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.
This is a go to. People love it. I brought it to a potluck I didn’t know was a birthday party and everyone ate this instead of the cake. It was gone in minutes. Make it!
If I want to make this in a 12 by 18 inch pan how would the amounts change for ingredients?
This will be my new “go to” when I need a dessert for something. These are amazing! The salt with the sweet is delish! I used milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet to make it even better!
So I made the Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cooke Bars this morning for a church potluck. Let me just say that I made some people VERY happy! We ALL loved the bars!!! I am going to make them for a family reunion soon!! Thanks for the recipe!
I am so sorry to say that this turned into an absolute mess. I followed the directions but used a caramel sauce I made.
If using homemade salted caramel sauce, how much sauce is needed?
I baked these as a “Welcome to the neighborhood!” treat for our new neighbors. Received rave reviews so I’ll definitely be making these again!
These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are absolutely divine!! They are fun and easy to make and such a delicious sweet treat. Definitely a new family favorite!
I absolutely love this. Thank you for sharing this recipe :)
Awesome and great instructions. I added lots of pecans just for added crunch. I didn’t wait to refrigerate them. We dug in after they sat for 1/2 hour. Loved them!!!
Everyone loved these and now I want to make them in a 9×13 pan. Does anyone have the ingredient conversion. I believe you just don’t double the given quantities but I’m new at this so thanks for all the help.
I have everything I need to make these bars! Wondering if anyone made in a 9×13” pan?
Not just good. EXCELLENT! They are extra rich, perfect recipe. Not like any other bar out there. The pan weighed 8 pounds. : ) Thank you for your love of food and sharing your recipes.
I have made these for years. My original recipe called for 42 caramels. Now the Caramel bags have been reduced in size. Still delicious !
These are absolutely the best and so addicting.. I found however that a 9 inch square pan was too small.. it made the bars really thick. After first time I made them in 13 x 9 pan. Everyone I have shared them with has asked for the recipe. The combination of flavors is.. just so good..
I have tried this wonderful recipe, the squares were the best I’ve ever tasted. However the only problem I had the caramel blended into the cookie dough instead of being layered.
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/homemade-salted-caramel-recipe/
I haven’t made them yet, but this is the go to Carmel recipe I use. I used this in Carmel swirled brownies, it was the bomb! Definitely using it in this recipe, am making them tomorrow.