscribe to my Kudos Kitchen channel on YouTube. IT'S FREE!! Thanks, and I can't wait to see you there!!

    The ingredient list:

    *Please note that the exact measurements along with a "shop the recipe" feature from Instacart and Walmart is available inside the printable recipe card.

    instacart logo
    Walmart logo
    A visual ingredient list for making Apple Raisin Caramel Cookie Bars.

    *Disclaimer - This recipe was originally published in 2011. I'm working hard to update all my older recipes with printable recipe cards, and additional helpful information. This recipe post has been updated, but the actual recipe itself and the photos have remain unchanged.

    What I wrote about this recipe in 2011

    Here in the Midwest, Fall is definitely in the air.  The crisp, cooler weather always makes me more in the mood to cook and bake. 

    I'll bet you feel the same way.

    I found this recipe recently while paging through a magazine in my dentist's office. 

    I promise that I didn't rip it out of the magazine (as so many others do), I took it to the receptionist's desk and asked for a piece of paper so I could write it down.  Kindly, she offered to photocopy it for me.

     I also made a few of my own flavor additions (nutmeg, nuts, and the caramel drizzle). 

    The results were quite delicious:  moist, chewy, and packed with apple flavor.

     

    Don't you just love the Fall?  Enjoy!!!

    Save this for later.

    We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

    Email forwarding service for saving information.

    Apples and raising showing in a slice of an apple raisin cookie bar.

    Add in and substitution suggestions:

    Not a fan of raisins? No problem. You can leave them out entirely or swap dried cherries, cranberries, currents, or blueberries for the raisins.

    Do nuts drive you nutty in baked goods? Leave them out. I won't tell a soul. However, if you like nuts but don't have pecans on hand, feel free to substitute whatever variety of nuts you do have on hand.

    Feel free to substitute Gala, Honey Crisp or Pink Lady for the Granny Smith apples.

    Can homemade caramel be used for these cookie bars?

    You, bet, but back in 2011 I didn't have a caramel recipe on my site so I linking to one wasn't an option.

    That said, I do have a homemade caramel recipe within my Homemade Pecan Turtle Candy recipe that's to-die-for!

    How many drizzled caramel apple raisin bars does this recipe make?

    As written, this recipe makes 24 cookie bars.

    Can these apple cookie bars be frozen after baking?

    They sure can.

    Store them in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

    Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

    Additional related recipes for you to enjoy:

    • Buttermilk Cinnamon Raisin Bread
    • Whole Wheat Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
    • Banana Walnut Cookies
    • Quick Bread Recipe Roundup
    • Apple Recipe Roundup

    When you make today's recipe (and I hope that you will), I'd appreciate it if you'd take the time to come back and give it a star rating along with a comment on why you rated as you did.

    Search engines such as Google appreciate comments and ratings and, in turn, will show my recipes to more people. Please look for the pink star rating box within the printable recipe card. Thank you!!

    Printable Recipe Card

    A bunch of Apple Raisin Caramel Cookie Bars on a platter drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with salt.

    Apple Raisin Caramel Cookie Bars

    Renee Goerger
    Apple Raisin Caramel Cookie Bars have all the flavors you'd expect in a great fall dessert. The taste of the tart apples, spicy, comforting cinnamon, plump raisins, and salted caramel topping makes these dessert bars completely crave-worthy.
    Have you made this recipe?Please Comment and Rate
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save recipe Save this recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 40 minutes mins
    cooling time 1 hour hr
    Total Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins
    Course cookie bars, Dessert - Cookies
    Cuisine American
    Servings 24 servings
    Calories 190 kcal

    Equipment

    • rimmed baking sheet
    • hand mixer
    • apple peeler
    • chef's knife
    • cutting board
    • Mixing Bowls
    • microwave safe bowl
    • measuring cups and spoons
    • spatula
    • kitchen scale optional
    • baking spray
    • cooling rack
    • cake tester optional
    • skewer optional

    Ingredients
      

    TO MAKE THE COOKIE BAR BATTER:

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
    • 2 large eggs at room temperature
    • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1½ cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples
    • ½ cup raisins
    • ¾ cups chopped pecans

    TO MAKE THE CARAMEL DRIZZLE:

    • ½ bag of Kraft caramels
    • ¼ cup half and half
    • ½ teaspoon flaky finishing salt optional
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    TO MAKE THE COOKIE BAR BATTER:

    • -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
    • -Liberally coat a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
    • -In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.
    • -In a large bowl, with an electric mixer (or stand mixer), blend the butter and brown sugar on medium speed.
    • -Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter and sugar mixture.
    • -Continue to blend for approximately 3 minutes or until completely smooth.
    • -Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in increments, blending after each addition.
    • -Continue to blend until all the flour is very well incorporated.
    • -Gently stir in the diced apples, chopped pecans, and raisins until thoroughly blended.
    • -Spoon the mixture into your prepared pan and smooth it evenly.
    • -Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    • -Cool completely.

