I have become completely overpowered by the force that is salted caramel. I simply can’t get enough of it, no matter how it’s presented to me. Ice cream? Pass me a spoon. Popcorn, Pretzel & Peanut Bars? Hand me at least three, please. Brownies? You may as well just give me the entire pan. Growing up I was never one to swoon over caramel sauce. Maybe because I had never had great caramel sauce – mostly just the jarred or bottled sundae toppings – it always seemed sickeningly sweet to me. However, this whole salted caramel craze has me doing a completely 180. Throw in a healthy dose of coarse sea salt like fleur de sel to cut that sweetness and give sauces and baked goods an entirely new dimension? I am ALL.IN.
In this particular instance, I adapted my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and added a layer of salted caramel sauce in the middle, and then sprinkled the top with more sea salt, just for good measure. A great deal of thanks to Maria over at Two Peas and Their Pod for creating such an amazing concoction. She really is the cookie queen!
These beauties are chewy, gooey, sweet, salty, and chocolate chip-y. What more could you ask for?
One year ago: White Chocolate-Coconut Brownies
Two years ago: Oven-Fried Onion Rings with Dipping Sauce
Five years ago: Maple-Hazelnut Oatmeal
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Yield: 16 cookie bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 30 minutes
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
10 ounces caramel candy squares, unwrapped
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Fleur de sel (or other sea salt), for sprinkling over caramel and bars1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square pan; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, mix together the melted butter and sugars on medium speed until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramels and heavy cream. Microwave on high until the caramels are melted, stirring every 20 seconds. This will take about 2 minutes.
5. Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Pour the hot caramel over the dough cookie dough and spread into an even layer, leaving some empty space around the edges. Sprinkle the caramel with the sea salt. Drop the remaining cookie dough in spoonfuls over the caramel and gently spread the dough with a spatula until the caramel is covered. Sprinkle the bars with additional sea salt.
6. Bake the cookie bars for 30 minutes, or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan. Cool the bars on a wire rack to room temperature, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow the caramel layer to set. Cut into squares and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
(Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod)
Tags: Bar Desserts
I’m 100% in the same boat with salted caramel – you cannot go wrong with it! These might have to be made asap over here…
I just posted caramel bars yesterday. I love caramel. Love love love it and yours look awesome!
Salt and sweet…count me in for sure! Looks delicious.
I am 100% with you on the salted caramel addiction…it runs rampant in our family…french husband is a bonified freak regarding said caramel…Question…by wrapped caramels..do you mean Kraft caramels…could I use soft-looking caramels that I see in the candy aisles in France instead?..I can’t seem to locate Kraft caramels…even in the ex-pat stores nearby…will it damage the integrity of your recipe?! So enjoying your well-crafted/organised blog…
Hi Donna, Kraft and Brachs are the most popular here in the U.S. but I think you could certainly use soft caramels, as you’ll be melting them down anyway.
I can’t tell you how much I want one of those bars right now!
Salted caramel?! I DIE.
I don’t think there is anything else you can put in there that will make it more awesome..
All I can say is, yes please!
Wow they look sensational. I’m not a lover of caramel on its own but with salt and chocolate its just transfored. These cookie bars look so good
Mmmmm, that sounds fantastic! I love salted caramel, it should be such a nice contrast to the sweetness of the chocolate.
oh wow, do these look good!! I can’t wait to try them. Also, random, but I wanted to let you know that I was home (in butler, PA) last weekend and my mom had saved something out of the paper to show me – and it was you, in the paper! My mom asked if I knew you (she’s all into food blog stuff now) and I said we hadn’t met, but I feel like I know you since I read your blog/talk to you on twitter. How fun – congratulations!
Oh how fun!! Next time you’ll be in town give me a holler and maybe we can grab lunch!
I really need to jump on the salted caramel bandwagon! I’ve never tried it before, but just the thought of it sends me dizzy. Recipe sounds great, as always!
These sound so yummy! Love this idea!
I love everything caramel, these bars look divine!!!
One word: YES. Ok two: YES, PLEASE!
I have been on a salted caramel kick this year big time. There is something otherworldly about it. I’ll never forget the look on my husband’s best friend’s face when I ordered a salted caramel cocoa and the woman who made it for me picked up a big shaker of sea salt and shook it right over the top of my whipped cream. He just.. doesn’t understand.
Mmmmm, caramel–my favorite!
Ummmm….wow! That’s all I could say through the drool.
I am so glad you liked the bars! One of our favorites!
My daughter made these yesterday and they are wonderful! Look just like the picture. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve been on a salted caramel kick too! I”ve been buying the sugar free syrup and making lattes with them everyday, and I even order them at Starbucks, but none of that comapres to your cookie bars. They look unbelievable!!! Bookmarking this recipe!!
Delicious!
Caramel, cookies, you can’t go wrong! They look so gooey and delicious!
I will definitely make these. Can I double the recipe with the same success? If so, what size pan would you recommend? LOVE your recipes!
