Description
These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars combine the classic flavors of buttery cookie dough, rich caramel, and melty chocolate chips into one decadent dessert. Soft and chewy cookie bars are layered with a luscious homemade caramel filling and finished with a sprinkle of sea salt for the perfect balance of sweet and salty. Perfect for potlucks, parties, or an indulgent treat any day.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Caramel Filling
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 10 ounces soft caramels, unwrapped
- 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper and coat it with nonstick cooking spray. Leave enough parchment hanging over the sides to easily lift out the cookie bars later.
- Make Cookie Dough. Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt, mixing well and scraping down the bowl to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
- Add Flour and Chocolate Chips. Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Stir in the semisweet chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Press Dough Base. Take half of the cookie dough and firmly press it evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, creating a solid cookie base layer.
- Prepare Caramel Filling. In a small pot, combine the sweetened condensed milk and unwrapped soft caramels. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until the caramels have completely melted and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour this caramel mixture evenly over the cookie dough base in the pan.
- Add Remaining Cookie Dough. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cookie dough over the caramel filling. The dough will be in chunks and will not cover the caramel layer smoothly, which is expected for this recipe.
- Bake. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake the bars for 25 to 30 minutes until the top cookie dough chunks are set and lightly golden.
- Cool and Finish. Remove the bars from the oven and immediately sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, lift the bars out using the parchment paper edges and cut into 18 squares with a sharp knife.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is softened (not melted) for better texture in the cookie dough.
- Use quality semisweet chocolate chips for the best flavor balance with the caramel.
- If caramels are not soft, cut them into smaller pieces to help them melt evenly.
- Allow bars to cool completely before cutting to prevent them from falling apart.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
