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Sharing my Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars with you today! They are perfect for Fall and Winter baking. So simple to prepare and packed with goodness!

Cookie bars are so much fun to make. Your options are endless! These bars are packed with sweet tart apples, cream cheese and caramel that make for the perfect sweet treat.

This simple little Fall dessert is gooey and “appley” delicious with warm soft caramel oozing off the sides. Hope you all enjoy!

For other delicious Picky Palate bar recipes try Fruity Pebbles Cookie Bars and Kitchen Sink Cookie Bars.

Be sure to follow Picky Palate on Instagram for sneak peeks on what’s coming next to the blog!

I used a refrigerated sugar cookie crust for this recipe, however you are free to use a homemade sugar cookie recipe if you’d like.

Tips For Softening Cream Cheese

There are many times I find that I don’t have a few hours to set out my cream cheese to soften at room temperature on it’s own. Here are some simple tips to speed up the process when you need softened cream cheese pronto 🙂

Did you know you can soften cream cheese in about 15 seconds? Unwrap your cream cheese and place it onto a microwavable plate. Microwave on high for 15 seconds. If it is not soft, you can microwave it for an additional intervals of 15-20 seconds. Mix it through; it may be a little cooler in the middle but the warmer sides may help it soften evenly and completely in just a minute or so.

You can also chop the cold cream cheese bloc into a few chunks, and then microwave it. This speeds up the process a bit.

Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars Course: Dessert Cuisine: American Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 25 mins Total Time 40 mins Servings: 9 Calories: 408 kcal Author: Jenny Print Pin Ingredients 3 Tablespoons melted butter

3 Cups Golden Graham Cereal ground in food processor

1 Roll Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough or 2 pkgs Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Dough Mix prepared and divided into 2 equal parts

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/4 Cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

21 oz can apple pie filling

1.5 oz package Nature Valley Oats N' Honey Crunchy Granola Bars 2 count, crushed (I use a rolling pin to crush them right in the bag before opening)

9.5 oz Kraft Caramels

1/2 Cup half and half Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine melted butter and ground cereal into a large bowl; press into an 8x8 inch baking dish lined with foil that's been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven. Crumble half of the cookie dough over partially baked crust.

Place cream cheese, sugar and vanilla into a mixer; beat until smooth. Pour over crumbled cookie dough layer. Bake for 25 minutes then remove from over. Top with 3/4 of the apple pie filling (I chose to just add part, but you can add the whole can if desired). Next top with remaining cookie dough, breaking off into little pieces evenly over top. Sprinkle with crushed granola bars and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes clean from center. Let cool completely then cut into squares. Melt caramels and half and half according to package directions. Drizzle over each bar. Refrigerate leftovers. Nutrition Calories: 408 kcal | Carbohydrates: 60 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 17 g | Saturated Fat: 9 g | Cholesterol: 44 mg | Sodium: 293 mg | Potassium: 197 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 40 g | Vitamin A: 755 IU | Vitamin C: 4 mg | Calcium: 132 mg | Iron: 2.5 mg Keywords: apple, bars, cake mix cookies, caramel, dessert

Pin Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars