Chocolate Caramel Bars

These easy Chocolate Caramel Bars are DANGEROUSLY delicious. A layer of chocolate and caramel is nestled between sweet and crisp oats. A must try!

These Chocolate Caramel Bars are one of the first recipes I ever posted.

I’m often asked why I started a food blog and my answer is always the same: “I was bored”. I needed an outlet and something that was mine alone. I never dreamed it could and would become my career! I was simply having a good time creating recipes like these Chocolate Caramel Bars and posting them for friends and family. I hope you enjoy!

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Caramel Bar Recipe

Quick & Easy – Chocolate caramel bars are super delicious and don’t take much time at all to make.

Balanced – They’re sweet but they have a slightly salty finish that balances the flavor. My favorite part is the outside where it’s a little more crisp but the gooey center is a treat all on its own!

Freeze Them – They freeze well, too, so I’ll keep a few tucked away for times when I have a craving.

Great Gifts – These square shaped bars are perfect for packing in a tin can and handing out during the holidays or any special occasion.

Ingredients For Chocolate Caramel Bars

You can see from this list that these oatmeal caramel bars don’t have many ingredients – just 8 including salt! They’re all common, shelf-stable ingredients (except for the butter, of course, which should be refrigerated), too.

• Brown sugar
• Butter
• All-purpose flour – Substitute with gluten-free almond flour while adding a slightly nuttier flavor.
• Baking soda
• Kosher salt
• Quick-cooking oats
• Chocolate chips – I use a combination of milk and dark chips. I prefer Ghirardelli chocolate chips but use what you prefer
• Caramel sauce – homemade caramel or store-bought

How To Make Caramel Chocolate Bars

• Beat the butter and brown sugar until it’s smooth and creamy. Add 2 cups of the flour, the baking soda, and the salt and mix well. Mix in the oats until just combined.
• Press half of the mixture in the bottom of a well-greased 11×7 pan (or 9×13) (spraying one hand with cooking spray makes this less sticky).
• Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Mix the remaining flour with the caramel sauce until it’s thoroughly combined (microwave your sauce to make it easily mixable if you need to).
• Pour the caramel mixture over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the remaining crust over the top, trying to cover as much as possible. Bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and cooked through.
• Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely. Cut into bars and serve.

I’ve also made these with a pinch of salt added to the caramel sauce since I love salted caramel. They don’t really need it, but give it a try if salted caramel is your thing.

Chocolate Caramel Bars Variations

• Use chocolate chip cookie dough as a base layer with these dessert bars.
• Add chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, macadamias, hazelnuts, or cashews.
• Make them colorful with sprinkles, M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, or yogurt chips.
• Make it minty with Andes Mints.
• Swap the chocolate chips for white chocolate, butterscotch, or peanut butter chips.
• Add dried cranberries, raisins, chopped dried apricots, chia seeds, or shredded coconut.
• Swirl in a scoop of peanut butter or almond butter.
• Try adding 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. This secret ingredient will enhance the flavor of the chocolate and it won’t make the the cookie overly spicy.

Storage

These chocolate caramel bars can be kept on the counter or fridge for up to a week in an airtight container. They can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Wrap them individually in plastic wrap prior to storing them in the freezer. To thaw, just let them rest on the counter overnight.

Have you made these Chocolate Caramel Bars? If you share on social media, be sure to tag me @thewickednoodle on all social channels. I’d love to see your creation!

Continue to Content

Chocolate Caramel Bars

Yield: 16 bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

A layer of chocolate and caramel is nestled between sweet and crispy oats. A must try!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups plus 3 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, I use a combination of milk and dark chips
• 3/4 cup caramel sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Beat the butter and brown sugar until it's smooth and creamy. Add 2 cups of the flour, the baking soda, and the salt and mix well. Mix in the oats until just combined.
3. Press half of the mixture in the bottom of a well-greased 11x7 pan (or 9x13) (spraying one hand with cooking spray makes this less sticky).
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Mix the remaining flour with the caramel sauce until it's thoroughly combined (microwave your sauce to make it easily mixable if you need to).
5. Pour the caramel mixture over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the remaining crust over the top, trying to cover as much as possible. Bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and cooked through.
6. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool completely. Cut into bars and serve.
   

Notes

The bars for the number of servings are cut generously. You can get more bars by cutting them smaller.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 414mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 2gSugar: 32gProtein: 3g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is the recipe creator behind The Wicked Noodle. She's a five-time cookbook author, has taught cooking classes to both kids and adults, and has been creating recipes for nationwide brands since 2009. She learned most of her cooking skills from her mom and grandmother, then honed those skills at boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America.

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