• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish lightly or line it with parchment paper.

Make the Crust:

• Stir together the flour and brown sugar in a bowl. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Mix until the dough becomes crumbly.
• Press the mixture down evenly into the prepared dish. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the top is a golden brown color. When finished, take it out of the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.

Prepare the Apple Filling:

• As the crust cools, peel, core, and slice the apples into thin pieces. In a separate bowl, combine the apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Set aside.

Make the Salted Caramel Sauce:

• In a medium saucepan, melt the granulated sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until it turns amber. Stir in the butter and mix until everything is well combined. Slowly pour in the cream, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes smooth. Remove from the heat and mix in the sea salt. Let it cool slightly.

Assemble the Bars:

• Once the crust is cool enough to handle, spread the apple mixture evenly over it. Drizzle half of the caramel sauce over the apples, ensuring it covers them evenly. Sprinkle the crumble topping (made by combining oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter) evenly on top of the apples.

Bake the Bars:

• Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the apples have softened. After baking, let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting them into squares.
• After the bars have cooled down, slice them into squares and drizzle with the remaining salted caramel sauce. Enjoy!