Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe
These Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars combine the rich flavors of chocolate and gooey caramel in a soft, chewy bar. Featuring a buttery cookie base loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips and chunks, topped with melted caramel swirled with cream, these bars are a decadent treat perfect for dessert or a sweet snack.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Add-ins & Topping
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chocolate chunks
- 11 oz soft caramels or caramel bits
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream the softened unsalted butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which usually takes a few minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract to add flavor.
- Combine dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Fold in chocolate: Gently fold the semi-sweet chocolate chips and chocolate chunks into the dough, ensuring an even distribution for rich chocolate bursts in every bar.
- Press dough in pan: Take about two-thirds of the dough and press it evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish to form the base layer.
- Prepare caramel topping: In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the soft caramels along with the heavy cream until smooth and creamy, stirring occasionally to combine.
- Add caramel layer: Pour the melted caramel mixture evenly over the dough base in the baking dish.
- Top with remaining dough: Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cookie dough over the caramel layer, then gently spread or press to partially cover the caramel.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cookie bars are set.
- Cool and slice: Allow the bars to cool completely in the baking dish before slicing into squares to ensure clean cuts and proper texture.
Notes
- Use soft caramels and mix with cream for a gooey and smooth caramel layer that melds nicely with the cookie bars.
- For a salted caramel twist, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on top of the caramel layer before adding the remaining dough.
- These bars can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Warm bars briefly in the microwave before serving to recreate that just-baked, melty caramel experience.
Keywords: caramel chocolate chip bars, caramel cookie bars, chocolate chip dessert bars, easy bake caramel bars, chocolate caramel dessert
