Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
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Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars – with gooey caramel centers, this cookie bar recipe is so delicious, everyone will ask for the recipe.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
There are treats you make on rare special occasions. Then there are treats that are so comforting they end up being family favorites that are replicated month after month, and year after year.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are the latter treat variety.
Sticky chocolate chip bars oozing with thick buttery caramel filling… These cookie bars scream family game night, movie night, or any other kind of cozy night you want to share with people you love.
Salted Caramel + Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe came from a brand new cookbook my friend Shelly Jaronsky wrote called The Cookies & Cups Cookbook, named after her wildly popular dessert blog.
This cookbook is a reverse of what you usually find in cookbooks, with a whole lot of savory recipes, followed by a short dessert section.
Instead Shelly focuses on eating dessert first, sharing dozens of tantalizing treat recipes, with a section on her favorite family meals at the end. I love how Shelly thinks!
From the moment I opened the book and perused the pages, I knew this would be the first recipe I would try.
After all, it’s salted caramel and chocolate chip cookies… TOGETHER.
For me, that’s the perfect marriage of sweet flavors and textures.
These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Bars are not the only winner in this book. Next on my list of recipes to try…
- Marbled Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
- Pumpkin Crumb Cake
- Banana Blondie-Bottomed Cheesecake
- Billionaire Cookie Dough Cake
- And Buttermint Pie
Just to name a few. I love all the tips Shelly adds for fool-proof baking and the stunning photos that show the final desserts in all their glory.
You can find The Cookies & Cups Cookbook on Amazon and in bookstores across the country. It makes a great gift for your favorite baker… And for yourself!
How long do you bake chocolate chip cookie bars?
Bake this recipe for about 25-30 minutes.
Can you freeze these?
Yes! We froze our cookie bars and they tasted just as fresh and when they were first baked. Store them properly to avoid freezer burn, and then let them thaw.
Check the Recipe Card Below for Instructions on How to Make Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars!
Looking for more cookie & bar recipes? Try out some of your favorites:
- Blueberry White Chocolate Blondies
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bars
- Bailey’s Irish Cream Coffee Bars
- Oatmeal Fudge Bars
- Gooey Blueberry Cookie Bars
- Potato Chip Cookie Bars
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 10 ounces soft caramels, unwrapped
- 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with foil and liberally coat with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Mix well, then scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Turn the speed to low and add the flour. Beat to combine, then mix in the chocolate chips.
- Press half of the cookie dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium sauce pot, add the sweetened condensed milk and unwrapped caramels. Set over medium-low heat and stir until the caramels melt, making a smooth caramel filling. Pour the filling over the cookie dough base.
- Drop the remaining cookie dough over the caramel filling in small teaspoons-sized clumps. Bake the bars for 25-30 minutes, until the center is just set.
- Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and allow the bars to cool completely. Then lift the bars out of the pan by the edges of the foil and cut. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Hello. I posted last year but the person who shared this recipe must not read the comments anymore. So if anyone has this problem please reply. Ever since I started making these years ago my batter doesn’t look like the pictures. It’s a shiny and very sticky batter, not your typical chocolate chip batter. It’s very hard to spread in the pan. I have to use my fingers and it’s still hard! It comes out fine and yummy but I never have enough batter. I follow the recipe exactly. Anyone else experience this?
I just made them and found the same thing. Though my caramel melted into the bottom layer and things are very gooey. I cooked for 30 minutes but don’t think it was enough.
These are wonderful!! I now add a teaspoon of vanilla and once the caramel melts, I take off the heat and add two tablespoons of butter- makes the caramel even richer!
These were delicious. I don’t see how you can mess this one up unless you overbeat the flour or burn the caramel or something critical like that. So good! You have to be patient getting the 1st and 3rd layers down, but so worth it! I will be going to a wedding in a few months where I have to take cookies for a cookie table, and this is what I will be taking. This is going into my “very best recipes” file.
I read the other comment about adding in some salt to the caramel … I wondered about it but didn’t want to do that the first time round. I think I’ll try that on the next batch.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe … I just need to stop eating them already.
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Love these bars! Everyone I have made them for loves them. I even started making them for catered events, and everyone loves them. We get requests for them when they run out! Seriously the best 🤩
These bars were excellent and a huge hit for my family! They are a bit rich, so I cut them into bite-sized pieces.
These bars are now my favorite! Beware, they are addictive! 😄
Has anyone tried adding a peanut butter layer? Maybe after baking the bottom layer and before adding the caramel?
Made this for a party, but the result was a failure, so I did not take it.
Full disclosure: I substituted Bob’s one-to-one for the flour, but everything else was per recipe. The result was that the chocolate from both layers melted and went into the caramel. The bottom layer was almost all absorbed into the goo as well, but the top layer looked fine. So for some reason the entire bake was very jiggly out to the crust, out of the oven. Even after 30 minutes baking, the layers did not remain separate.
No, you didn’t make this for a party. You made something else. You subbed out a key ingredient – flour – and making any changes to the recipe disqualifies you from saying you made it. The recipe was not tested with your ingredient and it’s not fair to ding the recipe because you didn’t follow it. No shocker that it failed. Either make the recipe as stated or keep your mouth shut . If you have to complain, go complain to Bob. At least you were honest with your full disclosure though. Hopefully it’ll deter other Bob’s one to one users from making the same mistake
Wow, let’s beat someone down for substituting an ingredient because you know, maybe they can’t have gluten or were making it for someone who can’t have it? They’ve probably used the Bob’s in the past for different bakes and it worked fine. You’re flat out rude and maybe you’re the one that should keep your mouth shut.
I made this recipe to a T and the same thing happened to me. With regular flour.
Absolutely delicious and incredible! Added 1 tsp salt to the caramel and otherwise followed the directions. Let them cool overnight and they were perfect.
This is one of my go-to desserts to bring to a gathering. Everyone always loves it so much!! The caramel just takes it over the top in the best way. Big fan!!
Oh my! These are soooooo good!
This is a huge hit for the guys at work that I bake for, oh yeah, my husband too!
These are amazing!!!
These are soooo yummy!!! First time I made them I didn’t put enough dough on the bottom so they difficult to serve but still delicious. Soooo, just make sure you put enough dough tin the bottom layer.
Made for pitch in. People couldn’t get enough. Going to try salt in the Carmel Vs on top. Definitely making again. Great recipe.
Oh yes baked at 350 for 45 min! when you smell them check them!
great receipe! i did add a few things to it. after pouring on the caramel i added 1 cup more of chocolate chips,1 cup of butterscotch chips,1 cup of white chocolate chips, i cup of shredded coconut. then put the rest of the dough on then poured another can of condensed milk. Oh and i added 1 cup of chopped pecans to the crust! Thank You for the receipe and Merry Christmas to you and your family!
I have been making these for the last 4 or 5 years. They are a hit with my husband, family and friends. We love them!!! I am making them tonight and something isn’t quite right and I can’t figure it out! After I added the eggs, vanilla etc after beating the sugars and butter it looked too liquidy. But I carried on adding the flour and chocolate chips and it looked “normal”. However, the caramel looked more liquidy also, not thick. I followed the recipe exactly as I always do. I always bake them 25 minutes and they are done. However I baked them 5 minutes then 5 more. The middle wasn’t setting, it was too raw using the toothpick method. So I took them out and they are more brown than usual. So I went through your recipe and noticed the pictures. When I make the dough, it’s more sticky and shiny than what yours show. Yours looks like a regular cookie dough. Then your caramel looks thicker. I use the exact ingredients for that as well. When I spoon the remainder of the dough it looks nothing like the picture. I always never seem to have enough. I flatten and stretch the dough on the bottom and top. And when I pull it out of the oven, the edges are more caramel and kind of burnt. But it’s crunchy, so we like it that way. The only thing I can think of is the caramels expired in June and were really soft. Could they be part of it? But there is still the matter of the first step being too liquidy. Sorry for the long post but I just wanted you to get a good clear picture of how my dough comes out as they don’t match your pictures even though they come out fantastic!!!
