Description
Salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars blend rich chocolate and sweet caramel in a perfect dessert harmony. Gooey layers of indulgence invite bakers to savor each delectable bite with pure culinary bliss.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (480 ml) semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 14 oz (397 g) sweetened condensed milk
- 10 oz (283 g) soft caramels, unwrapped
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil, generously coating with nonstick spray.
- Using an electric mixer, blend softened butter with brown and granulated sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking soda, mixing thoroughly and scraping bowl sides.
- On low speed, gradually incorporate flour until combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips.
- Distribute half the cookie dough evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Melt sweetened condensed milk and caramels in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and fully integrated. Pour caramel mixture over the cookie dough layer.
- Drop remaining cookie dough in small teaspoon-sized clusters across the caramel layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes until center is just set.
- Immediately after removing from oven, sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Cool completely in the dish.
- Lift entire dessert out using foil edges for easy cutting. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Soften butter completely at room temperature for easier creaming and smoother texture.
- Use high-quality caramels for richer, more intense caramel flavor that melts seamlessly.
- Avoid overmixing the dough to prevent tough, dense cookie bars.
- Sprinkle sea salt immediately after baking to enhance the caramel and chocolate flavors.
- Chill the bars for 15-20 minutes before cutting for cleaner, more precise slices.
- For gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
- Reduce sugar by 25% if you prefer less sweetness without compromising texture.
- Swap chocolate chips with dark chocolate for a more intense, less sweet profile.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 298 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 151 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 27 mg