Caramel Cookie Bars are the ultimate indulgence, combining a perfectly buttery shortbread base with a lusciously creamy caramel filling and a hint of flaky sea salt. These bars are incredibly easy to make and guaranteed to be a hit at any gathering, or simply as a comforting treat for yourself.

If you’re a fan of rich caramel-filled desserts, you might also love these other favorites: caramel oatmeal cookies, classic carmelitas, and delightful caramel stuffed cookies.

A stack of freshly baked caramel cookie bars, sliced to display a soft and gooey caramel-filled interior, surrounded by a crisp golden crust, rich in flavor.

Contents

Crafting the Best Caramel Cookie Bars: A Decadent Recipe

Inspired by the beloved flavors of Carmelitas, these Caramel Cookie Bars take that irresistible combination to a new level. Imagine a soft, tender cookie base, reminiscent of a classic sugar cookie bar, but elevated with a rich, gooey salted caramel center. The harmony of sweet and salty creates an unforgettable flavor profile that will have everyone reaching for a second (or third!) piece.

These bars are not just delicious; they’re also surprisingly straightforward to prepare, making them perfect for both seasoned bakers and beginners alike. The magic lies in the contrasting textures – the crumbly, tender shortbread crust and topping, perfectly complementing the smooth, chewy caramel. Every bite is a delightful journey through layers of buttery sweetness and a subtle crunch of sea salt.

Making the delicious salted caramel cookie bars from start to finish, including preparing dough, layering with caramel, baking, and slicing into bars.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Caramel Cookie Bars

Creating these heavenly caramel cookie bars requires a few simple, high-quality ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in achieving the desired texture and flavor balance that makes this dessert truly exceptional.

Unsalted Butter: This forms the foundation of our buttery shortbread crust and crumble. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the overall saltiness of the bars, especially when adding flaky sea salt later. Ensure it’s softened to room temperature for optimal mixing.
Granulated Sugar & Powdered Sugar: A combination of both sugars ensures a perfectly sweet and tender cookie base. Granulated sugar provides sweetness and a slight crispness, while powdered sugar contributes to the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the shortbread.
Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste: Vanilla is a flavor enhancer, adding warmth and depth to both the cookie dough and the caramel. Vanilla bean paste offers a more intense vanilla flavor and beautiful flecks of vanilla bean, but high-quality vanilla extract works wonderfully.
All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of the cookie base, flour provides structure and a tender crumb. Accurate measurement is key here to prevent overly dense or dry bars.
Soft Caramels: These are the star of the show, creating that irresistible gooey, chewy caramel layer. Choose a good quality soft caramel for the best melting and texture.
Heavy Cream: Essential for transforming the caramels into a smooth, pourable, and creamy filling. Heavy cream provides the necessary fat content to keep the caramel soft and luscious, preventing it from hardening too much.
Flaky Sea Salt (optional, but highly recommended): A generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of the finished bars is what truly elevates them. It provides a delightful contrast to the sweetness of the caramel, enhancing all the flavors and adding a pleasant textural crunch.

Quick Tip: Selecting the Best Caramels for Your Bars

For the most exceptional flavor and a caramel layer that melts beautifully and stays wonderfully gooey, we highly recommend using Werther’s® Soft Caramels. Their rich, buttery flavor is unmatched, and they melt into a perfectly smooth, luscious consistency. You’ll typically need approximately 3.5 bags (each 4.5 ounces) to achieve the ideal caramel layer for this recipe, ensuring a generous and satisfying filling.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Bake Irresistible Caramel Cookie Bars

Follow these detailed instructions to create the perfect batch of salted caramel cookie bars. Precision and patience are your best friends in the kitchen!

Prepare Your Workspace and Pan: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (176°C). This ensures your oven is at the correct temperature for even baking. Next, take a 9×13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Leave a generous overhang on the sides; this acts as “handles” later, making it incredibly easy to lift the entire batch of bars out of the pan for cooling and cutting. Set your prepared pan aside.
Create the Buttery Cookie Dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a large bowl and a hand mixer), combine the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and creamy, which usually takes about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the vanilla (paste or extract) and a pinch of salt until they are just incorporated. Gradually add all the all-purpose flour to the mixture. Mix on low speed until a soft, cohesive dough forms. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough bars.
Bake the First Layer: Take a little over half of the prepared cookie dough and press it evenly into the bottom of your parchment-lined 9×13-inch pan. Use your hands or the back of a spoon to create a smooth, compact layer. Wrap the remaining cookie dough tightly and refrigerate it; this will be used for the crumble topping later. Place the pan with the pressed dough into the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven but keep the oven on.
Craft the Gooey Caramel Filling: While your cookie base is baking, prepare the star caramel layer. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the unwrapped soft caramels and the heavy cream. Place the pot over medium-low heat. Stir gently and continuously until the caramels are completely melted and the mixture is smooth and uniform, which typically takes about 5-8 minutes. Once smooth, pour this warm, luscious caramel evenly over the pre-baked cookie base. Use a spoon or an offset spatula to spread the caramel right to the edges. Now, retrieve the reserved cookie dough from the refrigerator. Crumble it into small, irregular bits directly over the caramel layer, ensuring an even distribution for a beautiful, rustic topping.
Finish Baking and Cool: Return the pan to the oven for an additional 25-30 minutes. Keep a close eye on it; you’re looking for the top crumble layer to be lightly golden brown around the edges. Avoid overbaking, as this can make the caramel too hard. Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature. This cooling step is crucial for the bars to set properly and for the caramel to become perfectly chewy. Once fully cooled (this might take a few hours or even overnight), use the parchment paper overhang to carefully lift the entire slab of bars out of the pan. Place them on a cutting board and slice them into desired small squares or rectangles. For an extra touch of gourmet flavor and crunch, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of each bar just before serving.

