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 Michelle, the flavors in this recipe are great but my creation didn’t turn out quite right and I was hoping you could help! I made your caramel sauce and it turned out great so I used it once it had cooled in the fridge overnight, same with the cookie dough (simply because it was getting late and I had heard refrigerated dough was better). This AM I put the bars together and ended up cooking it slightly longer because it didn’t look done. After it had cooled and set in the fridge, it had sunk. After cutting in to it it looks like the bottom layer of cookie dough was underdone. What should I do next time to fix this?
Hi Stacey, Hmmm… mine sink slightly in the middle, which is typical with a cookie bar like that. As for the bottom layer being underdone – it’s possible that since it was refrigerated it didn’t bake up quite correctly. Just a guess though!
This was pretty good… here is what I would change… more cookie dough, less caramel. The balance wasn’t quite right. Also, it needs something to help cut through the sweet – all my guests wanted some vanilla ice cream with it. Fun to make though.
I saw this recipe on Pinterest and I made them the next day! I only have an 8×8 pan, so I didn’t use all the batter. What I had left I rolled into balls, filled them with caramel, and put them in the freeze for an easy dessert another day! I plan to cook them in a small ramekin. I followed the recipe with the exception of the salt, I’m just not a huge fan of that. The bars are sooo good! Thanks for sharing!
Very good cookie. I will definitely keep this one!
I have made these bars for just about every event that needs a ‘contribution’, from funerals to bake sales. They never fail to be a huge hit. I use a ground vaniIla bean pod for flavouring. You could wake me from a sound sleep and I could recite this recipe
Could you substitute equivalent amount of Trader Joe’s Salted Caramel sauce for the candies? These look divine!
Hi Ann, I see that someone above commented that they used Trader Joe’s salted caramel, so I think that would be fine! Enjoy!
These. Were. Delicious. I had no eggs so used flaxseed eggs, and used homemade beer caramel sauce. They were gone before I could take a pic!
These are delicious. I used trader joe’s caramel sauce. Easy and yum.
I made these this past weekend, and they are wonderful. Now I can’t stop thinking about how great they’d be with a sort of brownie-based bottom layer, salted caramel middle layer, and chocolate chip cookie layer on top, baked in a 13×9 in pan. I need to stop obsessing about this, or try it.
Wow, these look delicious. I love that combination of salted caramel with choc chip cookies – divine. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I made them with gluten free flour for a family party today. Great hit! Next time I will line the pan with parchment, as the caramel is a sticky mess on the pan. Will add to my list of fabulous recipes from you! Thank you.
Brought these to a party. Big hit!!! I followed directions. Golden brown on top. Pull g away on sides. As they cooled flattened in middle with sides high. My recipes for your bar cookies always do that. Grrrrr. But delicious. Love your recipes
Hi Joan, There was just an article I saw in a cooking magazine (can’t remember which one now!) about high sides with bar cookies – it says it typically happens when you use a glass pan and should reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
Should I use semi sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips? Thank you :)
Hi Jerrica, Semisweet!
OMG! This is the first thing I ever made from your site, back when you recommended melting the caramel candies with cream as an easier sauce. I haven’t yet made it with your real homemade caramel sauce. I think this might be a nudge for my birthday coming up…
These look soooo delicious! I think we have a winner here…making these for
a family get-together this weekend.
This recipe goes back to 2012!?!? How have I missed it? Can. not. wait. to try this. I happen to have only about 1/2 cup of your homemade caramel sauce in my pantry. Seems like it might be calling to be used up today ;) Ach! Can’t believe I’ve missed this recipe.
One quick tip: line your pan with some cling film and press half the cookie dough into the pan. Remove the cling film with the cookie dough, then prepare the pan as directed. Press the other half of the dough into the pan, spread with caramel, then pop the first half on top and press down a bit – minus the cling film, of course (*_~). No problems with trying to spread the dough on the caramel. These look delicious, if you omit the salt. I could strangle the person who decided that lovely caramel needs salt. Sorry, I’m in the minority here but this is a trend I’m not in favour of.
Oh what a good idea! Thanks for the tip for the top layer of cookie dough. But use just a little sel de fleur. It really does up the yummy factor of the caramel sauce :)
Great tip!
Oh, I seriously love Salted Caramel. Your recipe for homemade salted caramel was the first one I tried. Love it. These look like the perfect combination of choc chip cookies, brownies and salted caramel. I’ll definitely have to give these a go :)
We don’t have packaged caramels like you mention here in NZ, could I just make a salted caramel sauce and use that instead? Or is the idea that when cool it will set up firm again?
Hi Jessica, Yes, you could use homemade salted caramel sauce. Readers above estimated about a ½ cup would be good!
speaking of salted caramel sauce, would that not work here instead of the caramel candies? if so how much would you use?
nevermind, saw you already answered this. i’ll try using 1 cup
UPDATE: i tried this using a 13×7 baking ban, slightly larger than a 9×9 pan, and quickly realized that 1 cup would be too much. 1/2 cup caramel sauce is about what you need. p.s. i substituted white chocolate chips and it was quite good. next time i’m adding roasted salted macadamia nuts
Absolutely LOVE your website! It’s got an easy, navigatable layout, easy-to-find recipes, and lots of personality! :) Thank you! ~Lindsea Peace
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour? That seems pretty specific. Why? Do you happen to know the WEIGHT instead of the volume of flour?
Hi Gretchen, It’s simply 2 cups + 2 tablespoons. The weight is 10 and ⅔ ounces.
These really hit the spot. Adding caramel to brownies is the best idea ever:) I’ll definitely make these again!
Can you use your salted caramel recipe(Which I constantly have a jar of in my fridge at all times, LOVE LOVE LOVE it) to substitute the caramel candies and a little bit of the salt?
scratch that, I just saw Laura’s comment. Thanks!!
I don’t have heavy cream on hand…is there a substitute you can recommend?
Unfortunately not, you really need to use heavy cream.
Can you use your salted caramel instead if package caramels?
Yes, absolutely!
Happy Thanksgiving Michelle. Hope the pregnancy is going well.
Am slowly making my way through your recipes. They’re great!
Finally made it to this one and just wondered whether I can use two whole eggs rather than one whole egg and one egg yolk.
I (and all my friends) LOVE these bars. Since this is like the 6th time I’m making them, I figured I should probably post a comment as a thanks! I have found that using a high quality jarred caramel sauce (one that has cream as an ingredient) has worked out just as well as unwrapping all those caramels. Or, use a regular caramel sauce and add the cream.
These. Are. Dangerous. Made them today with homemade dulce de leche and I must say, it’s definitely a keeper. I hope I can resist eating the whole batch until Monday so I can share it with my classmates. Thanks for the lovely recipe :3
Made these today and they are fantastic!! My new favorite!!thanks for the recipe