Description
Indulge in these gooey salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars that combine rich caramel, gooey chocolate chips, and a buttery cookie base for a truly irresistible dessert perfect for sharing or treating yourself.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup Salted Butter (can substitute with unsalted butter for less salt)
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar (packed)
- ½ cup Granulated White Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (opt for pure vanilla for more intensity)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (reduce to ¾ teaspoons if using table salt)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2½ cups All-Purpose Flour (swap with a gluten-free flour blend if needed)
- 2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (feel free to swap with dark or milk chocolate)
Caramel Filling
- 1 14-ounce can Sweetened Condensed Milk (no direct substitute available)
- 10 ounces Soft Caramels (unwrapped; homemade caramel works as a substitute)
- 1 teaspoon Flaked Sea Salt (regular salt can be used, but avoid coarse salt)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and grease it to prevent sticking.
- Create the Dough Base: In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 cup of salted butter with 1 cup light brown sugar and ½ cup granulated sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt on low speed until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add 1 teaspoon baking soda and 2½ cups all-purpose flour, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Gently fold 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the dough using a spatula, ensuring an even distribution.
- Press Dough into Pan: Press approximately ¾ of the cookie dough evenly into the prepared baking pan to form the base layer.
- Make Caramel Layer: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk and 10 ounces of unwrapped soft caramels. Stir constantly for 5-7 minutes until the mixture is fully melted and smooth.
- Assemble Layers: Pour about ¾ of the melted caramel mixture over the pressed cookie dough in the pan. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cookie dough over the caramel layer, distributing them evenly.
- Bake the Bars: Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are set and the center is slightly soft to the touch, ensuring a gooey center.
- Add Finishing Touch: Immediately after removing from the oven, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flaked sea salt evenly over the warm bars to enhance the flavor.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares for serving.
Notes
- Using salted butter and kosher salt enhances the salty-sweet balance, but unsalted butter and less salt can be substituted for a milder flavor.
- For gluten-free options, replace all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
- Homemade caramel can be used instead of store-bought soft caramels, but be sure it melts smoothly with condensed milk.
- Do not overmix the dough after adding flour to keep the bars tender and soft.
- Pressing ¾ of the dough first creates a sturdy base for the caramel layer.
- Allow bars to cool completely before cutting to ensure clean, neat squares.
- Flaked sea salt adds a nice crunch and flavor contrast; if unavailable, use regular fine salt sparingly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: salted caramel cookie bars, chocolate chip cookie bars, caramel dessert, gooey cookie bars, easy dessert recipe, chocolate chip bars, caramel and chocolate bars
