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Apple Crisp Bites

Apple crisp bites with buttery shortbread shells and a cinnamon-apple filling, topped with a clumpy oat crumble and baked until golden. Easy mini muffin tarts are filled, baked, and finished with a caramel drizzle for a crisp-meets-tender texture.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 24 bites
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 210
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Shortbread cups
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup powdered sugar
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1.5 tbsp ice water
Apple filling
  • 3 apples, peeled and finely diced
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp butter
Oat crisp topping
  • 0.5 cup rolled oats
  • 0.25 cup flour
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp cold butter, cubed
Caramel drizzle
  • 1 Caramel sauce

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 muffin tin

Method
 

Prep & preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 375F and grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin so the shortbread shells release easily.
Make shortbread cups
  1. Combine all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and salt, then cut in cold unsalted butter until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
  2. Add ice water, mix just until the dough comes together, then press into mini muffin cups to form shells.
Cook apple filling
  1. In a pan, sauté peeled and finely diced apples with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch for 5-7 minutes, stirring, until thickened.
  2. Cool the apple filling before assembling so it doesn’t melt the shortbread shells.
Make oat crisp topping
  1. Combine rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then cut in cold butter until clumpy.
Assemble & bake
  1. Fill each shortbread cup with apple filling, then top with oat crumble.
  2. Bake 18-20 minutes at 375F until golden, then drizzle with caramel sauce and serve.

Notes

Pro tip: Keep the butter cold and handle the shortbread dough as little as possible so the cups bake up crisp. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a 325F oven for 5-7 minutes to re-crisp. Freezing is not recommended because the shortbread can soften after thawing. For a lighter option, use unsalted plant-butter sticks (in the same measurements) instead of butter.