Description
Indulgent salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars promise sweet-salty bliss with rich chocolate and golden caramel ribbons. Gooey centers and crisp edges make these bars an irresistible treat you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups (532 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups (340 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (165 grams) packed brown sugar
Caramel Ingredients:
- 1 (14 ounces/396 grams) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup (110 grams) packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (plus extra for sprinkling)
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the oven at 350F (175C) and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring complete coverage for easy removal.
- Sift flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl, creating a uniform dry mixture that will ensure even distribution of ingredients.
- Cream butter with granulated and brown sugars using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy, indicating proper aeration.
- Incorporate eggs individually into the butter-sugar mixture, mixing thoroughly after each addition to maintain a smooth consistency. Blend in vanilla extract.
- Gently fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until just combined to prevent overmixing. Delicately incorporate chocolate chips throughout the dough.
- Create caramel filling by combining sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat. Continuously stir for 10-12 minutes until the mixture transforms into a rich, golden-brown caramel.
- Remove caramel from heat and enhance with vanilla extract and sea salt, allowing the flavors to meld while cooling slightly.
- Spread half of the cookie dough evenly across the prepared pan, creating a solid base layer for the caramel filling.
- Carefully pour the caramel layer over the cookie base, ensuring even coverage. Distribute remaining cookie dough in dollops across the caramel, gently spreading to cover most of the surface.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top achieves a golden hue and edges appear set, indicating perfect doneness.
- Immediately after removing from the oven, sprinkle additional sea salt for enhanced flavor. Allow bars to cool completely before cutting into squares for clean, precise slices.
Notes
- Customize Caramel Intensity by adjusting the cooking time for the caramel filling, shorter for a lighter flavor and longer for a deeper, more robust taste.
- Create Gluten-Free Version by substituting all-purpose flour with a high-quality gluten-free flour blend, ensuring the texture remains soft and chewy.
- Reduce Sugar Content by using alternative sweeteners like monk fruit or stevia, which can help lower the overall calorie count while maintaining sweetness.
- Enhance Flavor Complexity by experimenting with different chocolate chip varieties, such as dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or a mix of both, to add depth to the cookie bars.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 16
- Calories: 270 kcal
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg