Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars – A layer of salted caramel sauce is sandwiched between layers of a favorite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe, then topped with a sprinkle of fleur de sel.
Over the last handful of years, I’ve become completely obsessed with salted caramel.
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 never gravitated to caramel sauce as a topping option, sticking with hot fudge as my old standby. Perhaps it was because I never had great caramel sauce, and it always seemed sickeningly sweet to me. However, once I tried my hand at a homemade salted caramel sauce, I did a complete 180.
Now, combine salty caramel with a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and you have something I absolutely, positively cannot stop eating.
How to Make Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
In this particular instance, I adapted one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes into bars, added a layer of salted caramel sauce in the middle, and then sprinkled the top with more flaked sea salt, just for good measure.
Kudos to Maria over at Two Peas and Their Pod for creating such an amazing concoction. She really is the cookie queen!
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These salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars are incredibly easy to throw together, thanks to a shortcut caramel sauce.
If you’d prefer to use a homemade salted caramel sauce, that will definitely work! Just make sure you let it thicken up a bit, and then use enough for a thin layer over the cookie dough.
These set up and keep for me perfectly at room temperature, but if your house or kitchen is a little on the warm side, you may need to pop them in the refrigerator to allow the caramel layer to set and to keep them from getting too messy once you cut and store them.
And on that note, these are an excellent candidate for freezing. I would just cut them, wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and then pop them in a freezer-safe ziploc bag. I need to get a batch in my freezer for upcoming nights on the couch snuggling a newborn and Netflix-ing!
If you love chocolate chip cookies, caramel sauce, and sweet and salty combinations, you absolutely, positively have to make these salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars. They will become one of your favorite desserts (or snacks, or breakfast *ahem*).
Enjoy!!
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
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ cups (265.63 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (360 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 10 ounces (283.5 g) caramel candy squares, unwrapped
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Fleur de sel, or other sea salt, for sprinkling over caramel and bars
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square pan and line with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 about ½ inch around the border. Sprinkle the caramel with 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.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool 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 for up to 4 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on February 22, 2012.
Hi there!
I made these tonight and had a slight problem- the middle didn’t bake as fast as the edges/bottom. I was worried it was starting to burn, so I took it out before the center was completely done, hoping it would set. Instead of setting though… it sunk! Any clues about why this happened?
It still tastes amazing, by the way. Just not as pretty!
Thanks!
-Felicia
Hi Felicia, The sides will rise higher than the center – that’s not uncommon.
Great, thanks! I made them for my birthday party and they were a HUGE hit- tons of people asked me for the recipe :)
I made these bars today. They were pretty good but there was way too much chocolate for me. I would half the amount of chocolate chips in the recipe and use less caramel. Otherwise they were pretty good.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made these for a bake-off at work and won first prize! They disappeared so quickly most of the office didn’t even get to try them.
That’s awesome! Congratulations!
Just made these this past weekend after having them on my baking to-do list for many months! They were fantastic! Cannot say enough good things about them. The cookie portion was delicious, soft, and chewy. The caramel definitely stays soft–even after refrigerating. Mine were kind of oozing caramel in the Tupperware container in which I had them. I did not have a 9×9 pan–only 8×8–so I changed the temperature to 315 degrees and baked for 35 minutes. They turned out great but were very thick! I definitely am going to make a point to make these in a 9×9 pan next time.
Maybe the best thing is that my husband took most of them to work (Cannot have this many calories in the house at once! Ha ha.), and one of his co-workers wrote me a thank you note saying that the cookies brought tears to her eyes because they taste just like a recipe her grandmother used to make. No one in her family has been able to replicate the recipe, and this one was as close to it as she had ever tasted! That was probably one of the nicest things anyone has ever said about something I’ve baked.
Hi Stephanie, What a wonderful feeling! I’m so glad these bars were able to bring back cherished memories for your husband’s coworker. How nice that she took the time to write you a note, and thank you for taking the time to share your feedback here!
Can I bake these in a 8×8 pan? That is all have.
Hi Kelly, Yes, the bars will just be a little thicker than in the photos and might need a few extra minutes in the oven.
I made these for my Superbowl party this past weekend (which also happens to be my son’s 6th birthday) and to say they were well received is an understatement! Holy CROW, these might be one of the best things I have ever made!! I LOVE your blog and I LOVE your recipes! :)
Thanks,
Jenn in NJ
Ohmycaramelstars!!!! This recipe is TO DIE FOR. My daughter made these cookie bars last night and I think this is my favorite dessert recipe. Ever. Thank you, Michelle!!!
I made these cookie bars and they were great! Will make them again.
Wow! These look amazing!! I know what I’m making next…
they look a little raw. is that how it’s supposed to be? i just get nervous about gooey vs. raw…thank you for your time and insight.
Hi Penny, I think what you’re seeing as raw is actually the caramel sauce. They won’t be raw, just gooey, thanks to the caramel and chocolate.
Just made these today — fantastic! the only change was I used 2 whole eggs instead of the 1 egg and 1 egg yolk, ’cause I’m lazy and hate separating eggs. Still worked out wonderfully! Thanks for the great recipe!
I made these for a party and they were a hit! I exclusively use your recipes for all my baking ventures (and I’ve tried dozens of your recipes by now!). A friend liked these so much that I want to make a batch just for him. However, I want to combine brownies into this deliciousness. If I wanted to do a bottom layer of brownie instead of the cookie dough, should I use your “Baked Brownie” recipe or another brownie recipe? I’d still do the middle layer of salted caramel, and top it off with the cookie dough in this recipe (but only using half of course). Thanks!
Hi Iris, This is a tough one, as the brownie and the cookie dough will bake differently and for different lengths of time. I love the baked brownie and that would be my choice, for sure. If you get it to work, please let me know!
Using half the baked brownie recipe for the bottom layer turned out swell! It was like eating a chocolate chip cookie brownie with a layer of salted caramel in the middle. I LOVE all your recipes–keep posting!
These are very sweet, almost too sweet. I didn’t have the 8×8 pan so, I used a 9×11. I recommend going with the 8×8, even if that means going out and buying one. Overall, this is a great recipe, I think everyone should try it out!
I made these yesterday with 2 c whole wheat flour, 2 T white flour, and substituted 4 T of the butter with 4 T unsweetened applesauce and it turned out wonderfully! I had to cook it about 15 minutes longer, and then refrigerate it overnight so it would become stiff enough to cut :). My sea salt was also a bit fine, so I suggest using the bigger chunks of sea salt to get the awesome flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
I made these for a NYE party last night – served them with Brown Eyed Baker’s hot fudge sauce and salted caramel sauce (both very easy to make and soooo much better than store bought) over Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream. Decadent sundaes that brought down the house. My husband thought it was one of the best desserts he has ever had – even from a restaurant!! This is a keeper.
I made these last night and they were AWESOME!
I’m about to make these. I was also planning on making them in the large cookie sheet pan. I believe it measures approx 17x12x1. Bad idea? And do you think doubling will be enough to fill it? Also, I would like to freeze them for later. How do you think that will go? (besides the obvious of keeping my husband out of them til they cool!) Making all my holiday goodie trays goes easier when I can make ahead and freeze. Thank you so much for the recipe! My daughters HAVE to have salted caramel something! Last year Costco was selling a box of Salted Caramel Chocolate cookie mix. They loved them. Didnt see them this year, and while searching for a recipe for them I ran onto this one. We’re excited to try it!!! Thanks!!
oops… sorry, I just saw your reply about freezing. What do you think about the pan size?
Hi Sheri, No problem! I wouldn’t do the 17x12x1 pan – the sides aren’t going to be high enough for these. You could double it and bake it in a 9×13 pan though.
These look amazing. Just wondering if the caramel sets and hardens as the bars come to room temperature. Hoping that the addition of the creams keeps the caramel soft.
Hi Jennifer, It does not harden, it stays soft in the cookie bars. Enjoy!
These look amazing! Do you think you can freeze them?
Hi Sherri, Yes absolutely! See my reply to the previous comment for instructions.
Can these be frozen?
Yes, definitely! Just wrap in plastic wrap and put in a freezer-safe ziploc bag.
I am getting ready to make these deliciouse looking bars, my kids and I love salted carmel anything, however, I live in Colorado and was wondering if know other than the adjustment to the flour if there are any other adjustments that need to be made. I do know that with regular choc. chip cookies I have to increase flour and decrease amount of sugar and add a bit of water. Just wondering if it would be the same with these bars. Looking forward to making them.
