Description
Delight in these Easy Caramel Cookie Bars, featuring a buttery cookie crust topped with a smooth, creamy caramel layer and a sprinkle of sea salt for the perfect sweet and salty balance. Simple to make and perfect for any occasion, these bars bake up golden and are sure to satisfy your dessert cravings.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 0.75 cup granulated sugar
Caramel Topping
- 1 package soft caramel candies, unwrapped (about 14 ounces)
- 0.25 cup heavy cream
Finishing Touch
- 0.5 tsp sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan to ensure the cookie bars don’t stick.
- Make the Cookie Base: In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which usually takes about 3-5 minutes using a hand or stand mixer.
- Add Flour and Form Dough: Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the butter-sugar mixture and stir until fully combined into a dough. Press half of this dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the base layer.
- Bake the Crust: Bake this crust layer in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until it turns lightly golden and is set firmly. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
- Prepare Caramel Mixture: While the crust is baking, melt the soft caramel candies with the heavy cream in a saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously until the caramel melts completely and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Assemble Layers: Pour the warm caramel mixture evenly over the baked cookie crust. Then crumble the remaining half of cookie dough over the caramel topping in small pieces.
- Final Bake and Salt Topping: Sprinkle sea salt evenly over the top to enhance the flavor, and bake again for an additional 15 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and bubbly.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookie bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares. This ensures the caramel sets properly for clean slices.
Notes
- Ensure the caramel mixture is smooth and not overheated to prevent burning.
- Letting the bars cool completely before cutting helps the caramel layer firm up.
- For a more pronounced salted caramel flavor, sprinkle extra sea salt to taste.
- Use soft caramel candies for best melting results; avoid hard caramels.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 27 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: caramel cookie bars, caramel bars, easy dessert bars, salted caramel dessert, buttery cookie crust, homemade caramel bars
