These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are the ultimate dessert bar. This little bar packs in sticky, sweet, salty and tons of overall deliciousness!
Best part of this recipe is you can either follow it exact by making the cookie dough, or if you are short on time grab your favorite store bought chocolate chip cookie dough.
This recipe for Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Bars was originally published here in 2014 but since then I've republished with updated photos. Recipe is just as good as the day it was published.
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I love to serve these caramel cookie bars for Thanksgiving and then serve my M&M Cookie Bars for Christmas.
These sweet treats are the perfect finish to a holiday meal. Need some holiday meal inspiration? Try my Green Bean Casserole for a fresh twist on a classic or my perfectly tender-crisp Brussels Sprouts with pancetta!
🛒Key Ingredients
You can find the full list of ingredients in the printable recipe card below.
You will basically need the usual baking ingredients like all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder etc.
The ingredients that make this recipe a bit different are chewy caramel candy, coarse sea salt and chocolate chunks.
Sure, you could use chocolate chip morsels if you want but there's just a little something special about the big chocolate chunks coming together with the ooey, gooey, chewy caramel that justifies an extra trip to the store for chunks!
🔪Instructions
Start off by combining the flour, salt and baking soda. Set that aside.
Next, is creaming together the butter and sugars, then the egg and egg yolk and the vanilla.
Once that is all combined, slowly mix in the flour mixture.
The dough will be on the thicker side, that's okay.
Fold in the chocolate chunks.
Spread half the mixture in a prepared baking pan.
Make the caramel sauce easily in the microwave and pour it all over the dough in the pan.
Sprinkle some coarse sea salt over the caramel.
This last part is my favorite because there is no need to be neat or precise. Just grab some globs of the remaining cookie dough and plop them on the salted caramel layer.
Bake.
Cool.
Slice.
🍽Serving suggestion
I would recommend serving these dessert bars as a Thanksgiving dessert, Christmas dessert, potluck or party.
Related: Christmas M&M Cookie Bar
Printable Recipe Card
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup flour all-purpose
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 10 tablespoons unsalted melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chunks
- 10 ounce chewy caramel candy
Caramel Filling
- 3 tablespoon half & half
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Prepare a 9x13 baking dish by spraying with non stick spray and lining with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add egg, egg yolk and extract. Mix until smooth. Add the dry ingredients, gradually, while mixing, until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Press half the cookie dough into the prepared pan and then prepare the caramel sauce.
- Pour caramel over layer of cookie dough and spread to make an even layer. Sprinkle sea salt over caramel. Use as much or as little as you prefer.
- Add remaining cookie dough to top of caramel, by dropping by the spoonful. No need to smooth, it will spread as it cooks. If desired top with additional sea salt.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until edges are pulling away from the sides.
- Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Caramel Sauce
- In a microwave safe bowl, add caramels, milk and butter. Microwave 20 seconds. Stir. Cook an additional 20 seconds. Stir. Continue until caramel is melted and smooth, about a minute total.
Danita @O Taste And See says
WOW! I can see why they were gone before any pictures could be taken. I pretty sure the same thing would have happened here. Great excuse to make more. Thanks for sharing! This would be great to share at Family Fun Friday...I'd love to have you stop by.
Kristin says
Great recipe! This is my go-to easy recipe when I need something to bring to a party.