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Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Oat Cookie Bars Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 142 reviews

These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Oat Cookie Bars combine a rich homemade salted caramel with hearty oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough, layered with dark chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Baked to a perfect golden finish and sprinkled with flaky sea salt, these bars offer a delicious balance of sweet, salty, and buttery flavors in every bite.

Ingredients

Scale

Salted Caramel

  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (90g) water
  • 4 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, sliced
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (100g) heavy cream, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Hefty pinch of kosher salt
  • 7 tbsp (60g) all purpose flour

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

  • 1 cup (95g) quick oats
  • 1 1/4 cup (165g) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup (210g) dark brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (85g) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup (130g) dark chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup (95g) walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
  • Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Prepare Homemade Salted Caramel: Have all caramel ingredients ready since you need to mix everything while the caramel is still hot. Warm the heavy cream to room temperature to prevent caramel seizing.
  2. Combine Sugar and Water: Add the water and sugar to a heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently stir to mix evenly without splashing sugar onto the pot sides.
  3. Dissolve Sugar: Place the pot over medium heat and allow sugar to dissolve naturally without stirring. Watch for the mixture to turn from clear to light golden to rich amber.
  4. Caramelize Sugar: If the sugar browns unevenly, carefully nudge it in the pot to distribute the heat evenly. Once it is a rich amber color, remove from heat immediately.
  5. Incorporate Butter: Whisk the butter into the hot caramel until fully melted and combined.
  6. Add Cream: While whisking gently, slowly pour in the room temperature heavy cream and mix until smooth.
  7. Flavor and Salt: Whisk in the vanilla extract and a hefty pinch of kosher salt.
  8. Simmer Caramel: Return the pot to medium heat and allow it to bubble lightly for about 2 minutes.
  9. Add Flour: Remove caramel from heat and whisk in the all-purpose flour until well combined. Set aside.
  10. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper on all sides.
  11. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
  12. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat softened butter and dark brown sugar until smooth, either by hand or with electric mixer.
  13. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until combined.
  14. Combine with Dry Ingredients: Add dry oat-flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix until just coming together; fold in 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips just before fully mixed.
  15. Layer Dough and Nuts: Spread about two-thirds of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle finely chopped nuts evenly on top.
  16. Bake First Layer: Bake for 8 minutes, then remove from oven and chill remaining dough in the refrigerator.
  17. Add Dark Chocolate Chips: Evenly spread the dark chocolate chips over the partially baked crust.
  18. Pour Caramel: Pour the salted caramel evenly over the dark chocolate chips. If caramel has thickened, gently reheat to loosen before pouring.
  19. Top with Remaining Dough: Dot the remaining chilled cookie dough in random blobs over the caramel layer.
  20. Bake Final Bars: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the bars are very lightly golden on top.
  21. Cool and Chill: Allow bars to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator for about one hour.
  22. Serve: To remove bars, use a knife to loosen edges if needed, lift out of the pan, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and slice into bars.

Notes

  • Ensure heavy cream is at room temperature to avoid caramel seizing when added.
  • Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan for even heat distribution to prevent burning the caramel.
  • Line the baking pan with parchment paper on all sides for easier removal of bars.
  • Chilling the leftover cookie dough helps create nice blobs on top and improves texture.
  • Sprinkling flaky sea salt on top enhances the flavor contrast between sweet caramel and chocolate.
  • Store leftover bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Keywords: salted caramel, chocolate chip, oat cookie bars, homemade caramel, dessert bars, oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip cookies

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