Salted Caramel Cookie Bars - Handle the Heat
Filed Under: Bar Dessert | Cookies | Teaser

Salted Caramel Cookie Bars

By Tessa Arias
  |  
October 14th, 2015
4.60 from 5 votes
4.60 from 5 votes

Salted Caramel Cookie Bars feature two layers of chocolate chip cookie sandwiching a thick layer of easy salted caramel for the perfect salty sweet treat. No mixer required!

Yield: 9 large or 16 small bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

Tessa's Recipe Rundown...

Taste: Salty sweet perfection!! Texture: The cookie is oh so soft, chewy, and slightly gooey and the caramel sandwiched in the middle is ridiculously thick and sticky in the best possible way. Ease: Easy peasy! You don't need a mixer and we're cheating slightly with the caramel. Appearance: Those layers of sweet goodness get my mouth watering every time. Pros: Total comfort food. Cons: None! Would I make this again? YES. These bars happen to go great with ice cream if you're feeling particularly sinful.

Salted Caramel Cookie Bars feature two layers of chocolate chip cookie sandwiching a thick layer of EASY salted caramel for the perfect salty sweet treat. No mixer required!

I’m about to hop on a plane!

I’m headed to Kansas City for the Chopped Conference where I’ll be co-hosting the Food Blog Success Summit with conference organizer Marly and one of my favorite bloggers Kathryne. I am SO excited. Often times food blogging as a full-time job involves lots of baking, cleaning, photographing, and staring at the computer completely by myself for hours on end. Most of the times it’s beyond awesome. But sometimes it can be a little lonely so I’m thrilled to see the faces of all the lovely bloggers you probably know and love. Woohoo!

Salted Caramel Cookie Bars feature two layers of chocolate chip cookie sandwiching a thick layer of EASY salted caramel for the perfect salty sweet treat. No mixer required!

I am actually really sad that I didn’t save one of these Salted Caramel Cookie Bars for the plane. Sometimes having a little treat is the only highlight of a boring plane ride. I’ll have to resort to overpriced airport candy because these cookie bars did not last long. Not surprising considering they are incredible. The perfect combination of sweet flavors and chewy gooey textures. I hope you’ll make them soon!

Salted Caramel Cookie Bars feature two layers of chocolate chip cookie sandwiching a thick layer of EASY salted caramel for the perfect salty sweet treat. No mixer required!

The full Salted Caramel Cookie Bar recipe can be found on Imperial Sugar’s website!

This post was written by me on behalf of Imperial Sugar. All text, photos, and opinions provided are my own.

4.60 from 5 votes

How to make
Salted Caramel Cookie Bars

Yield: 9 large or 16 small bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Salted Caramel Cookie Bars feature two layers of chocolate chip cookie sandwiching a thick layer of easy salted caramel for the perfect salty sweet treat. No mixer required!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup (125 grams) Imperial Sugar Dark Brown Sugar
  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (191 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups (255 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 11 ounces caramel candy squares, unwrapped
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • Flaked sea salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

  2. Combine butter with sugar and stir until smooth. If still very hot, let cool slightly. Stir in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Add in salt and flour and stir until combined. Gently stir in chocolate chips.

  3. In a microwave-safe bowl combine caramels and heavy cream. Microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring between bursts, until mixture is melted and smooth. Be careful not to overheat.

  4. Press half cookie dough evenly into prepared pan. Pour the caramel evenly over dough. Sprinkle all over with sea salt. Scoop remaining dough into spoonfuls over caramel, gently spreading until caramel is mostly covered. Sprinkle with additional sea salt.

  5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool to room temperature before chilling for 30 minutes to make bars easier to cut. Slice into large bars or squares and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Course : Dessert
Cuisine : American
Keyword : salted caramel cookie bars
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!)

Tessa Arias

About Tessa...

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!)

Find Tessa on  

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Recipe Rating




  1. #
    Jan — July 20, 2022 at 7:19 am

    Can this be doubled and put into a 9 x 13 pan?

    • #
      Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — July 20, 2022 at 9:11 am

      Hi Jan! Yes! You can double this recipe by using a 9×13 pan. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time. Let us know what you think when you give this recipe a try

  2. #
    Tina Couzens — June 12, 2022 at 12:38 pm

    I made these but had to add extra flour. Did anyone else have this problem?

  3. #
    Emily — January 12, 2022 at 1:24 pm

    Good day, I would like to make these but live on a small island where I may not find caramel candies. Could I use a jar of caramel I have in the cupboard or make some? Many thanks!

    • #
      Emily — January 13, 2022 at 10:00 am

      Hi Emily! We haven’t tried homemade with this recipe, but you’ll want to make sure that you use a thick caramel for this recipe (not a thin caramel sauce). Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try!

  4. #
    Jules — January 4, 2022 at 1:11 pm

    I’m not a huge chocolate/caramel person but, I have to say that these are absolutely amazing. I cut them into very small squares since they’re very rich. I’ll definitely be making them again for friends and family who are chocolate/caramel lovers.

    • #
      Emily — January 5, 2022 at 4:59 pm

      So happy you loved them! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, we appreciate it! 🙂

  5. #
    Anne — December 4, 2021 at 6:34 am

    The recipe calls for 1 1/2 stick of butter, which is NOT 6 oz. Very confusing. (1 1/2 sticks butter is 12 oz.)

    • #
      Emily — December 7, 2021 at 10:30 am

      Thanks so much for catching that, Anne! I just updated the recipe.

      • #
        Diane — December 10, 2022 at 6:41 pm

        is the updated recipe 1 1/2 sticks of butter? I want to make these tomorrow and freeze for Christmas. they sound scrumptious

        • #
          Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — December 13, 2022 at 9:29 am

          Hi Diane! Yes, the recipe needs 1 1/2 sticks or 170 grams of butter. Let us know what you think once you’ve given these bars a try! 🙂

    • #
      Geo — December 11, 2022 at 10:03 am

      Just a heads up for those who measure ingredients by weight. Another commenter stated that 1 1/2 sticks butter is 12 oz. This is absolutely wrong. It is 6 oz. One stick of butter is 4 oz. Maybe this commenter is thinking of tablespoons.

  6. #
    Debra D. Pyers — November 30, 2021 at 2:26 pm

    what are the instructions for doubling the recipe? i.e. pan size and cook time

    • #
      Emily — December 1, 2021 at 10:58 am

      Hi Debra! You can double this recipe by using a 9×13 pan. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time. Let us know what you think when you give this recipe a try 🙂

  7. #
    Nagy — June 30, 2021 at 12:19 pm

    Okay, first things first – these were delicious. The cookie + caramel was a perfect combo. However (and this might have been my own error/fault) – – the caramel seemed to be a big mess and did not stay put like the recipe above pictured.

  8. #
    Jennifer — April 4, 2021 at 6:13 pm

    Easy to make, tastes like a candy bar…it’s decadent @

    • #
      Tessa — April 5, 2021 at 10:15 am

      Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed these cookie bars!

  9. #
    Gemma — February 18, 2021 at 1:13 am

    Hi Tessa,
    What’s the difference between these and the loaded cookies bars other than obviously the caramel? Was wondering why there isn’t any bread flour in this recipe?
    Thank you
    Gemma

    • #
      Tessa — February 18, 2021 at 12:22 pm

      They are quite different in terms of texture and flavor! You could use bread flour for some of the all-purpose flour for these Salted Caramel Cookie Bars for a more chewy texture if you’d like. Let me know if you have any other questions!

      • #
        Gemma — February 18, 2021 at 3:06 pm

        Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. Which would you say would be a more soft, gooey texture? This one?
        Thank you,

        Gemma

        • #
          Tessa — February 19, 2021 at 11:54 am

          Yes! These Salted Caramel Cookie Bars would definitely be a bit more gooey in the center, especially with the gooey caramel. Hope you enjoy!

  10. #
    Judith Lewis — September 22, 2020 at 6:07 pm

    The site does not allow us to see the directions to make the bars. When we click on the site that should lead us to the directions it says the site cannot be found—HELP!!!!!

  11. #
    Linda Pratt — September 22, 2020 at 5:25 pm

    Recipe looks delicious. But when I click on directions on how to make it, the ” page cannot be found.”

  12. #
    Feather — September 19, 2020 at 9:20 am

    I can’t see the directions, the link is broken.

    • #
      Cindy — September 19, 2020 at 12:39 pm

      Feather,
      I just googled that recipe and it came up no problem. Maybe try that way? It’s such a great recipe. Because it’s a public recipe I’m happy to share it with you if you want to email me? [email protected]. Happy baking!
      Cindy 🙂

  13. #
    Heather — September 5, 2020 at 5:16 am

    When you click on the directions it takes you to Imperial sugar site but it looks like this recipe has been removed from their site 🙁

    • #
      Alanna — September 8, 2020 at 4:48 am

      Exato, aconteceu isso agora comigo.Uma pena pois estava doida para fazer =/

  14. #
    Lynn — August 24, 2020 at 5:39 pm

    The recipe is not showing, only the list of ingredients show.

  15. #
    Cindy Hernandez-Wall — March 3, 2020 at 10:06 pm

    Easy, fast and yummy! I love all of Tessa’s scientific explanations, including the type of pan to use and why. In the past I would have used glass. I don’t have a square metal. I used my 9″ round metal cake pan. Worked perfectly. This is a rich treat, you only need a small square of this treat (ok maybe you need a large square lol). Get fat sea salt flakes (Maldon) to sprinkle on top – and in the middle layer – worth it! 🙂

  16. #
    Donna — February 10, 2019 at 7:33 am

    Would like to substitute gluten free flours.Could you recommend what flours to use. Thank you.

  17. #
    Bet — September 25, 2018 at 7:34 pm

    for those having trouble finding recipe. right under list of ingredients it says directions, under that it says click here for full recipe directions. you click that and the directions are on the right.

    I am making these in a week for a special Sunday at church, I will be back to review. thanks for what looks to be a perfect carmel recipe

  18. #
    Ellen Crawford — May 10, 2018 at 1:48 pm

    Where is the recipe?!

  19. #
    Jennifer — May 10, 2018 at 1:44 pm

    I am having trouble finding the recipe for these, I am super bummed!!!!!! They look amazing! HELP!!?

  20. #
    Connie — April 27, 2018 at 7:23 pm

    I have searched but can’t find this recipe—

  21. #
    victoria ojeda — October 16, 2016 at 4:22 pm

    do you need to line them with foil? i made them for yhe second time and so delicious, however, I feel as if the foil makes it messier. Can they just be added directly into dreased pan?

    • #
      Tessa — October 16, 2016 at 6:33 pm

      I find the opposite to be true, but if you prefer no foil then go for it!

  22. #
    Lisa McKeown — July 1, 2016 at 10:51 am

    What brand of caramels did you use. I used the square ones that are a harder caramel in a recipe and they hardened up after they were baked and cold.

  23. #
    Debbie — October 22, 2015 at 11:07 am

    Hi Tessa! I’ m doing these beauties tomorrow, I have a question: there is no baking powder in the ingredients of the cookies sandwich, am I right?? Can’t wait to eat the whole bunch! Thanks!

  24. #
    Kami — October 19, 2015 at 9:12 pm

    I can’t wait to make these cookie bars! They sound and look amazing. Also, your photos are gorgeous… I can’t stop my mouth from watering!  I would be honored if you checked out our conference and affiliate program.  We need awesome bloggers like you! http://www.foodbloggingconference.com/become-an-affiliate/

  25. #
    Joanne — October 18, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    These bars look sinfully good!! I love all of the caramel!

  26. #
    Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie — October 14, 2015 at 5:42 pm

    Oh. My. GOODNESS! Look at that caramel just trying so hard to not ooze all over the place. I can only imagine how incredible these would be with a scoop of ice cream on top.

  27. #
    Dani Mendocha | Styled Variety — October 14, 2015 at 9:20 am

    These bars look like absolute perfection! The caramel layer just puts them on a whole new level of delicious! 🙂

    — Dani | http://www.styledvariety.com

  28. #
    [email protected] — October 14, 2015 at 7:59 am

    I’m in the airport right now, heading for Kansas City! Excited to attend your Food Blog Success Summit tomorrow.

  29. #
    Sarah | Broma Bakery — October 14, 2015 at 7:39 am

    Excuse me while I drool. Have so much fun at Chopped!

  30. #
    Kristina — October 14, 2015 at 6:14 am

    They look delicious, I’m dreaming about them right now, trying to imagine how it would feel to eat one. I guess I’ll have to make them to know for sure.

  31. #
    Alicia — October 14, 2015 at 5:10 am

    These look absolutely incredible Tessa! I want to make them right now!!

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