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Craving something irresistible? These chewy chocolate chip caramel bars hit the spot. They're packed with melty caramel and chunks of chocolate in a buttery base. Every bite delivers the perfect sweet-salty combo. Great for sharing at parties or treating yourself on a tough day.
First time I tried these, the smell of caramel filling the kitchen was unreal. It didn't take long for this to be a must-have for our movie nights. Now whenever I bake them, someone always asks for the how-to before dessert even hits the table.
Dreamy Ingredients
- Soft salted butter: makes the bars extra rich and soft, so grab a good-quality one if you can
- Light brown sugar: adds lovely chewiness and a hint of caramel flavor, fresh is best
- White sugar: helps the bars keep their shape as they cool
- Eggs (large): pulls everything together and adds fluff, use room temp eggs if you can for easy blending
- Pure vanilla extract: packs in deep flavor, always go for the real deal
- Kosher salt: highlights the chocolate and cuts down the sweetness
- Baking soda: gives these bars lift and keeps 'em soft
- All-purpose flour: the main structure—use unbleached flour for best results
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: turn gooey when baked, try breaking up a chocolate bar for chunkier bits
- Soft caramels: melt smoothly, get the squishy ones, not the hard kind
- Sweetened condensed milk: creates the smoothest caramel layer, full-fat is key
- Flaky sea salt (topping): adds crunch and a salty pop, try Maldon or another big-flake favorite
Simple How-To Steps
- Finish & Slice:
- Soon as you pull the pan out, sprinkle on flaky salt. Make sure you let everything cool off fully in the pan so the caramel isn't a melty mess. Once set, use the foil to lift them out and cut into squares.
- Bake:
- Your oven should be hot at three fifty. Pop the pan in and bake for about twenty-five to thirty minutes. The bars should look set on top but feel soft in the middle—they’ll get firmer as they cool off.
- Caramel & Dough Top:
- Pour most of your caramel over the pressed dough. Don't worry if it doesn’t look perfect. Drop small blobs of the leftover dough over the caramel so each square gets a mix of everything.
- Caramel Sauce:
- On medium-low, heat condensed milk with soft caramels in a pot. Stir a lot to avoid burning. When the caramels are all melted and you’ve got a thick goo, you’re done—usually takes about five to seven minutes.
- Press the Dough:
- Push about three-fourths of the dough into the lined pan. Use clean hands or the back of a spoon to spread it all the way to the edges.
- Add Chocolate & Dry Stuff:
- Keep your mixer low, slowly add in the flour to avoid a flour cloud. When that’s taken care of, stir in all the chocolate so every bar gets some.
- Make the Dough:
- Mix up the soft salted butter and both sugars with a hand mixer until it’s fluffy and pale, about two minutes. Toss in eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Keep mixing and scrape down the bowl as you go.
- Pan Prep:
- Line a 9x13 baking dish with foil, leaving extra hanging over for easy lifting. Spritz it well with cooking spray—no stuck bars here!
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The salted caramel drips are what I look forward to most. Bonus: my kid loves licking out the caramel pot when we're all done. It's kind of become our thing and makes baking these even sweeter.
Storing Tips
Stash your bars in a sealed container on the counter and they’re good for three days. Need them to last longer? Wrap up each square tight and freeze for a couple of months—they’ll thaw just fine and stay chewy.
Ingredient swaps
Try swapping the semi-sweet chips for dark, milk, or peanut butter chips if you want a flavor change. For the caramel, making your own soft caramel from scratch works, or just use a different soft brand. The salt on top is optional but really levels up the flavor.
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Fun ways to serve
These bars rock with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some chocolate drizzle on top. For parties, cut them small and serve on a tray with toothpicks so folks can just grab and go. They're always the first thing gone at bake sales.
Flavor origins
Cookie bars are an American staple, but adding salted caramel is a newer twist. That mix of salty and sweet is inspired by French pastry and now shows up in treats everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions About Recipes
- → Is it okay to go with unsalted butter here?
Totally! Just toss in a little extra salt to keep things balanced.
- → Anything else I can use if I don’t have soft caramels?
You can switch in caramel baking bits or drizzle on some homemade caramel sauce—just keep an eye on how sweet and gooey things get.
- → What’s the best way to keep these bars from sticking in the pan?
Cover your pan with foil and give it a big spray of cooking oil so you can pop them out without trouble.
- → Should I wait to cut the bars?
Yep, let the bars cool down all the way in the pan first—makes cutting super easy and keeps the bars neat.
- → How long do these stay good for?
If you stash them in a sealed container at room temp, they’re fresh for about three days.
- → Is freezing these bars a good idea?
For sure! Wrap them up tight and freeze. Let them sit out at room temp before you eat for the best taste.