Hi Jeri, I think doubling the recipe would be fine; I would use a 9×13-inch pan. Enjoy!
I am drooling!! oh my gosh!
These look fantastic! It is just mean of you to post something so yummy looking on a day when I am supposed to be fasting! Couldn’t you have posted something like pureed liver and Brussels sprouts?
These bars are everything I love all mixed together making one pan of baked heaven. I can’t wait to make them!
I have been obsessing about salted caramel lately too (I just made salted caramel pot de creme and it was heavenly). These cookie bars are making my mouth water! Definitely going on my to-do list
Oh yum! I cannot wait to make these!
I just woke up from a nap (I’ve been lucky today) to find these amazing bars, I want them so bad now!!! They look amazing!
These look so mouth-watering! Oh my!!! Caramel and chocolate? It’s just TWO of my favorite flavors in cookie bar form! Keeping this in mind for next time I need a decadent treat
Gah! These look so good!
I’ve been seeing so many salted caramel items lately and have yet to try it myself. I’m kinda sure I’ll love it, though, because sweet and salt together is my thing…as in chocolate covered salty pretzels
I need to make a dessert for an upcoming dinner party at a friend’s and this might be the one. Thanks.
LOVE! Salted caramel has the taste buds drooling first thing this morning!
I really just love sweet and salty so much and I love these bars! They look incredible!
I keep saying I’m going to stop collecting recipes and then something like this comes along and I just can’t pass it up. Sounds delicious.
I can see this being my new favorite dessert very very soon!
These look utterly irresistible! You really can’t go wrong with salted caramel.
Oohh, this looks fantastic!! I am a firm believer that salty-sweet-combos are the best.
OMG! I’m totally in a sweet-salty-chocolate place. YUM! Can’t wait to make these!
MMM I love salted sweets! This sounds incredible!
These bars look sensational – what a great twist on the Choc chip cookie bar
This is 100% my dish!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Latest: 5 Min Wrap Pizza
Salted caramel IS awesome. I made a salted caramel hot cocoa mix for Christmas this past year and it was fantastic. I should serve it with these bars
Ohhhh…these look wonderful! Definitely need to make them next time I have company!
That looks so good and gooey inside which is my favorite thing. I think the only thing worth getting at Starbucks is the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate they have in the winter….mmm.
I couldn’t agree more with your caramel predicament – - not a big caramel fan, but salted caramel … I don’t mind living in the stuff!! This bar cookie, is making me hungry – - do you think anyone will notice if I run away from work, just to make these
I like caramel!!!
I’m totally with you – bring on the salted caramel! In fact, I just posted salted caramel macarons yesterday and tomorrow I’m posting salted caramel whoopie pies.
I can’t wait to try your recipe – it sounds divine!
i am completely obsessed with any salty/sweet treat. These are right up my alley! I pinned them for a future recipe idea. i love your recipes, you are a genius in the kitchen michelle!
These bars look amazing. I absolutely love salted caramel. You have a beautiful site.
These look so incredibly good!
amazingness! I’m in love with salted caramel too, trader joes has the best chocolate bar with caramel and black sea salt.
Caramel and chocoloate chip cookies?? YUM! These look fabulous and I will be making them soon. Caramel has always been a favorite of mine…my grandmother and mother make soft caramels from scratch. They are nothing like caramel sundae topping, no where near as super-sweet!
Wow, these sound delicious. Anything sweet and salty gets my attention! If only it weren’t such a pain to unwrap all those individual caramel squares.
P.S. It would probably also work to melt the caramels into the cream in a double boiler or over a *very* low flame, stirring frequently.
You have made me into a salted caramel fanatic! I was just like you, I could take or leave caramel. Now I am crazy for salted caramel ANYTHING!
I am a permanent passenger on the salted caramel train! Bring on that brownie!
I feel similarly – I never really cared much about caramel up until a few years ago, but now I can’t get enough, especially when there’s also salt involved. I bookmarked these when Maria shared them, so I’m glad to see you enjoyed them too!
Could you use your homemade salted caramel sauce in place of the melted caramels for this? I really want to make these, but I have no caramels in the house, so I thought I’d try doing homemade sauce instead.
Hi Jen, Yes, you can do this, just use enough caramel sauce for a thin layer on top of the bottom cookie layer.
This is totally delicious! To start off with, I love chocolate chip cookies…and I love cookie bars! Now you went and added salted caramel to the delicious mix? SUPER!
I will ask my Mom to bake me a bunch of these “salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars”. They look super delicious, now I’m craving to have one!
I was going to type a comment, but then I drooled all over my keyboard. Holy yum
Hey Michelle,
Do you think I could use chocolate chunks instead, much like the ones called for in the coconut chocolate chunk blondies? Or might it just throw off the ratio of delicious to more delicious?
Hi Vicki, I honestly think that 2 cups of chocolate chunks here would be too much. The 2 cups of chocolate chips results in a LOT of chocolate. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!
Oh wow. Salted caramel and chocolate are my favorite things. Could I use my own salted caramel recipe or do you need the firmness of the bought kind? I usually make a thick sauce. Thanks!
