Print

Gooey Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe

Gooey Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5.2 from 28 reviews

Indulge in these Gooey Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars that combine the richness of buttery cookie dough with melted caramel and a sprinkle of sea salt. Perfectly chewy with pockets of gooey caramel and melty chocolate chips, these bars make an irresistible dessert or snack.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Caramel Layer

  • One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 10 ounces soft caramels (unwrapped) – about 40 caramels
  • 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt

Instructions

  1. Prepare the pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil and generously coat it with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
  2. Make the cookie dough: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, Kosher salt, and baking soda, and continue mixing until smooth, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Lower the speed and gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
  3. Assemble the base: Press three-quarters of the cookie dough evenly into the prepared baking pan, creating a solid layer.
  4. Make the caramel layer: In a medium saucepan, combine the sweetened condensed milk and unwrapped caramels. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the caramels melt completely, forming a smooth caramel sauce.
  5. Add caramel and top dough: Pour three-quarters of the warm caramel evenly over the pressed cookie dough in the pan. Then, drop spoonfuls of the remaining cookie dough evenly over the caramel in teaspoon-sized amounts. Save any leftover caramel for another use, such as drizzling over ice cream.
  6. Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the center is just set and the edges are lightly golden.
  7. Finish and cool: Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the top with flaked sea salt for a perfect balance of sweet and salty. Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before lifting out the foil and cutting into squares.

Notes

  • Store the cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days to maintain freshness and gooey texture.
  • Make sure to cook the caramel on medium-low heat and stir frequently to avoid burning.
  • For easier removal, lift bars out of the pan using the foil liner once cooled.
  • Use flaked sea salt instead of fine salt to add a pleasant crunch and flavor burst on top.

Nutrition

Keywords: salted caramel, chocolate chip cookie bars, caramel cookie bars, gooey cookie bars, dessert bars, chocolate chip dessert

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