These caramel oatmeal bars — also called caramelitas — have a chewy oatmeal cookie base, a layer of chocolate chips and thick, gooey caramel, topped with more oatmeal cookie dough. They’re rich, indulgent, and perfect for anyone who loves caramel. 
If you haven’t tried a caramelita yet, these bars are a must. They’re essentially an oatmeal cookie bar filled with chocolate chips and generous pockets of caramel. The cookie layers are slightly chewy with golden, slightly crisp edges. The same dough makes both the bottom and top layers, and it’s all mixed in one bowl with no electric mixer required—making this an easy, straightforward recipe.
Making Caramelitas
Begin the oatmeal layers by whisking together melted butter, light brown sugar and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour, baking soda, a pinch of salt, and the oats until combined. You can mix everything by hand. Press a little more than half of the dough into a lined baking pan and bake that base for about 15–20 minutes—this pre-bake is important so the bottom layer sets and doesn’t remain raw.
After the base has baked and cooled for about 10 minutes, evenly sprinkle chocolate chips over it, then pour a thick caramel sauce on top. Use a thick caramel so it stays in place rather than seeping into the base. Take the reserved dough, section it into small pieces, flatten them slightly, and arrange them over the caramel to form the top layer; you can also crumble the dough over the caramel if you prefer. Some caramel peeking through is normal and will spread a bit during baking. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the top is golden.
Many recipes call for unwrapping and melting individually wrapped caramels with evaporated milk, but a jarred caramel sauce saves time. Heat it slightly to make it easier to spoon or pour. Choose a thick variety so it won’t simply run through the oat layer.
Note about eggs: This recipe contains no eggs. The bars still bake up chewy and delicious without them.
Pan Sizes
I made this in a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) pan for thick, generous bars and a large batch.
For thinner bars, prepare the same recipe in a 10×15 inch (25.5×38 cm) jelly roll pan. In that case, the base layer needs only about 10 minutes to bake before adding chocolate chips and caramel; after topping, bake another 15–20 minutes until golden. If you plan to cut many small pieces for a cookie tray, the jelly roll pan works well because the bars will slice more easily. When using a jelly roll pan, lightly grease it rather than relying on parchment to lift the whole tray out, since a large batch can be difficult to remove.
To make a smaller batch, halve the recipe and use an 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) pan. The base layer should bake about 15 minutes before adding the toppings, then another 15–20 minutes after topping.
Baking tips For Caramel Oatmeal Bars
- Use rolled oats—either old-fashioned or quick oats will work. Do not use instant or steel-cut oats.
- Let the baked base cool about 10 minutes before adding chocolate chips and caramel. This helps prevent the caramel from seeping into the base, preserving the pools of gooey caramel in the finished bars.
- Always add chocolate chips first, then spoon the caramel on top. The chocolate layer helps act as a barrier so the caramel won’t soak into the base.
- For noticeable caramel pools, choose a very thick caramel topping—a spoonable jarred sauce works best.
- Cool the bars completely before slicing; warm bars will be too soft and messy to cut cleanly.
- Dulce de leche can be used in place of caramel for a slightly different flavor—but both are delicious.
For other cookie bar ideas, try variations like oatmeal fudge bars, caramel crumb bars, or chocolate chip cookie bars.
Caramelitas – AKA Caramel Oatmeal Bars
Equipment
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9×13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan – see notes for alternatives
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cup unsalted butter (300 grams), melted
- 1 1/3 cup light brown sugar (266 grams) or 2/3 cup brown sugar + 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (219 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups rolled oats (200 grams) quick or old-fashioned oats work
- 2 cups chocolate chips (260 grams)
- 1 cup caramel sauce (240 ml) choose a thick variety
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang, or line with foil and lightly grease.
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In a large bowl whisk melted butter, brown sugar and vanilla until combined and uniform.
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Stir in flour, baking soda and salt, then fold in the oats.
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Press about half the mixture into the prepared pan to form an even base. Refrigerate the remaining dough. Bake the base for about 15–20 minutes, or until golden.
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Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
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Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the warm base.
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Spoon the thick caramel sauce over the chocolate chips. Warm the caramel slightly if needed to make it easier to pour.
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Divide the remaining cookie dough into small pieces, flatten and place over the caramel to form a top layer, or crumble the dough over the top; some caramel showing through is fine.
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Bake again for about 15–20 minutes, until the top is golden.
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Cool completely before slicing—this can take several hours.
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Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars from the pan, place on a cutting board, and slice with a large sharp knife.
Notes
- Pan Sizes:
- Standard batch: 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) pan.
- Thinner bars: 10×15 inch (25.5×38 cm) jelly roll pan. Bake the base 10 minutes, then the completed bars about 15 minutes or until golden. Grease rather than relying on parchment for large trays.
- Smaller batch: Half the recipe in an 8×8 inch pan. Adjust ingredient quantities accordingly and bake times as noted above.
- Caramel Sauce: Use a thick caramel to reduce seepage into the base layer. Dulce de leche is a good substitute.
- Storage: Keep bars in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to one week. Freeze for up to two months and thaw in the fridge.
- Nutrition: Nutrition values are estimates based on cutting the pan into 15 equal pieces.
Nutrition
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