Description
Deliciously rich and gooey Carmelita Bars featuring a buttery cookie base layered with melted caramel and chocolate chips. These bars are easy to make with a homemade dough or pre-made cookie dough and perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth with a chewy, chocolatey caramel treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Base
- 12 tablespoons butter, softened (1 & 1/2 sticks)
- 1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Carmel Layer
- 1 (11-oz) package caramels or caramel bits
- 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: To make your own dough, beat softened butter in a bowl or stand mixer until fluffy. Add white and brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Incorporate the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, mixing well. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; stir until almost combined, then fold in chocolate chips until just combined.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
- Form Bottom Layer: Divide the cookie dough in half. Using your hands, spread and flatten half of the dough evenly at the bottom of the prepared pan into a thin layer.
- Bake Base Layer: Bake the cookie dough layer at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until the top is golden. Remove pan from the oven but keep oven on.
- Prepare Caramel Topping: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine caramels and sweetened condensed milk. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring each time until mostly melted with a few lumps remaining. Remove and stir until smooth to avoid burning.
- Layer Caramel: Pour the melted caramel mixture evenly over the baked cookie layer and spread gently.
- Add Top Cookie Layer: If using pre-made dough, cut the remaining dough into slices and place them over the caramel layer, pinching between slices to form one cohesive cookie layer. If using homemade dough, flatten small chunks of dough with your hands and place them over the caramel layer until it is mostly covered. Some caramel peeking through is acceptable.
- Final Bake: Bake the assembled bars again at 350°F for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set (not wiggly).
- Cool Completely: Allow the Carmelita bars to cool completely before cutting to ensure the caramel sets and avoids a messy oozing. Cooling can take about 1-2 hours at room temperature.
- Store: Store cooled Carmelita bars at room temperature or in the refrigerator to keep fresh.
Notes
- You can use pre-made refrigerated cookie dough as a shortcut instead of making the dough from scratch.
- Do not overheat the caramel mixture in the microwave to prevent burning; stir well between intervals.
- Cover the caramel layer with dough to prevent excessive caramel leakage during baking.
- Cooling completely is important for clean bars and to avoid sticky mess.
- Storage can be at room temperature or refrigerated depending on preference for texture.