Same here they are in the oven now on 30 minutes hoping the middle sets
Ok left on the oven additional 10 minutes and that did the trick. They are gooey and delicious, definitely making them again
Hello!
This recipe looks amazing- can’t wait to try it! But I’d like to use my homemade chewy caramels: do you think I could just substitute 10oz of them and proceed as specified?
Also, do you think I should make the caramels, let them set and then continue or just go straight into it from making them? Thank you for your time 😊
These are absolutely delicious and the perfect gooey cookie bar. Thanks for a marvellous recipe.
I made these for my co-workers – they could not stop raving about them and very affectionately referring to them as “crack bars”. They all said, “You have to make these again!”
Thank you for the fabulous recipe… I’m about to bake them for the second time…
I made these for a 4th of July party and they were a hit! Everyone loved them and said this recipe is a definite keeper! Thank you!
Decadent. Moist and good Carmel.
These look really tasty. Must make these for my next get together.
This looks amazing!!
Not to sound lazy, but….could you use refrigerated cookie dough?
Hi Marli,
I have not tried that, but if you give it a go, please report back. :)
These are decadent! I made a batch last week and they didn’t last long with my family. I am sending them in for a class party on Valentine’s day and will add Valentine M&Ms and sprinkles on top to make them festive. I know I will be making these again and again!
Absolutely the best amd most amazing cookie bar recipe. I have lost count on how many times I have made it. I also make it with gluten free flour. Thank you, Thank you!
Do you use the same amount of flour for the gluten free flour
Even my brother who is not a dessert person loved these. Will be making these again
Wow those are amazing !!!! Made them, Love them and will make them again :) Thank you
These came out really good! The cookie and caramel filling was such a yummy combination. 🍪
I used parchment paper instead of foil and they came out of pan perfectly. I had to add 5 mins to cook time and had to let them sit prior to cutting for about an hour. These bars are amazing and were a huge hit with my coworkers. Will make this again and again
Awesome article! I maked this bars and are awesome! :)
Took them to the new neighbors. They loved them. I definitely made a good impression. Yes, they are amazing! You must wait for them to set. I put a sign propped on top that reads “You Touch these, You die!” So my kids will leave them alone to allow the bars to fully rest on the cooling rack. It’s worth the wait.
These bars are amazing! Will make again several times over. Thanks Sommers for sharing.
I’m going to make this recipe very soon! Just wondering how long you can freeze them for. It mentioned they were enjoyed over the course of a month, but would they last longer than that in the freezer? It’s just that they look awfully fattening! lol
Hi Beth!
Yes, if wrapped well, these will last in the freezer for 3-6 months.
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Hey,
I’m impressed by your blog. Absolutely amazing work.
Delicious! A very good recipe. I did prebake the bottom crust for about 5 minutes. Otherwise, I followed the recipe and they turned out perfect!
I can’t get all purpose flour, could I use plain instead?
Hi Karen!
Where do you live? In the US, all-purpose flour is plain (standard) flour.
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I used bittersweet chocolate chips =)
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I made this for a party and they were a HUGE hit! I did add vanilla to the cookie dough and 1 tsp salt to the caramel sauce. Thank you for such AMAZING recipes!!
Very excited about these. My carmel however seems very liquidy to pour on top. do i need to cook it longer?
Hi Margaret!
Did you used the caramel squares and sweetened condensed milk, or did you swap it for premade caramel sauce? If you are following the recipe, it will definitely be thick enough, promise. :)
Are you from Canada? I am glad I read your comment about the caramel sauce being too thin. I double checked the conversions from ounces to milliliters, and for something thicker like sweetened condensed milk, a 300 ml can is what you should use. The other conversion chart I used gave me a measurement of 414mls…
Delicious!!! The caramel layer is decadent and the cookie wonderful. After reading reviews on sweetness I opted to make mine with dark chocolate and I’m happy with the results. Will definitely be making again…..thank you for this great tasting and easy to put together dessert.
