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Easy Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.1 from 14 reviews
  • Author: Evelyn
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 12-16 bars
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Easy Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars combine a buttery cookie base with gooey salted caramel and rich chocolate chips, creating a decadent dessert that’s perfect for sharing or special occasions. With a simple assembly and baking process, these bars offer a delicious twist on traditional chocolate chip cookies featuring a luscious caramel layer topped with a sprinkle of sea salt flakes for the perfect sweet-salty balance.

Ingredients

Cookie Dough:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Caramel Mixture:

  • 11 oz soft caramels, unwrapped
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt flakes (such as Maldon)

Instructions

  1. Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal.
  2. Cream butter and sugars: In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which typically takes about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract for flavor.
  4. Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sea salt, and baking soda to evenly distribute the leavening and seasoning.
  5. Mix dry into wet ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture, combining until just incorporated to avoid overmixing which can lead to tough cookies.
  6. Fold in chocolate chips: Gently fold the semi-sweet chocolate chips into the dough to distribute evenly without breaking them.
  7. Form base layer: Press about two-thirds of the cookie dough evenly into the prepared baking pan to create the base layer.
  8. Prepare caramel: In a saucepan over low heat, combine the unwrapped soft caramels and sweetened condensed milk. Stir continuously until the mixture is smooth and fully melted, taking care not to burn the caramel.
  9. Add sea salt flakes to caramel: Remove the caramel mixture from heat and stir in the sea salt flakes to enhance the salted caramel flavor.
  10. Assemble layers: Pour the caramel mixture evenly over the cookie dough base in the pan.
  11. Top with remaining dough: Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cookie dough over the caramel layer, leaving some spaces so the caramel can peek through.
  12. Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the bars are golden brown and set, testing with a toothpick to ensure doneness.
  13. Cool and slice: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before slicing into bars to serve.

Notes

  • Make sure to cool the bars completely before cutting to prevent caramel from running.
  • You can substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips with dark or milk chocolate chips as preferred.
  • Use a high-quality sea salt flake for best flavor and texture contrast.
  • Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
  • For easier removal, allow bars to cool completely and use the parchment paper to gently lift them out.

Find it online: https://evelynscooking.com/easy-salted-caramel-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars-recipe/