Description
Salted caramel chocolate chip oat cookie bars blend rich flavors from classic comfort desserts. Creamy caramel and dark chocolate chunks create an irresistible treat you’ll want to savor slowly.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- ½ tsp flaky sea salt, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preparation: Line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy removal.
- Dry Mixture: Combine flour, rolled oats, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl, ensuring thorough integration.
- Dough Formation: Merge melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract with dry ingredients, mixing until a uniform dough develops.
- Base Layer: Press half the dough evenly into the prepared pan, creating a solid foundation.
- Initial Baking: Roast the base in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes until slightly firm and golden.
- Chocolate and Caramel Layer: Scatter chocolate chips across the partially baked base, then drizzle caramel sauce uniformly over the surface.
- Seasoning: Sprinkle flaky sea salt to elevate the caramel’s depth and complexity.
- Topping Application: Crumble remaining dough over the caramel, creating an artistic, slightly exposed layer.
- Final Baking: Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, achieving a rich, amber-toned surface.
- Cooling and Serving: Allow complete cooling in the pan, then lift using parchment edges and slice into elegant squares ready for enjoyment.
Notes
- Prevent Sticking Smartly: Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving overhanging edges for easy removal and preventing potential cookie bar breakage during extraction.
- Balance Moisture Perfectly: Avoid overmixing the dough to maintain a tender, soft texture; mix just until ingredients combine to prevent tough, dense bars.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Sprinkle flaky sea salt strategically to elevate the caramel’s richness and create a sophisticated sweet-salty flavor contrast that tantalizes taste buds.
- Control Baking Precision: Watch the bars closely during the final 15-20 minutes to achieve a golden-brown color without overcooking, ensuring a soft, chewy center with crisp edges.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 17
- Calories: 330
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg