Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe

Ben Carraoli

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe

I just pulled a hot pan of these salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars from the oven, and I can’t wait to share the recipe with you. When I first layered gooey caramel between a classic chocolate chip cookie dough, the result was pure magic. 

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

2 ⅛ cups ≈ 265.6 g all‑purpose flour — A good base for texture; don’t substitute with whole wheat here if you want that tender chew.
½ teaspoon baking soda — Helps the bars rise just enough and spread nicely.
½ teaspoon salt — Enhances flavor and balances the sweetness; be sure it’s measured accurately.
12 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled to room temperature — Using melted butter gives the bars a denser, fudge‑like chew; I always let it cool so it doesn’t start cooking the eggs early.
1 cup ≈ 220 g light brown sugar — Gives depth and moistness thanks to the molasses content.
½ cup ≈ 100 g granulated sugar — Adds crispness at the edges and balances the texture.
1 egg — Helps bind everything together.
1 egg yolk — Adds extra richness and chew‑factor.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract — Enhances the overall flavor; fresh extract tastes better than imitation.
2 cups ≈ 360 g semi‑sweet chocolate chips — A generous amount of chocolate makes these feel decadent.
10 ounces ≈ 283.5 g caramel candy squares, unwrapped — These melt down into the gooey caramel layer; I find using the candy pieces makes the process more reliable.
3 tablespoons heavy cream — Combines with the caramel squares to make a smooth caramel layer.
Fleur de sel or other sea salt for sprinkling over caramel and bars — The final sprinkle elevates the sweet/salty contrast and gives a gourmet flair.

Method

First I pre‑heated the oven to 325 °F (about 163 °C) and greased a 9‑inch square pan, lining it with parchment paper and leaving the edges hanging for easy lifting.
Next I whisked together the flour, baking soda and salt in one bowl, then in another I beat melted butter with both sugars until combined. I added the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, then slowly mixed in the dry ingredients and stirred in the chocolate chips.
I pressed half the dough into the prepared pan, smoothing it. In a microwave‑safe bowl I melted the caramel squares with heavy cream, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth. I poured the caramel over the dough layer (leaving about ½‑inch border), sprinkled sea salt, then dolloped the remaining cookie dough on top and gently spread it to cover the caramel. I sprinkled more sea salt, baked for approximately 30 minutes until the top was light golden and edges pulled away, then cooled on a rack and refrigerated about 30 minutes to let the caramel fully set.

Notes

I found that letting the melted butter cool to room temperature before mixing helps prevent the eggs from cooking prematurely.
I always press the dough evenly in the pan, because that ensures consistent thickness and even baking across all bars.
If your kitchen is warm, I found refrigerating the finished bars for 30 minutes makes cutting cleaner pieces and stops the caramel from oozing.
I sprinkle sea salt at two stages — once over the caramel layer and again on top of the dough — that double sprinkle boosts the salty‑sweet effect.
I store extras in an airtight container right after they’ve cooled, and they maintain texture and flavor best when kept at room temperature for the first day then chilled if your space is warm.