Alani Witch’s Brew-Inspired Caramel Apple Bars

Sep 2

Gooey caramel, tart Granny Smith apples, and a cozy fall spice blend make these bars a fall must-bake!

view of caramel apple bars with tart alani-nu witch's brew drinks, the flavor that inspired these buttery, delicious caramel apple bars

🍏 Intro: Apple Season with a Fun Twist

September is here in all her glory, and I’m here for it! September on the ranch means hay fields are buzzing as we get every last cutting before winter, a new group of Fall calves are on the way (that’s always exciting), and my favorite part—it’s officially baking season AND apple season. I love everything about this time of year: crisp mornings, warm ovens, and the smell of cinnamon throughout the kitchen.

This year, I decided to take my caramel-apple game up a notch by drawing inspiration from one of my favorite seasonal drinks: Alani Nu Witch’s Brew Energy Drink.

With its crisp, sour-apple flavor and bright, playful vibe, Witch’s Brew felt like the perfect muse for these gooey caramel-apple bars. The result? A dessert that’s sweet, tangy, and just mischievous enough for spooky-season snacking.

📖 Cookbook Inspiration: Calling All Cooks

overhead shot of calling all Cooks cookbook, an Alabama staple in Southern kitchens. This is also know as 'the blue one" — **This cookbook has been through a lot and has the stains to prove it!**

I started with a classic from the Calling All Cooks – Edition 3 cookbook. This cookbook is pure Alabama recipe gold — home cooks from across the state sent in their most tried-and-true recipes to print this cookbook. These are the recipes that have been perfected over decades of Sunday suppers, potlucks, and holiday gatherings — and this caramel-apple bar recipe was one of the best finds in my copy.

🥄 My Spooky Season Twist

Granny Smith Apples + Lemon: For that Witch’s Brew–style tartness, I used Granny Smith apples and tossed them with a little lemon juice and flour before baking.

Warm Spice Blend: A pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove brings cozy autumn vibes without overpowering the caramel.
Buttery Oat Crust: The oatmeal base and crumble topping give these bars just the right chew.

🍎 Recipe: Alani Witch’s Brew–Inspired Caramel-Apple Bars

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup chopped pecans
5 cups coarsely chopped Granny Smith apples
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (14-ounce) package caramels
4 tablespoons butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1 stick butter, shortening, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Stir in 1¾ cups flour, oats, salt, baking soda, and spices to the butter/sugar mixture. Add pecans; mix well. Reserve and set aside 2 cups of this mixture for topping.
Press the remaining oat mixture into an ungreased 9x13-inch baking dish.
Toss chopped apples with lemon juice and 3 tablespoons flour. Spoon evenly over crust.
In a saucepan over low heat, melt caramels with 4 tablespoons butter, stirring constantly until smooth. Drizzle over apples.
Sprinkle reserved 2 cups oat mixture over the top.
Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Get ready to taste something amazing.

Yield: About 20 bars

**The fall spice mixture being added into the buttery crumb layer components.**

granny Smith apples rough chopped ready to be baked for caramel apple bars from calling all Cooks blue edition — **This looks like 5 cups. Who’s counting anyway?!?**

buttery oat and crumb mixture pressed into bottom of pan before apples get added to caramel apple bars — **Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.**

overhead view of caramel drizzle over tart granny Smith apples for caramel apple bars — **Caramel-laced Granny Smith apples are so decadent.**

overhead view of alani witch's brew inspired caramel apple bars going into oven--this will be the best smelling dessert baked all september — **Warning: once this hits the oven, your kitchen will smell better than it ever has before. Best air freshener ever!**

overhead shot of piping hot, bubbly caramel apple bars featuring granny Smith apples mimicking the flavors of alani witch's brew

🍂 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Sour-sweet balance: Lemon-kissed Granny Smith apples bring just enough tartness.
Cozy spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove add a warm fall flavor.
Crowd-pleasing dessert: Perfect for game day, potlucks, or coffee dates.

Let’s Talk Apples

I’d love to know if you try these bars! Do you like your apples sweet and mellow or tart and tangy like I do? Drop a comment below and tell me what you’re baking this fall.