We had friends coming for “heavy savory apps (appetizers) and cocktails” last night. We love entertaining that way because the invitation itself sounds more casual and laid back. Guests know they’re going to leave with a full stomach and we get to try new recipes to add to our repertoire without a full commitment. These cookie bars took home the Oscar of the evening! I followed the recipe exactly except (oops) I disregarded the baking time and added four minutes thinking the center wasn’t finished baking. So mine were a little more brown. Next time they’ll come out on time. I took one reviewer’s suggestions and used parchment paper to line my baking dish. When completely cooled, they sliced up perfectly and lifted away from the paper with no sticking. I’m adding these to my holiday cookie line-up and know they’ll be requested every year! Thanks for the recipe!
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I have made these cookie bars quite a few times now. They are easy to make and everyone I have made them for absolutely loved them!
I made this recipe exactly as written except I didn’t have flakey sea salt so I used kosher salt. Delicious and easy!
I can’t wait to make these – and ran out this morning to pick up the ingredients I needed. To my chagrin, three different supermarkets either didn’t carry or were out of salted caramels. I resorted to getting Werther’s Original Soft Caramels, which was the closest I could come to the required ingredient.
Now my question is, how much salt should I add to the melted caramel – and should I use Kosher or regular salt?
Thanks so much!
Wow. These were on yesterday’s baking binge marathon. They came out of the oven and looked PERFECT – and it almost gave me palpitations to wait overnight to lift-and-slice them. But, I’m so glad that I waited. They are astounding – rich, chocolate-y, and decidedly decadent with that luscious caramel center, which is ju-u-u-ust gooey enough to be dreamy without being messy. These are going to be my gift-to-the-neighbors holiday cookies this year – and they are truly a gift!
Thanks for this fab concoction!
I just took these out of the oven and I cannot wait to try them. I have a question, though. I had been planning on mailing about half of these in a cookie tin. However, I see the note that they only last for three days in an airtight container. Does anyone have any experience with shipping them? I certainly won’t do it if they might spoil or turn rancid.
I’m not a big baker but have been enjoying it lately – it gives me something to do during covid! Followed the recipe to the T and they came out AMAZING! I thought they may not have been cooked enough but once they cool, they are a perfect texture, nice and soft and chewy. I will definitely make these again!
I never leave comments but my husband and kids loved these! Definitely spray the edges of the foil well too (my only mistake lol) and just realize they take a long time to set up and cool… so thick and yummy it’s worth the wait:) Another person commented that they always plan to let them set overnight which is a great idea. Followed the recipe exactly and perfection! We tried to sneak into them after only 2 hours of letting them cool and they were still pretty gooey, let them sit another 2 and they were amazing!
This look delicious. We dont have caramel bars here. Can i use salted caramel syrup as a replacement?
Hi Vee,
I have not tried this method, but I’ve heard from the ASP community that some people have used thick caramel sauce and it worked. Good Luck!
Delicious!!!!
I made these for the first time and they did not turn out as I’d hope. I think I just under baked them even though I baked for 30 minutes. I also did not let them cool off completely before cutting. Next time I make these I will for sure follow these rules and I hope they come out better!! They are so good as I have had them before!
Big big hit! Instead of unwrapping caramels I found Kraft Caramel bites in the baking section of grocery store. Saved so much time and they melted down very quickly!
I found caramel morsels at the grocery store. 11 oz bag
I made these cookie bars and they were fabulous, salty/sweet. Amazing. I did learn not to stop stirring the caramel.
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe
The recipe turned out really good although I think I should have let it cook longer or possibly freeze to solidify the caramel. It tasted good after refrigeration for a few days and being warmed up in a microwave with a scoop of ice cream.