    TO MAKE THE CARAMEL DRIZZLE

    • -Unwrap the individual caramel squares and add them to a microwave-safe bowl.
    • -Add the half-and-half
    • -Microwave the mixture on medium-low power for 1 minute, stirring in between each microwave session.  Stir until the caramel mixture is smooth and creamy.
    • -Drizzle the caramel sauce over the cooled, pre-sliced cookie bars.
    • -Lightly sprinkle the freshly drizzled caramel with the flaky finishing salt, if desired.

    Notes

    Store the cookie bars at in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days.
    Store the cookie bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
    May be frozen. Store in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 112mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 157IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mg

    I hope you'll enjoy making (and eating) these delicious apple and caramel cookie bars, with (or without) raisins as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!

    A tender crumb of the inside of an apple raisin cookie bar with a drip of caramel falling off the top.

    Should you have any questions or comments regarding anything you've seen on my site, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with you just as soon as I possibly can!

    Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!

    Please don't forget to like and follow me across all of my SM channels, and while you're at it stop by and say hello! I'll be looking for you! 🙂

    FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, YOUTUBE, KUDOS AMAZON SHOPPING,

    and PINTEREST

    Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!

    Selfie of Renee of Kudos Kitchen by Renee
    Custom Renee Signature

    More Brownies and Cookie Bars Recipes

    • Coconut Brownies on a plate with melted chocolate and nuts.
      Coconut Brownies with Macadamia Nuts
    • Tiger Paws Cereal Bars on a white plate with a knife and peanut butter.
      Tiger Paws Cereal Bars
    • A brownie Strawberry Shortcake on a pink plate.
      Brownie Strawberry Shortcake
    • A stack of three Nutella Cookie Bars.
      Nutella Cookie Bars

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Please tell me what you think... Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      By submitting this comment you agree to share your name, email address, website and IP address with Kudos Kitchen by Renee. This information will not be used for any purpose other than enabling you to post a comment. *

    1. Maranda says

      September 15, 2011 at 6:31 pm

      These sound fantastic! I love Fall flavors and can't wait to start my Fall baking. It was nice of the office to photocopy the recipe for you...I tend to take a picture on my phone when I find something I like. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    2. SweetSugarBelle says

      September 09, 2011 at 3:34 am

      I missed you! I was wondering if you were okay...and I am glad to see you are baking!!! I'll holler at you soon!

      There is a movie, Men in Black, and will smith is about to step on a roach, but changes his mind...when he does the roack looks up and says, Damn decent of you...that's exactly what I thought when you said you didnt steal the magazine recipe, LOL!

      That is the ULTIMATE let down to go for a recipe and it not be there!=

      Reply
    3. The Vanilla Bean Baker says

      September 08, 2011 at 5:59 pm

      What a great dessert for the season! I'm betting your additions to the recipe made it all the more tasty.

      So nice of the receptionist to photo-copy it for you too. Your *pay-it-forward* bonus for not ripping it out of the magazine 😉

      Reply
    4. yummychunklet says

      September 08, 2011 at 10:18 am

      Oh, these bars look amazing! I love the caramel glaze.

      Reply
    5. BigBearswife says

      September 07, 2011 at 5:13 pm

      I'm "pinning" this! Can't wait to try these!

      Reply
    6. The Captain's Daughter says

      September 07, 2011 at 3:33 pm

      I L-O-V-E fall as much as you do... And, I'll be trying these bars soon!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Renee of Kudos Kitchen by Renee holding a cast iron skillet cornbread.

    Hi, I'm Renee! I've been a passionate home cook for over 40 years. I specialize in easy-to-make comfort food dishes from appetizers to desserts and everything in between.

    More →

    Fast and Easy Dinners

    • A salsa sloppy joe sandwich in a small cast iron skillet with avocado slices and a sesame seed bun.
      Salsa Sloppy Joes
    • A stack of Burrito Dogs with some ketchup and mustard in the background.
      Burrito Dogs (aka Dogs in a Blanket)
    • Four Caprese Sausage Sandwiches on a platter with tomatoes and fresh basil.
      Caprese Sausage Sandwich
    • A stack to Burgerdillas on a wooden cutting board.
      Burgerdillas - Burgers in Tortillas

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Media Kit

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. When I find a great product or service I like to share it with my readers. For additional information please view my privacy policy.

    Copyright © 2025 Kudos Kitchen by Renee

    2 shares
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Email
    • Save
    • Flipboard
    • Threads
    • Messenger
    • Bluesky