Hi Catherine, I would make any adjustments that you make to regular chocolate chip cookies, as this recipe is based on a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Enjoy the bars, they’re amazing! :)
Would it be possible to use dulce de leche instead of caramel candies? or should i make my own caramel? i don’t want to take a trip to the market. I want to use up my heavy cream, butter and sugar before buying more stuff! thanks!!
Hi Angeli, You could definitely use dulce de leche or homemade caramel sauce.
Hi there!
I’ve been lurking on your website for a little while and I’ve now found dozens of cakes, bars and pies I want to try and make. However, I’m from France, and here we measure ingredients in grams, and after searching on the internet, it seems I can’t find trustworthy equivalences between grams and cups, teaspoons, tablespoons…Would you have some advice here? That would help a lot ;) And anyway, thanks for an amazing website that never fails to make me want to cook ^^
Hi Sophie, Unfortunately I don’t have a dedicated conversion resource. I usually just type it into Google!
Sophie…been a while since you posted this question , but im in UK and I always use this table to convert us cups to grms / oz
http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/kitchen/weights.htm
Are these truly baked in a 9×9? 2 Cups of chocolate chips seems a lot for that size of pan. Thanks for your help.
Hi Kim, Yes, baked in a 9×9 pan! I love lots of chocolate chips, but if you don’t, you can reduce the amount.
These are simply excellent; I’m really glad I made them. I’m also no stranger to the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie as I’ve tried a bunch of different recipes, and fortunately I think I’ve come pretty close to getting there. The secret recipe actually came from a a New York Times article (not so secret) and the most interesting technique it suggested, that I found actually works, is keeping the dough in the fridge for twenty four hours or more. I was skeptical, but resting the dough really does allow it to develop a deeper flavor.
More to the point, I was really close to making the regular cookie recipe on this blog, but the caramel addition was too hard to pass up. They turned out phenomenal, and once again I’m left with the dilemma of wanting to share with my friends, but also wanting to keep them to myself. I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my family away from them, though.
The base cookie recipe itself was actually very similar to the New York times article, including the addition of sea salt. I’ve left it out on the batches of NYT cookies I’ve made just because I didn’t think it was entirely necessary, but with the bars here I think it definitely added another dimension to the overall product. I only added sea salt to the top of the dough (partly because I only remembered it right after I put the pan in the oven) but I think that was enough for me.
I always have to add walnuts to my chocolate chip cookies, but I’ve also found that using chopped dark chocolate as opposed to chips really works well. For a full recipe like this I’ll get a pound chocolate bar from Trader Joe’s, which is an awesome deal, chop up half of it and throw it in the mix. A mix of chips and chunked chocolate doesn’t hurt either, but I didn’t have any. I also used half and half as opposed to cream, and there was no harm done.
So long story short, these are really really good. I think next time I might let the dough rest for day, which I didn’t here, and see how that goes. It seems like it’d be pretty tough to improve on what I already have, though.
My grandmother’s chocolate chip cookie recipe is truly the best, but only when she makes them. Now I’m thinking that’s because she always put hers in the fridge beforehand too, and I never do that. I will try it! Thanks for the tip!
As I’m sitting here, trying not to drool… just outta curiosity, would I be able to sub half whole wheat flour and have them still turn out? I’m thinking about taking these on vacation for my family next week but am interested in making them a tiny bit healthier…
Hi Courtney, I have never done it, so I can’t give you a definite answer, but you could certainly try. If you do, let me know how it turns out!
Once again you’ve increased my popularity both at home and at the office. These are INCREDIBLE! Yum.
This recipe is AMAZING! Everyone loved them!
OMG. This recipe looks sooooo goos. I looked at the original (the one you modified) and I definitely think the salted Carmel was a great idea. Keep up the good work. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Made these last night, brought to work today cut into small pieces. Placed in break room at 10 am, disappeared by noon! I think I should have been more generous with the salt. I was worried about oversalting but I did the opposite and didn’t really taste the salt. But nonetheless I received many compliments!
On an unrelated note, the first of your posts I ever read, I saw you refer to your Chief Culinary Consultant and thought, wow, she must have a whole team of people helping her! I was embarrassed for myself when I figured out who you were referring to.