Caramel Cookie Bars
These rich Caramel Cookie Bars feature a soft chocolate chip cookie dough layered with a gooey caramel filling and baked until perfectly golden. They're an easy crowd-pleasing dessert for parties, holidays, or anytime you crave chocolate and caramel together.
Equipment
- 9x13-inch baking pan
- large mixing bowl
- mixing spoon or electric mixer
- medium microwave-safe bowl or saucepan
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 10.8 ounces Werther's Originals Chewy Caramels, unwrapped
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil and coat it with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the melted butter in a large bowl. Stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until smooth.
- Stir in the eggs and vanilla extract. Add the baking soda and salt. Gradually mix in the flour until just combined, then stir in the chocolate chips.
- Press half of the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- Place the chewy caramels and heavy whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Continue heating in 30-second intervals until the caramel is completely melted and smooth. Alternatively, melt the mixture in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir the remaining tablespoon of flour into the melted caramel. Pour the caramel over the cookie dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
- Flatten pieces of the remaining cookie dough between your hands and place them over the caramel, pressing the edges together to mostly cover the filling.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the bars are lightly golden on top and around the edges. Cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
You can use any chewy caramel in this recipe (Werther's Originals Chewy Caramels, Kraft Caramel Squares, or Kraft Caramel Bits). Do not use Werther's Soft Caramels. Feel free to add chopped nuts to the cookie dough or stir extra chocolate chips into the caramel filling. If the bars brown too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and/or loosely tent the pan with foil.