Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars – A layer of salted caramel sauce is sandwiched between layers of a favorite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe, then topped with a sprinkle of fleur de sel.
Over the last handful of years, I’ve become completely obsessed with salted caramel.
Ice cream? Pass me a spoon.
Popcorn, Pretzel & Peanut Bars? Hand me at least three, please.
Brownies? You may as well just give me the entire pan.
Growing up, I never gravitated to caramel sauce as a topping option, sticking with hot fudge as my old standby. Perhaps it was because I never had great caramel sauce, and it always seemed sickeningly sweet to me. However, once I tried my hand at a homemade salted caramel sauce, I did a complete 180.
Now, combine salty caramel with a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and you have something I absolutely, positively cannot stop eating.
How to Make Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
In this particular instance, I adapted one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes into bars, added a layer of salted caramel sauce in the middle, and then sprinkled the top with more flaked sea salt, just for good measure.
Kudos to Maria over at Two Peas and Their Pod for creating such an amazing concoction. She really is the cookie queen!
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These salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars are incredibly easy to throw together, thanks to a shortcut caramel sauce.
If you’d prefer to use a homemade salted caramel sauce, that will definitely work! Just make sure you let it thicken up a bit, and then use enough for a thin layer over the cookie dough.
These set up and keep for me perfectly at room temperature, but if your house or kitchen is a little on the warm side, you may need to pop them in the refrigerator to allow the caramel layer to set and to keep them from getting too messy once you cut and store them.
And on that note, these are an excellent candidate for freezing. I would just cut them, wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and then pop them in a freezer-safe ziploc bag. I need to get a batch in my freezer for upcoming nights on the couch snuggling a newborn and Netflix-ing!
If you love chocolate chip cookies, caramel sauce, and sweet and salty combinations, you absolutely, positively have to make these salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars. They will become one of your favorite desserts (or snacks, or breakfast *ahem*).
Enjoy!!
One year ago: White Chocolate-Coconut Brownies
Two years ago: Oven-Fried Onion Rings with Dipping Sauce
Five years ago: Maple-Hazelnut Oatmeal
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ⅛ cups (265.63 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup (220 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (360 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 10 ounces (283.5 g) caramel candy squares, unwrapped
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Fleur de sel, or other sea salt, for sprinkling over caramel and bars
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square pan and line with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, mix together the melted butter and sugars on medium speed until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the caramels and heavy cream. Microwave on high until the caramels are melted, stirring every 20 seconds. This will take about 2 minutes.
- Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Pour the hot caramel over the dough cookie dough and spread into an even layer, leaving about ½ inch around the border. Sprinkle the caramel with sea salt. Drop the remaining cookie dough in spoonfuls over the caramel and gently spread the dough with a spatula until the caramel is covered. Sprinkle the bars with additional sea salt.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow the caramel layer to set. Cut into squares and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on February 22, 2012.
How long do you think these will be good for? I would love to make them and ship them to my dad but I am not sure about them lasting during shipping.
Hi Gaby, I think they would be good for about 5 days or so, wrapped or stored in an airtight container.
I noticed an error in the instructions: “Store leftovers in an airtight container” …. Seriously? There are NO leftovers with this recipe! Absolutely incredible!!!!!
I’m thinking of adding some walnuts to these. Do you think they’d be better in the dough or sprinkled over the caramel layer? And most important, would these be good with nuts in the first place?
Hi Jessica, Sure, I like nuts, and I know a lot of people enjoy walnuts in their chocolate chip cookies. I would probably mix them into the dough so they’re evenly dispersed. Enjoy!
Love homemade caramel sauce. I just put these in the oven, I added a large handful of crushed pretzel pieces to the top layer of dough!
I just made these and I only had an 8×8 pan so they are very thick and when I cut into them the bottom was all gooey, I can’t tell if its from the caramel or because the bottom layer is not cooked :(
I don’t bake very often, but when I do I want it to be something wonderful. I’ve made these cookie bars twice in the past month and gotten rave reviews both times – including my own! Today I have observed that they are even better and richer tasting the second day – if they last that long! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I am meeting up with some friends for dinner tonight so I whipped together a batch of these to share with them. I wasn’t sure how much salt to use to top the caramel and the cookie dough so I just took a guess and they turned out great. My friends are all salted caramel fanatics–I can’t wait to see how they like the bars (I had to sample them and have to say it’s hard to give them away)!
I bought everything to make this recipe tonight. Is there a guideline for the amount of sea salt? I don’t want to over (or under) salt these. Thanks!
Hi Lisa, No real guidelines. I just used two or three pinches, enough for a healthy dose over the area.
