Chocolate Chip Caramel Bars
These bars will ruin you for all other bars. They are the perfect combination of buttery chocolate chip cookie and rich caramel!
Servings: 12 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 8x12 or 9x13 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
We often enjoy these hot - right out of the oven- and with ice cream.
Using a spoon, remove a portion from the pan (they will be ooey gooey and falling apart- this is a good thing) and place into a bowl. Top with ice cream, more caramel if you want, and serve.