Oreo Caramel Walnut Bars

Oreo Caramel Walnut Bars are so rich and decadent with a layer of Oreo cookie crust, a layer of thick salted caramel and walnuts, all topped with chocolate. Dubbed “one of the best desserts ever!”

Happy Monday! I’m brightening up your Monday with these crazy good Oreo Caramel Walnut Bars but first I have to tell you what a crazy weekend it was. It’s been kind of a crazy month weather wise, we had the storm of a century this month. Then last week our house was a bit of a wreck as we had our cabinets professionally painted right after coming back from staying in northern Arizona. Saturday got REAL nutty, though, when another crazy storm rolled through Phoenix. Of course the storm appeared suddenly and wrathfully moments before Jared was scheduled to play and outdoor music festival with his band in Tempe. No joke, we all stepped outside the dressing room trailer and were shocked to turn around and see a wall of dust and storm clouds coming directly our way FAST.

We headed over to the stage which has began to shiver with the wind. Suddenly a microburst or something came through and things got really bad. Rain started to fall and the production crew evacuated the entire concert, telling everyone to run for cover under the bridge on the opposite side of the grounds. Everyone started to get panicky as all the band’s gear was sitting on stage, about to be pounded by rain and possibly a collapsing stage. It was crazy. Luckily some of the guys were able to save some of the gear from immediate damage because later a lighting truss actually did collapse on stage. Thankfully no one was hurt and the damage was fairly minimal all things considered. However we all got DRENCHED. I remembered after the scorching summer what it feels like to be cold. There were trees collapsed on the streets, street lights out of service, and in some areas of the valley entire blocks of power lines came crashing down.

Note to self: don’t attend an outdoor concert during Arizona’s monsoon season!

How was your weekend? Much more relaxing I hope. When I got back from the concert chaos the first thing I did was munch on one of these Oreo Caramel Walnut Bars. They are absolutely scrumptious, Jared actually said they were one of his favorite things I’ve ever made!

This recipe makes a super thick, smooth, and indulgent homemade caramel sauce. If you’ve never made caramel before check out this video tutorial, the recipes aren’t identical but the methods are the same. The bars are chilled in this recipe, making them nice and solid. However, once they are sliced they tend to get more gooey, especially if it’s warm which is exactly what happened when I photographed these. That’s why they’re best served cold and immediately after slicing, especially if it’s a warm day. Messy or not, they taste absolutely amazing.

If you make these Oreo Caramel Walnut Bars, be sure to take a picture and tag it #handletheheat on Instagram. I love seeing your photos!

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How to make

Oreo Caramel Walnut Bars

Yield: 16 bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Inactive Time 3 hours hours

Total Time: 3 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Oreo Caramel Walnut Bars are so rich and decadent with a layer of Oreo cookie crust, a layer of thick salted caramel and walnuts, all topped with chocolate. Dubbed "one of the best desserts ever!"

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 20 Oreo cookies
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the topping:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 2 teaspoons corn syrup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides.

For the crust:

1. In the bowl of a food processor pulse the Oreo cookies until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes then remove, leaving the oven on.

For the filling:

1. Place the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 7 minutes. Remove and turn off the oven.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat, cook the sugar and ½ cup water, stirring gently, until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Allow to boil without stirring until the mixture turns a deep amber color. You want as deep of a color as possible without scorching. Immediately remove the pan from the heat.
3. Carefully pour the cream into the mixture, using caution as the caramel will bubble up and will be scorching hot. Stir in the vanilla and butter. Return to low heat and stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is no longer bubbling. Stir in the salt. Let cool for 5 minutes before stirring in the toasted walnuts.
4. Pour the caramel walnut mixture over the Oreo crust. Transfer to the fridge and chill for 1 hour.

For the topping:

1. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine all the topping ingredients. Microwave on high in 30-second bursts, stirring between bursts, until melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate evenly over the chilled caramel filling. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight if you need to make ahead.
2. Cut into 16 squares and serve. The bars are best served immediately after slicing.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Passion for Baking

Course : Dessert

Cuisine : American

Recipe by Tessa Arias

Author: Tessa Arias

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)