I took these to my church’s hospitality potluck where they were a super-hit! Everyone wanted to know the recipe. Easy enough to direct them to your “sinful” blog
as one woman put it. ;)
I found that the top layer of cookie dough coverage is easier if you flatten each spoonful of dough between your hands before placing it on the caramel layer. And do the spreading quickly, before the caramel layer starts oozing up between the pieces.
I have to tell you… I made a double batch of these last night and brought them to the office today. I maintained my willpower and didn’t eat any (I don’t know how), but my coworkers devoured them. I was told they were heavenly!! They definitely smelled intoxicating!
These look so good! However, I have never made anything using salted caramel. How much sea salt do you use on the caramel and then again on top of the bars?
I really just go by look. I take a pinch or two and sprinkle evenly over the top. There isn’t a solid layer of salt, but an even sprinkling.
these are SO delicious!!! i tried them out yesterday and i can’t stop eating them! :) thanks again for another fabulous recipe!
xoamy
http://www.cupcakesncouture.com/2012/03/salted-caramel-chocolate-chip-cookie.html
Hi there!
I dont have unsalted butter, how would they turn out if i used normal salted butter? Would i use less salt?
thank you (: these look awesome (:
Hi Britt, You can use the salted butter, just omit the salt in the recipe.
O.M.G. These were AMAZING! I’ve been dying to try them ever since I saw the recipe! I made them today and they were a slice of heaven. So decadent and so delicious! CCCs and salted caramel are two of my favorite things ever, and having them combined in one dessert is pure perfection. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Just made these last night for a work event and I’ve already had 3 people come over and tell me how awesome they are (and they’ve only been out a half hour!)!! I passed on your website to them. Thanks for the awesome treat! :)
Hi Stephanie, So glad these were a hit! And thank you for passing along the site! Happy Baking! :)
Made these today. So so so yum! Thanks.
Oh my goodness, these sound so decadent & delicious!
xo
http://allykayler.blogspot.com/
My daughter can’t eat chocolate – was wondering if I can substitute either butterscotch or peanut butter chips for the chocolate chips?
Hi Kristan, You could use either, although I would probably lean towards the peanut butter, which would balance the sweetness of the bar.
Made them last night with Reese’s peanut butter chips and they are outstanding! The only downside is trying to maintain self control and not eat the entire pan in one day!
holy cow. I want these so badly
I am nomming on one right now; they are SO good! The hardest part of this recipe was definitely waiting for them to cool enough to cut them. Crispy yet doughy/chewy, salty-sweet, chocolate and caramel. Unbelievably good!
Mine are in the oven right now. Some in the family don’t think a bar/brownie is complete without frosting. If I need to put a drizzle on these — what would you recommend? ………….. I am hoping to prove them wrong. Thanks, Sue
Hi Sue, I wouldn’t frost these, but if you need to use a drizzle, I would suggest either some melted chocolate or a little caramel sauce (or a little of both) to accent the flavors in the bar.
I love your blog & make the chocolate chip cookie recipe all the time! Was wondering is it possible to sub the cream out for milk?
Hi Patti, I have always made caramel sauces (either from scratch or with pre-made caramels) with cream, I’ve never used milk. I can’t say for sure what result you would have, although it may not thicken up to the level it does with the cream.
Wow. These look absolutely divine!! I’ll be making them very soon. Thanks for passing along the recipe!
i’ll be making these asap :) can’t get enough of salted caramel lately!
I think these would be amazing with chunks of Valrhona “Ivoire” chunks….to the ovens!
I made these last night and didn’t realize until I had put way too much caramel on top of the chocolate chip cookie dough layer that I was using a 8×8 instead of 9×9 pan, it ended up more like a caramel chocolate chip cookie swirl! haha. And on top of that I used my own homemade caramels with the extra whipping cream in them to make the “sauce” layer and I think it was a bit too liquidy, so they’re a huge gooey mess! But still wildly delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
You’re combining all of my favorite ingredients in this one bar. These look like they’re just loaded with goodness!
Oh wow. Salted caramel and chocolate are my favorite things. Could I use my own salted caramel recipe or do you need the firmness of the bought kind? I usually make a thick sauce. Thanks!
Hi Amanda, You could use your own. Just add enough to make a thin layer on top of the bottom cookie layer.
Hey Michelle,
Do you think I could use chocolate chunks instead, much like the ones called for in the coconut chocolate chunk blondies? Or might it just throw off the ratio of delicious to more delicious?
Hi Vicki, I honestly think that 2 cups of chocolate chunks here would be too much. The 2 cups of chocolate chips results in a LOT of chocolate. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! :)
I was going to type a comment, but then I drooled all over my keyboard. Holy yum