Description
Deliciously rich Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars featuring a buttery cookie base layered with melted caramel and semi-sweet chocolate chips, finished with a sprinkle of sea salt for the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors. These bars are baked to perfection and ideal for sharing or indulging as a decadent treat.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Caramel Layer
- One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 10 ounces soft caramels (unwrapped) (about 40 caramels)
- 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil and coat it liberally with cooking spray to ensure the bars don’t stick.
- Mix Dough Ingredients: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes to cream the softened butter with both the light brown sugar and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and baking soda, mixing until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add Flour and Chocolate Chips: Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the all-purpose flour until fully combined. Stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips with a spatula to distribute evenly throughout the dough.
- Press Dough Base: Press three-quarters of the cookie dough evenly into the prepared baking pan, creating an even layer.
- Make Caramel Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the sweetened condensed milk and unwrapped soft caramels. Stir frequently until the caramels are completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Layer Caramel and Dough: Pour three-quarters of the warm caramel mixture over the dough layer in the pan. Then, drop the remaining dough on top of the caramel in small teaspoon-sized dollops evenly spaced across the surface. Reserve any leftover caramel for another use, such as drizzling over ice cream.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is just set and the top dough dollops are slightly golden.
- Add Final Touch: Once out of the oven, immediately sprinkle the top with flaked sea salt to enhance the flavors. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before removing and cutting into 30 bars.
Notes
- Make sure to press the dough evenly in the pan to ensure uniform baking.
- Keep stirring the caramel constantly to avoid burning it while melting.
- Allow bars to cool fully before cutting to prevent them from crumbling.
- Reserved caramel sauce can be stored and used as a delicious topping for ice cream or other desserts.
- Use flaked sea salt for the best texture and flavor contrast on top.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
