Gooey caramel and chewy chocolate chip cookie dough come together in these irresistible caramel chocolate chip bars.
These caramel chocolate chip bars are decadently rich and satisfyingly chewy. The cookie dough layer is soft and tender with plenty of chocolate chips, while the caramel layer is thick, gooey and lightly salted to balance the sweetness. If you love extra-thick chocolate chip cookies, these bars are the perfect treat — they’re similar in spirit to caramel-stuffed brownies but with a cookie-bar texture.
Making Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Bars
The recipe is straightforward. Start by preparing a simple chocolate chip cookie dough, then make a quick caramel filling from caramels and sweetened condensed milk (no candy thermometer needed). Assemble the layers and bake until golden and set.
The cookie-dough texture falls between a blondie and a thick cookie:
- Beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy.
- Mix in the egg, additional egg yolk and vanilla.
- The extra egg yolk makes the bars more tender.
- Add the dry ingredients — flour, a little cornstarch and salt — and mix gently.
- This recipe omits baking powder and baking soda to keep the bars extra chewy and almost gooey.
- Cornstarch helps create the ideal cookie-bar texture; if you don’t have it, add an extra tablespoon of flour.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
The caramel filling is a simple shortcut made by melting chewy caramels with sweetened condensed milk. I tested both jarred caramel sauce and unwrapped caramels; jarred caramel tended to melt into the dough during baking, while very firm unwrapped caramels resulted in bars that were hard to slice. Melting chewy caramels with sweetened condensed milk creates a thick, gooey layer that holds up during baking without disappearing into the cookie dough.
- Melt the unwrapped caramels with sweetened condensed milk in the microwave or on the stove.
- In the microwave, use 45-second intervals at no more than 40% power, stirring between intervals until smooth.
- On the stove, melt over low heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stirring constantly and removing from heat occasionally to prevent burning.
Recipe Tip
Choose caramels that are firm but pull apart easily. Chewy Werther’s caramels or artisanal salted caramels work well. Avoid very hard caramels that won’t melt properly.
To assemble the bars, press about half to two-thirds of the cookie dough into the bottom of the prepared pan, pour the caramel over the base, then drop flattened spoonfuls of the remaining dough over the caramel to cover as much as possible (a little caramel peeking through is fine).
Bake the bars for about 33–38 minutes at 350°F (180°C). For a gooier cookie layer, bake on the shorter end of that range; bake longer if you prefer a firmer top.
Recipe Tip
Allow the bars to cool completely—at least a few hours—before slicing so the caramel layer can set. Cutting while warm can cause the caramel to ooze.
Chewy cookie dough and gooey salted caramel make these caramel-stuffed chocolate chip bars a wonderfully indulgent dessert for caramel lovers. For more caramel-based ideas, try similar cookie or bar recipes.
Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars
Equipment
- 8×8 inch (20×20 cm) pan
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (168 g), softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar (157 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk (discard the white)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (218 g)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or +1 tbsp flour)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips (about 180 g)
Caramel Layer
- 8 ounces chewy caramels (226 g)
- 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (160 ml) — lightly grease measuring cup
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, if not using salted caramels
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang, or line with foil and lightly grease. Lining the pan prevents the caramel from sticking.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy.
- Beat in the egg, extra egg yolk and vanilla until combined.
- Add the flour, cornstarch and salt and mix slowly on low speed until incorporated.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and set the dough aside while you make the caramel.
Caramel Filling
- Microwave: Place unwrapped caramels and sweetened condensed milk in a heatproof bowl. Microwave in 45-second intervals at no more than 40% power, stirring between intervals until smooth.
- Stovetop: Melt caramels and sweetened condensed milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat occasionally to avoid overheating and burning the caramel.
- Stir in sea salt if your caramels aren’t already salted.
Assemble & Bake the Bars
- Press 1/2 to 2/3 of the cookie dough into the bottom of the lined pan.
- Pour the caramel over the cookie base and spread into an even layer.
- Scoop remaining dough, flatten into discs and place over the caramel to cover as much as possible; a little caramel showing is fine.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 33–38 minutes, until the top is golden and set. Bake time depends on your oven and how gooey you prefer the cookie layer.
- Cool the bars in the pan until the pan is no longer warm to the touch — at least 4 hours. Lift the bars out using the parchment overhang, peel away the paper and slice with a sharp knife.
Notes
- Caramels: Use caramels that pull apart easily — Werther’s Chewy or artisanal caramels work well. Avoid very hard caramels that won’t melt smoothly.
- Storage: Store bars in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Refrigerating helps keep the caramel from getting too soft and oozing.
- Nutrition: Nutrition facts are estimates based on 12 bars. You can cut the pan into larger or smaller pieces to change serving size.