Wow! If you like caramel then you have come to the right place! These gooey caramel cookie bars are exploding with caramel and a little bit of chocolate. The caramel and chocolate are in perfect harmony in this recipe that we are about to share with you. You can see all the ooey gooey goodness in the picture below. These are truly worth going off of your diet for! 🙂
Pay Attention: Oats
Here is a really important note. This recipe calls for old fashioned oats. You do not want to use quick or steel cut oats. The old fashioned oats will give the cookie bars a chewier texture. This is important when making cookie bars.
Want it Gooey?
These stayed really fresh and chewy for several days after baking. We are usually only a fan of a dessert for about a day after baking, but these were still very good several days later. Also, if you microwave a square for about 15 seconds or so the caramel and chocolate melt a bit and you get that wonderful gooey experience all over again.
Gooey Caramel Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 bags (5 oz each) soft caramel squares We used Werther's Original Soft Caramels
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 3/4 cups salted butter softened
- 3/4 cups light brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Unwrap the soft caramel squares and place in a small saucepan. Pour the heavy whipping cream over the caramel squares. Turn heat on medium low. Stir continually until smooth. Set aside to thicken and cool a bit.
- Using a large bowl, mix the all purpose flour, baking soda, salt, old fashioned oats, salted butter (softened), light brown sugar and vanilla extract.
- Divide the mixture into two equal parts. Press half the mixture into the pan with parchment paper that you set aside earlier.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the baked mixture.
- Next, pour the caramel mixture over the top of the chocolate chips.
- Using the rest of the oatmeal mixture, crumble it on top of the caramel.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the top of the cookie bars are lightly browned.
- Let cool at least one hour before cutting into the bars. Enjoy!
These gooey caramel cookie bars quickly became a favorite in our house, as I am sure you can see why!
You can serve these warm with vanilla ice cream. We haven’t tried that yet but we were talking about doing that the next time we make them. I am sure that will take them to a whole new level of goodness! 🙂
The inspiration for this recipe came from Chelsea’s Messy Apron. Thanks so much for the great idea!
This is one of those recipes that has your house smelling really good from start to finish. The caramel smell stays for several hours after baking.
If you like elegant adult-style desserts, check out these recipes that have that extra bit of decadence to them:
Perfect Apple Pie
Homemade Angel Food Cake
Mocha Cupcakes
Well, that is it for Small Town Living USA’s baking kitchen for today. Make sure to check back in a couple of days and see what we get into next! Have an awesome day!
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Ladies! These look delicious! I can’t wait to try these on the fam. Thanks for the great recipe!
You will be so addicted after you try them!
These look so good! Anything with “gooey” in the title is usually delicious. 🙂