Gooey Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe
Delight in these Gooey Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, featuring a buttery cookie base layered with rich melted caramels and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, these bars offer the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and gooey textures for a decadent treat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 16 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Caramel Layer
- One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 10 ounces soft caramels (unwrapped) — about 40 caramels
- 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil and coat liberally with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Make Cookie Dough: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla extract, Kosher salt, and baking soda, mixing until smooth and scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour until just combined. Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Press Dough in Pan: Press three-quarters of the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan, creating a solid base layer.
- Melt Caramel Mixture: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, gently combine the sweetened condensed milk and unwrapped soft caramels. Stir frequently until the caramels are fully melted and the mixture is smooth and gooey.
- Add Caramel Layer: Pour three-quarters of the melted caramel mixture evenly over the dough layer in the pan.
- Top with Remaining Dough and Caramel: Drop the remaining dough evenly in teaspoon-sized amounts on top of the caramel layer. Reserve any leftover caramel for another use.
- Bake: Bake the bars in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the center is just set and edges are lightly golden.
- Finish and Cool: Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before lifting out using the foil and cutting into squares.
Notes
- Store the cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.
- Reserved caramel can be warmed and drizzled over ice cream or other desserts for added sweetness.
- Ensure the caramel is melted gently to avoid burning or separating.
- For easier removal, allow bars to cool completely before slicing to prevent crumbling.
Keywords: salted caramel cookie bars, chocolate chip cookie bars, caramel chocolate dessert, homemade cookie bars, gooey caramel bars
