Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are rich, gooey, and irresistibly indulgent. Imagine buttery chocolate chip cookie dough layered with a creamy caramel center and topped with flaky sea salt—each bite is a sweet and salty dream come true! Perfect for parties, after-school snacks, or cozy nights in, these bars are easy to make and even easier to love.
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks salted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 10 oz soft caramels about 40 pieces, unwrapped
- 1 tsp flaked sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil and spray generously with cooking spray.
- Make the Dough: In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Mix until smooth. Gradually add flour until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Press and Layer: Press ¾ of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Make Caramel Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt caramels with sweetened condensed milk. Stir constantly until smooth.
- Assemble Bars:
- Pour ¾ of the caramel sauce over the cookie dough layer. Drop remaining dough in teaspoon-sized chunks over the top. (Save leftover caramel for drizzling over ice cream or pancakes!)
- Bake: Bake for 25–30 minutes or until the center is just set and the top is golden.
- Finish & Cool: Sprinkle with flaked sea salt. Let cool completely in the pan before slicing into bars.