The finished dessert, warm and fresh from the oven, ready to eat with a glass of milk.

Mastering Your Caramel Cookie Bars: Expert Tips for Flawless Results

Achieving bakery-quality caramel cookie bars is easy when you keep a few key tips in mind. These insights will help you avoid common pitfalls and ensure your bars turn out perfectly every time.

The Importance of Heavy Cream: When melting your caramels, it is absolutely crucial to use heavy cream, not half-and-half or regular milk. Heavy cream has a higher fat content, which is essential for the caramel to achieve the correct smooth consistency and, more importantly, to set properly without becoming too hard or grainy.
Accurate Flour Measurement is Key: Flour can be easily over-measured if scooped directly from the bag. For the most accurate measurement, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level it off with the back of a knife. This prevents adding too much flour, which can result in dry, dense, and crumbly shortbread bars instead of the tender texture we desire.
Parchment Paper is Your Best Friend: Don’t skip lining your baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. This simple step makes cleanup incredibly easy and, more importantly, allows you to effortlessly lift the entire slab of cooled bars out of the pan. This prevents sticking and makes cutting much neater.
Softened Butter, Not Melted: Ensure your butter is truly softened to room temperature, not melted. Softened butter creams beautifully with the sugars, creating a light and airy base for your shortbread. Melted butter will yield a greasy, dense crust and topping. If your butter is too cold, cut it into smaller pieces and let it sit for a bit, or gently microwave for a few seconds until pliable.
Don’t Overbake the Caramel Layer: While you want the crumble topping to be lightly golden, be cautious not to overbake the bars after adding the caramel. Overbaking can cause the caramel to become excessively hard and difficult to chew once cooled. Keep an eye on them and remove them from the oven as soon as the top is nicely browned.
Cool Completely Before Cutting: Patience is a virtue when it comes to cutting these bars. Allow them to cool completely at room temperature, for at least 2-3 hours or even overnight. Trying to cut warm bars will result in a messy, sticky situation, as the caramel will still be too soft.

Storage and Shelf Life

To keep your caramel cookie bars fresh and delicious, store any leftovers tightly wrapped in an airtight container or plastic wrap. Place them in the refrigerator, where they will remain fresh for about one week. These bars are often best enjoyed chilled, as the caramel achieves a perfect chewy texture when cold. If you plan to add sea salt, it’s best to sprinkle it just before serving for optimal crunch and flavor.

More Irresistible Dessert Creations: Expand Your Baking Repertoire

If you’ve fallen in love with these caramel cookie bars, you’ll be thrilled to explore more delightful dessert recipes that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth:

Indulge in rich Cookie Butter Bars with biscoff, a uniquely flavorful treat.
For a quick and easy option, try these delightful no-bake Oreo Balls.
Whip up a batch of classic 7 Layer Bars, made with common pantry staples for a truly satisfying experience.
Embrace the flavors of autumn with delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars, a perfect fall favorite.
Enjoy the fresh taste of summer with Strawberry Shortcake, featuring the best homemade biscuits.

Print Recipe

Rated 5 out of 5 stars by 5 users

Caramel Cookie Bars

By
Chelsea Lords

Caramel Cookie Bars bring together rich buttery shortbread with a smooth caramel filling, all topped with a sprinkle of sea salt.

Prep Time:
25 minutes

Cook Time:
50 minutes

Total Time:
1 hour 15 minutes

Servings:
24 bars

Equipment

9 x 13-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper
Stand mixer (or hand mixer)
Medium saucepan

Ingredients

2 cups unsalted butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
14 ounces soft caramels unwrapped (approximately 3.5 bags of 4.5 oz each)
1/3 cup heavy cream
Flaky sea salt optional, for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan by lining with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides for easy removal. Set the prepared pan aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Mix in the vanilla bean paste (or extract) and salt until just combined. Gradually add all the all-purpose flour and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms; be careful not to overmix.
Press a little over half of the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Tightly cover and refrigerate the remaining dough for later. Bake the bottom crust for 25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven.
While the base is baking, combine the unwrapped soft caramels and heavy cream in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Stir gently and continuously until the caramels are completely melted and the mixture is smooth, typically taking about 5-8 minutes. Pour this warm caramel evenly over the baked cookie base and spread with a spoon. Remove the reserved cookie dough from the fridge, crumble it into small pieces, and sprinkle it evenly over the caramel layer.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes, or until the crumble topping is lightly golden brown around the edges. Be careful not to overbake to prevent the caramel from becoming too hard. Cool the bars completely at room temperature on a wire rack before lifting them out using the parchment paper overhang. Cut into squares. Store any leftovers tightly wrapped in the fridge, as these bars are best enjoyed cold. If desired, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top just before serving.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Store leftovers tightly wrapped in an airtight container in the fridge. These delicious bars will keep for about a week and are genuinely best enjoyed chilled.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.

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