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. 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
- 1½ cups (300g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2¼ cups (282g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon 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
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Add butter, brown sugar, and vanilla to a large bowl and with a hand-held mixer, cream ingredients until they are lighter and fluffier. Add in eggs, mixing well after.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and 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.
- In a prepared 8×12 or 9×13 baking dish, press half of the cookie dough down. 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
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the 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?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
I just made these but after baking them for 17 minutes after the caramel and additional chocolate chip dough was added they are soupy in the pan. Tried 5 more minutes same thing. Another 5 minutes now and they still dont look done! Not sure what to do!
The total baking time is 28 minutes. You bake the bottom layer for 10, then add the caramel, then the top layer for an additional 15-18 minutes. (Or a few longer if your oven runs differently.) So yes, they are not going to be baked if you did not follow the steps.
Amanda, Amanda, Amanda…. If only it could be arranged that when deliciousness like this is posted a special box would arrive on the doorstep as well.
Just a thought. Caramel is my weakness . Delicious, keep the great recipes coming.
What kind of Carmel was it that you used?? They look yummy.
I have tried several of your recipes and have great success with them.
Thrilled to hear that, Elizabeth!
I made this recipe twice in a row. I put it in an 8×12′ glass pan. It took the longer amount of bake time. I added a couple of minutes onto the bake time on the 2nd batch because the first one was pretty mushy even when it cooled. They were both yummy! My hubby liked the flavor and texture of the one that baked the longest, but he likes crunchy cookies. I liked the first one! The folks at my church coffee hour liked ALL of them! A lot!Boy are they sweet though! We cut them into pretty small pieces and I’ll definitely make them the day before I need them, when I’m serving them as bars. Just thought I’d add that I had some $$$ chocolate chips on hand, and I put those in the first batch; they melted into little pools of delishous-ness, and stayed that way! Yum! Wish I could remember the brand name… Thanks for the fun recipe!!!
Dumb question, evaporated milk? Powdered? Or condensed milk? Two different meanings.
Evaporated milk is its own thing. It is not powdered or condensed. However, it is often sold right next to condensed milk.
These cookie bars are seriously some of the best dessert bars that I’ve ever made. They were a HUGE hit! Will be keeping this recipe in my cook book.
I used the 5 flat oz of evaporated milk and all 11 oz of the caramel nibs, but my caramel sauce came our very runny. Any ideas?
It is fairly runny. Should harden up a BIT after baking and cooling.
Do you have a recipe for Camel icing
Looks great