These Chocolate Chip Caramel Bars are seriously amazing. A layer of caramel sauce perfectly sandwiched between layers of the best chocolate chip cookie… it’s just plain amazing! If you love chocolate chip don’t miss my best Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars, and Piggy Pie Dessert!
Chocolate Chip Caramel Bars
The concept has been around for quite a while… adding caramel to chocolate chip cookies. (Check out my Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies!) I remember my MIL making these for my (then boyfriend!) husband and me 15 years ago. So nothing new here! I simply changed the recipe to use my chocolate chip cookie recipe and simplified my homemade caramel sauce a bit. The final result is pretty darn amazing. Everyone in the family raved about how perfect these bars are and the kids already requested them for school lunch!
Tips for Success
These bars can get ready to get messy. You can try dipping your fingers in flour before spreading the cookie dough into a flat layer or using a large spatula that has been greased or dipped in flour. Hands work best!
Do I Have to Use Evaporated Milk?
The sauce has 2 ingredients; caramels and evaporated milk. Substitutions are half & half, heavy whipping cream, and whole milk in place of the evaporated milk.
Simply place caramels and evaporated milk into a saucepan over medium-low to medium heat and stir until the caramels are melted and the evaporated milk is incorporated. This takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Once the caramels are creamy and smooth remove them from heat.
Variations for Chocolate Chip Caramel Bars
- Milk chocolate morsels instead of semi-sweet. Or even white chocolate chips. (This is a VERY sweet combination and I recommend making salted caramel to offset the sweet.)
- Sprinkle the top with sea salt or salt flakes. Anywhere from 1-2 teaspoons depending on the size (and flavor! some salts are very mild) of the salt. I do not recommend doing this with table salt.
- Try making it two layers instead of three. Prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough and press all of it into your 9×13 baking dish, bake for 18-23 minutes. While it is baking prepare your caramel. When the cookie bars are done, pour caramel sauce over top and then sprinkle some sea salt over top. Allow bars to come to room temperature and serve!
How to Serve and Store Caramel Bars
Allow bars to cool a bit before cutting. Cut into 12 pieces and serve. These are fantastic with ice cream if you want even more decadence!
Store leftover bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. If you opt to refrigerate, but sure to allow them to come to room temperature before enjoying them.
Chocolate Chip Caramel Bars
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- 1 cup (2 sticks or 226g) butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 ¼ cups (282 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
Caramel Sauce
- 5 ounces evaporated milk
- 1 package (11 ounces) caramel bits or wrapped caramels, (be sure to unwrap if using the wrapped caramels)
Instructions
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add butter, brown sugar, and vanilla to a large bowl. Using a hand-held mixer, cream ingredients until they are lighter and fluffier.
- Add in eggs, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low until combined. I usually add my chocolate morsels right into the cookie dough and mix with the hand-held mixer, but you can also stir them in by hand.
- Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared baking dish. Try to get an even layer. Set the remaining cookie dough aside.
- Bake for 10 minutes. While the cookie bars are baking, prepare the caramel.
Caramel Sauce
- To a saucepan over medium heat, add evaporated milk and caramel bits. Stir frequently for about 8 minutes, or until the caramels are melted and the evaporated milk is fully incorporated. Remove from heat.
- Carefully remove the cookie bars from the oven and place on a heat-safe surface.
- Pour the caramel sauce over the bars making sure to get it into every nook and cranny.
- Carefully start placing flattened dollops of the remaining cookie dough over the hot caramel. I find it works best to pick up a small handful, flatten it in your hand a bit, and then place that directly on top of the caramel. Do this with all remaining cookie dough. It is ok if there is some caramel showing.
- Bake for an additional 15-18 minutes, or until the caramel is bubbling and the cookie is golden brown.
- Allow bars to cool to room temperature and then cut and serve.
Video
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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I had the ingredients, so i made them today😊 They were really good! Shared with my neighbor,both to be neighborly, and to keep us from eating the whole pan ourselves.
But, i a have been searching over 59 years for a cookie bar
recipe. My Mom did not make cookie bars.But one of her friends brought some over,and now i reakize they would be perfect for outside bakesales in Florida. I do a lot of them for charity.
Abd, ny nemory is fuzzy, but i would recognize it if i saw it
One layer is graham crackers, one layer is dough with chocolate chips, and the other layer is blonde dough, with kots of pecans
Definitely not crispy, but not realky soft, either. Have you seen anything like this recipe, anywhere? Thanks!
Hello Dolly Bars… that’s what I think you are describing. Good luck on the hunt 🙂
I can’t wait to make these, I’ve been looking for a brownie with peanut butter swirls in it that’s really good and not really thin but with a little cake brownie type of feel? Anybody hear of anything like that? Or have a recipe? Thank you.
Delish!
These were soon good. My vrandaughter wants these for her birthday instead of a cake. My work staff loved them. I loved them. Absolutely the best.
They will freeze ok, right?
I thought I seen something for chocolate chip snack bars. That didn’t have caramel Are there two here chocolate chip caramel bars, and chocolate bars? And can I substitute the sugar for frotose?
They look delicious but just how messy are they at room temperature when served to company?