Good overall recipe , I used dulce deleche mixed with as the caramel filling (we don’t have caramel chewers over here ) . I just added 10% melted butter in a pan then warmed threw the caramel , the consistency was fine and mine did not fall apart . Mine ended up picture perfect all be it 150g palm sugar and 150 Demerara so we’re a little more brown and somewhat of a gingerbread cookie slice . But the ratios in this recipe were good and they ended up very nice . I’ll make with light brown and normal next time I did not have any normal auger today
These look fabulous. I’m making them now and can’t wait to try them. For the next time I make them, are they supposed to look a little u set poked when you take them out of the oven? Thank you!
Just made this for Father’s Day and the bars were amazing!! I’m freezing what’s left and have a question about thawing – thaw in the refrigerator or thaw at room temp?
These were amazing!! My boyfriend and I loved them and they were so easy to make (we usually mess up making desserts but had no trouble with this one)!! We baked them for 35 minutes and they came out perfect. Will definitely make them again and again.
Can you make this with keto friendly ingredients such as almond flour and Monk fruit sweetener?
Hi Linda,
I honestly can’t say, because I’ve never tried making these bars that way. Maybe someone from our community of readers can help… Any takers?
These look sooo amazing! I’m am definitely going to make them and repost but as I’m from the UK I wanted to share that you can purchase caramel in a tin from the company that make ‘Carnation Milk’ in the red and white tins. It’s called ‘Carnation Caramel’ 🙂 I’ve used it before as a goey centre for my brownies 😋
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If I use prepackaged chocolate chip cookie dough how much would I need?
Just made these and they are delicious, but even after cooling for 2 hours, when I cut them the middle ones were still super soft (I followed directions exactly), where the edges had a crisp to them. I will definitely make these again but I think I’ll try baking the bottom cookie layer a bit first, give it some firmness, think that would help?
These bars can’t even make it to the freezer. They are fought over until the very last bite. So delicious. This recipe is one we absolutely love!!
This recipe is a game changer. It was easy to follow and baked perfectly. The caramel filling is thick and delicious, it’s not gooey or runny if you let them cool long enough.
SO DELISH! I took them to work…it was a hit! I will be giving some to the neighbors. They turned out like gourmet bakery goods! I love them!
My family and coworkers love these bars! Very easy to make
I just purchased enough ingredients to make 4 pans, for our front line healthcare workers:)
I have never made them, but sound amazing!
My question: Does the caramel ooze out or is it pretty firm? I need for them to be “a grab and go”.
Hi Donna,
If you make them as directed, they will cool and firm enough to cut and serve as a hand-held treat. Just make sure you give them plenty of time to cool. :)
Hi!
I am so excited to try this recipe. However I am making it in the UK, so I’m not sure where I would buy (or if we even have) soft caramels in our supermarkets. Have any other English friends made this recipe? If so, what did you use and where did you buy it?!
Hi Penny,
Yes, we are going to have to rely on input from our UK friends. Soft caramel squares are in all the grocery stores here in the USA. Any thoughts, guys?
PS, I have heard from some readers that they used very thick caramel sauce (or dulce de leche) instead of the caramels and sweetened condensed milk, and it stayed in the middle. Just a thought…
werthers originals do a chewy variety :)
How many squares did you use for this recipe?
This is an amazing recipe! I have made it numerous times and it is my husband’s favorite as well as the first thing to run out at potlucks. Yummm!
These bars are unbelievable!!! I would put a bar in the microwave for 13 seconds to just heat it a touch. The chocolate and caramel got just the perfect amount of gooey. So good, definately making these again!!!
Won at bake-off! Highly recommend!
Very good recipe. I baked mine for 25 minutes and it was perfect. They are very decadent so a smaller piece goes a long way
Really good and pan was quickly gone. Several requests for recipe.
I made these last year and it was a mess. This year I followed the recipe exactly – – perfection!
Thank you for a fantastic recipe.
I followed this recipe as described and brought some into work. Co-workers described them as ‘decadent’. They were just as good warm as they were when cooled! Will definitely be making again!