Hi Amanda, You could use your own. Just add enough to make a thin layer on top of the bottom cookie layer.
You’re combining all of my favorite ingredients in this one bar. These look like they’re just loaded with goodness!
I made these last night and didn’t realize until I had put way too much caramel on top of the chocolate chip cookie dough layer that I was using a 8×8 instead of 9×9 pan, it ended up more like a caramel chocolate chip cookie swirl! haha. And on top of that I used my own homemade caramels with the extra whipping cream in them to make the “sauce” layer and I think it was a bit too liquidy, so they’re a huge gooey mess! But still wildly delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
I think these would be amazing with chunks of Valrhona “Ivoire” chunks….to the ovens!
i’ll be making these asap
can’t get enough of salted caramel lately!
Wow. These look absolutely divine!! I’ll be making them very soon. Thanks for passing along the recipe!
I love your blog & make the chocolate chip cookie recipe all the time! Was wondering is it possible to sub the cream out for milk?
Hi Patti, I have always made caramel sauces (either from scratch or with pre-made caramels) with cream, I’ve never used milk. I can’t say for sure what result you would have, although it may not thicken up to the level it does with the cream.
Mine are in the oven right now. Some in the family don’t think a bar/brownie is complete without frosting. If I need to put a drizzle on these — what would you recommend? ………….. I am hoping to prove them wrong. Thanks, Sue
Hi Sue, I wouldn’t frost these, but if you need to use a drizzle, I would suggest either some melted chocolate or a little caramel sauce (or a little of both) to accent the flavors in the bar.
I am nomming on one right now; they are SO good! The hardest part of this recipe was definitely waiting for them to cool enough to cut them. Crispy yet doughy/chewy, salty-sweet, chocolate and caramel. Unbelievably good!
holy cow. I want these so badly
My daughter can’t eat chocolate – was wondering if I can substitute either butterscotch or peanut butter chips for the chocolate chips?
Hi Kristan, You could use either, although I would probably lean towards the peanut butter, which would balance the sweetness of the bar.
Made them last night with Reese’s peanut butter chips and they are outstanding! The only downside is trying to maintain self control and not eat the entire pan in one day!
Oh my goodness, these sound so decadent & delicious!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com/
Made these today. So so so yum! Thanks.
Just made these last night for a work event and I’ve already had 3 people come over and tell me how awesome they are (and they’ve only been out a half hour!)!! I passed on your website to them. Thanks for the awesome treat!
Hi Stephanie, So glad these were a hit! And thank you for passing along the site! Happy Baking!
O.M.G. These were AMAZING! I’ve been dying to try them ever since I saw the recipe! I made them today and they were a slice of heaven. So decadent and so delicious! CCCs and salted caramel are two of my favorite things ever, and having them combined in one dessert is pure perfection. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi there!
I dont have unsalted butter, how would they turn out if i used normal salted butter? Would i use less salt?
thank you (: these look awesome (:
Hi Britt, You can use the salted butter, just omit the salt in the recipe.
these are SO delicious!!! i tried them out yesterday and i can’t stop eating them!
thanks again for another fabulous recipe!
xoamy
http://www.cupcakesncouture.com/2012/03/salted-caramel-chocolate-chip-cookie.html
These look so good! However, I have never made anything using salted caramel. How much sea salt do you use on the caramel and then again on top of the bars?
I really just go by look. I take a pinch or two and sprinkle evenly over the top. There isn’t a solid layer of salt, but an even sprinkling.
I have to tell you… I made a double batch of these last night and brought them to the office today. I maintained my willpower and didn’t eat any (I don’t know how), but my coworkers devoured them. I was told they were heavenly!! They definitely smelled intoxicating!
I took these to my church’s hospitality potluck where they were a super-hit! Everyone wanted to know the recipe. Easy enough to direct them to your “sinful” blog
as one woman put it.
I found that the top layer of cookie dough coverage is easier if you flatten each spoonful of dough between your hands before placing it on the caramel layer. And do the spreading quickly, before the caramel layer starts oozing up between the pieces.
I bought everything to make this recipe tonight. Is there a guideline for the amount of sea salt? I don’t want to over (or under) salt these. Thanks!
Hi Lisa, No real guidelines. I just used two or three pinches, enough for a healthy dose over the area.
I am meeting up with some friends for dinner tonight so I whipped together a batch of these to share with them. I wasn’t sure how much salt to use to top the caramel and the cookie dough so I just took a guess and they turned out great. My friends are all salted caramel fanatics–I can’t wait to see how they like the bars (I had to sample them and have to say it’s hard to give them away)!
I don’t bake very often, but when I do I want it to be something wonderful. I’ve made these cookie bars twice in the past month and gotten rave reviews both times – including my own! Today I have observed that they are even better and richer tasting the second day – if they last that long! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I just made these and I only had an 8×8 pan so they are very thick and when I cut into them the bottom was all gooey, I can’t tell if its from the caramel or because the bottom layer is not cooked