Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe
Delight in these Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars featuring a luscious layer of melted caramel sandwiched between soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie layers. Perfectly baked to golden perfection with creamy chocolate chips and a gooey caramel center, this dessert will satisfy your sweet tooth with every bite.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Layer
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
Caramel Layer
- 11 oz bag caramel bits
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (from the 2 tsp total, reserve 1 tsp for caramel layer)
Instructions
- Prepare Cookie Dough: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the instant vanilla pudding mix and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, blending until fully incorporated.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Combine 1 1/4 cups of the flour with baking soda and baking powder, then gradually add to the wet mixture, stirring until uniform. Add the remaining 1 cup of flour and blend again until a soft dough forms. Fold in the milk chocolate chips evenly.
- Assemble Cookie Base: Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Press about two-thirds of the cookie dough firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan to form the base layer. Set aside the remaining dough for topping.
- Make Caramel Layer: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine caramel bits and milk, stirring continuously until the caramel is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Pour this warm caramel mixture evenly over the cookie dough layer in the pan.
- Top Layer Assembly: Break the reserved cookie dough into small pieces and scatter them evenly over the caramel layer, creating a crumbly topping.
- Bake: Place the baking pan in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top turns a golden brown and the bars are set.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookie bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares. This helps the caramel layer set for clean slices.
Notes
- Ensure the caramel is stirred continuously while melting to prevent burning.
- Use a greased or parchment-lined 9×13 inch pan for easy removal.
- Cooling the bars fully before cutting helps maintain neat edges given the gooey caramel center.
- Instant pudding mix adds extra moisture and softness to the cookie layer.
- You can substitute milk chocolate chips with semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips if preferred.
Keywords: caramel, chocolate chips, cookie bars, chewy, dessert, homemade, baking, sweets, caramel layer