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Cook time was off – had to do another 10+ minutes but the top burnt.
Hi Brittany,
It actually sounds like your oven thermostat is faulty. This is a VERY common issue. Try hanging an oven thermometer off the center oven rack, then adjust the temperature as needed.
I had to bake much longer as well! Very frustrating!!!
Can you make these w a homemade salted caramel sauce as opposed to the caramel bits and condensed milk?
Hi K,
I personally don’t do that because the caramel sauce needs to be super thick to stay in the middle. However, some readers commented that they tried it with extra thick jarred sauce and it worked!
I used the Kraft caramel baking bits. Use the entire bag, just sprinkle over the cookie dough base. No unwrapping all of those caramels!!!
Everyone loved. I should have sprayed more Pam on foil.
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One of the best things I have ever baked! Received glowing reviews from everyone who tried them. I made them with a jar of salted caramel ice cream sauce to save time – and I preferred a little less caramel than this recipe calls for – though I think you can’t go wrong!
I make something VERY similar with cake mix for caramel brownies and I’m SO excited to try these! With the other recipe, I use evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed, so it’s not as sweet, do you think that would work here too, or would it not harden as much?
Hi Brooke,
Yes, I’m afraid the evaporated milk would make the filling too thin and runny. But if you give it a try, please report back.
These bars are so good! The first time I made them, I ended up with a very sticky caramel mess as the filling oozed out onto the tin foil. They were still delicious but very hard to remove and cut out of the pan. Second time around, I pushed the bottom cookie layer up the sides of the pan a little to stop the caramel from reaching the edges and it worked great!!
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Haven’t made this yummy recipe yet, but it looks so delicious and tasty, that I can hardly wait to roll up my sleeves and start baking!
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This recipe was a hit! And very easy to make. I added pecans to my batch! Yummy. The only thing I think the key is waiting at least 24 hours before cutting and serving. They will make you abandon any weight loss plan for sure.
These are perfection! I have made them many times, and they come out the same every time! They are so so good! They have to cool ( I plan for overnight, always) and they never disappoint 😁. My oldest son requests this for his birthday “cake” every year!
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I made these as a new addition to my Christmas cookie list. They are AMAZING!! I had to put them in the freezer because I was eating too many of them. I have made them two times now and haven’t had the problem that others have had. Part of the goodness is that they are a bit gooey. As an experiment, I am made them again using chocolate chip cookie dough in a tube. Next time I will buy a big tube and a regular size so I have enough dough to go up the sides a bit. They were delicious while still warm but I think I like them more once completely cooled and even cold.
I wanted this recipe to live up to the reviews. It didn’t. It didn’t make sense that so much sweetened condensed milk with caramels could be baked into a pan of chocolate chip bars, but I gave it a shot. It was a big gooey mess.
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Would you be able to use a jar of caramel sauce instead of the condensed milk and caramels? I read this recipe on another site and almost everyone said it was a fail because of the caramel going through bottom layer and oozing out everywhere. Is there a way to make it thicker or maybe use less?
Hi Job,
Yes, I believe caramel sauce would be way too thin and sink to the bottom. This method definitely works though! :)
This recipe looks like perfection! Do you know if it would work with a homemade caramel sauce/filling or would it be too runny once in the oven?
Thanks!
Also, would parchment paper work instead of foil to avoid the sticking issue I’ve seen in previous comments?
Hi Susan,
I do think homemade sauce might be too runny for this recipe, but I have not tried it. Yes, you can definitely use parchment paper. Happy Baking!
I used a homemade caramel sauce and it worked. These are delicious.
You can use homemade caramel sauce as long as you make a thick one. I tried it out yesterday and the bars turned out perfectly!
If you are using a homemade caramel sauce would you still use the sweetened condensed milk?
Hi Julie,
I’m sorry, but I’ve never tried that so I can’t answer with confidence. If you give it a try, please make sure to let us know how it turns out. :)
I make my own caramel sauce and leave out the condensed milk. They are perfection
I was very excited to try this , however mine were a flop. The caramel sauce mix melted the bottom layer of the cookie dough so when they came out it was a mess. All of the chocolate chip dough and caramel mix had melted all together into a weird concoction. Like how a cookie gets too saturated with milk if you dunk it too long – analogy.
Tasted good though! so what did i do wrong? Do i need to let the caramel sauce cool before pouring it on? Was my dough too runny? I also agree that they were difficult to get off the foil.
I am going to try these again – wish me luck!
Hi Amy,
I’m so sorry that happened! If your caramel was boiling before you poured it over top, that could account for the issue. Usually you do not need to cool the caramel, if you just heat it until it’s melted, then take it off the burner. Another thought is to try hanging a small oven-proof thermometer in your oven. It’s very common for oven thermometer to get squirrely over time. I’ve had readers comment back that they tested their oven temperature with a hanging rack thermometer and it was up to 40 degrees off. Good luck!!
These are very good but really hard to get off the tin foil. I had to freeze them to remove It, and it was still difficult. Next time I will use parchment paper rather than foil to bake them on.
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Followed recipe exactly and they are delicious! Perfect texture as long as you allow them to fully set. Family agrees it’s a keeper!
Any chance of this recipe in grams.
Can never get my head around cup measurements
Hi Mother Baker,
If you look at our new recipe form, there is a place you can click to convert the recipe to metric measurements. Hope this helps! :)
What size pan did you use? In #1 it says, “Line a with foil…” I’m guessing a 13×9 pan? Looking froward to trying these!
Hi Amber,
I’m so sorry about that!! We are currently having our recipes converted into a new recipe form and there have been a few glitches. Thanks for helping us find this one. It’s fixed!
OMG, these are fabulous! Love, love, love, this recipe. I made a batch of them and took them to my (super-picky-cookie-snob) daughter, and she thought she was eating heaven on earth. My grandchildren devoured them, and daughter likened them to “crack brownies,” not that she ever tasted crack brownies, but that they were so delicious she felt an addiction coming on.
She/we have since renamed them Crack Brownies. Hope that doesn’t offend anyone at the local PTA, or other child-centered organizations, but that’s just how good they are.
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These bars a delicious!
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I made these for our supper club the night I had dessert. Big hit! They Are very deceiving though when they were suppose to be done time wise they seemed not done with the way they moved in the pan. I took them out anyway and they set up beautifully as they cooled. At the end before I cut them I put them in the refrigerator for a little while. They looked just like the pucture.
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This recipe was a big hit when I made it for Superbowl Sunday. Everyone loved them.
So very good, decadent. Don’t find them “too rich” (is there such a thing?). I did use a whole bag o f caramels, how it’s written, felt the ratio was off (too much sweetened condensed milk). I also would put the sea salt into the caramel mixture (vs waitig until post baking and sprinkling on top).
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These are probably the best, thorough recipe, with the most seductive results! They are dangerously delicious. They lure you in when you don’t suspect it, and you keep going back for more more more. I ended up giving them to my kids when they were leaving to go back to their home, just to get them away from me! They just asked me for the recipe because they were running out of them! A real winner. Directions were perfect as were the results!
I made these the other day and everybody enjoy them and it is so easy to make .
These bars are amazing! Will make again several times over. Thanks Sommers for sharing.
I would like to make these but make my own caramel. Would I still add the condensed milk to the recipe?
Hi Kristy!
I’ve never made the recipe that way, but it does make sense to leave out the condensed milk if you are using caramel sauce.
I added a layer of small twist pretzels before adding caramel sauce. They were a huge hit!!!
I searched for amazing bar cookies, looking for something using ingredients I had on hand because I’m too lazy to go to town today. These really fit the bill! I tweaked it a bit because we are allergic to corn so caramels are taboo. I used a can of sweetened condensed milk that I simmered in the crockpot overnight. I didn’t add anything to it, just opened it up and spread it on the dough.
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Wow. I made these for a work potluck….everyone LOVED them!! Gooey, but amazing! They went fast!! The noises people made while eating them was the best part! Thanks for sharing!!
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That looks amazing! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m putting it in my recipe book that’s for sure!
Ok,big give up. Where is the recipe?
It’s about halfway between the top and the comment section
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My new favorite bar! A nice twist to a chocolate chip bar. Baked perfectly in foil lined pan sprayed with cooking oil. Will be making often.
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Do the caramel filling need to cool at all before pouring over the dough? Thanks!
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I made these last night and they were so. GOOD. Holy cow. My boyfriend loved them as well. Waited about 1 hour for them to cool a little and couldn’t wait any longer. I saw some people saying they were too rich and I disagree. Perfect recipe.
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OMG! These look incredible! I need to make these ASAP!
I’m wondering how these would be if I used caramel or chocolate flavored sweetened condensed milk? I picked up a couple of cans but can’t seem to find a recipe worthy. lol
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These are excellent! The family loved them. The recipe says room temperature for so many days…we put them in the frig after being cut up and they lasted longer and were even better cold. On Pinterist it’s the pin everyone goes to and saves off my board., even people I don’t know. I’ve never seen a response like that on there thus far. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
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I made this for our July 4th cookout. The bars are good. My only change would be to not use the foil lining. It adhered to my pan and had to be scrapped out with a spatula.
My favorites together look so good I’ll be making these for sure thanks for the recipe
That looks so good!
I keep finding amazing looking recipes with caramel, and I keep hoping for one that will have a caramel that isn’t made using the sore bought wrapped kind. But these look absolutely divine! I have to make them so I’m going to try to figure out a caramel from scratch. Any tips? Or ideas of recipes that would work similar to the wrapped caramels?
Our stores carry Caramel Bits in an 11 0unce size package. They are small round balls of caramel that melt quite quickly and are equally as good as wrapped caramels. I’m not sure but I think they are made by Kraft.
Hi Tara,
You can make “dulce de leche” using JUST sweetened condensed milk: http://www.aspicyperspective.com/nutty-coconut-caramel-brownies/
Or here is our homemade caramel sauce: http://www.aspicyperspective.com/caramel-sauce/
Don’t panic if this looks more like bread pudding, right out of the oven. Once everything has cooled, and can be sliced into bars, I dare you to save some for the rest of the family! OHHH MYY! This is a keeper! P.S. I only had salted butter on hand. I just added less sea salt. Perfect.
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These look so good n gooey, I want to lick the screen!!! These would make an amazing chat n my diet. :)
Desserts are my favorite and these bars looked to good to pass up. However, my 4 teenaged boys and I all agreed they were a little too rich. I think I’d cut the caramel layer down to half the amount and even lower the amount of sugar in the cookie layer if I make them again. Thanks for sharing though! You have so many beautiful recipes to chose from I’m going to check out some of your recipes now.
Oops! That’s “too” good to pass up. Sorry, couldn’t let that go. I just had to fix it. Lol
I agree, VERY rich. It doesn’t say to refrigerate before cutting, but it may help. I let them cool, but it was a very warm day and I had a really hard time cutting them. There was chocolate and caramel all over the place. They weren’t pretty like in the picture, but my husband still liked them.
Thanks for posting AFTER you’ve tried the recipe and thanks for the extra tips!
MMmh, these look so good!
I love cake yummy
Oh do those look like a perfect weekend project. The thick layer of caramel in the middle is making me swoon!
All that salt and caramel!!! I’m afraid to make these, I might eat them all myself!
Wow, just wow! These look nothing short of dreamy.
Look at the gooey bar!
Nice! I love how nice and soft and gooey those look!
These do look irresistible!
So gooey and delicious!!! couldn’t look more yummy!
Pinning! These bars look delicious. I am hankering for this cookbook for my upcoming birthday.
Gorgeous!! Shelly’s book is so much fun!