Caramel cookie bars are buttery shortbread filled with soft and chewy salted caramel. The cookie dough is both the base and cookie crumble topping making these cookie bars a breeze to prepare. Perfect for sharing at parties and gifting at Christmas!
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As a busy mama and self taught baker, cookie bar recipes save me all the time! In this recipe a simple homemade caramel sauce is tucked between a buttery shortbread crumble. And if making your own caramel sauce feels too daunting, you can make these caramel bars using caramel sauce from the store. An easy recipe that's sure to become a favorite!
Caramel treats like Twix cake, caramelitas, biscoff caramel tart and homemade caramels are my favorite! Much like my brown sugar caramel cookies, you will love the soft shortbread and gooey caramel middle. No chilling of the cookie dough, simply make the caramel sauce, mix the cookie dough, layer in an 8x8 pan and bake. Then try not to devour the whole pan in a day! {The whole pan disappeared the night I made tested them for Sunday dinner dessert.}
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🛒 ingredients notes and substitutions
I wanted the caramel flavor to shine in this recipe. So we are making the cookie bars without chocolate or chocolate chips. If you wanted to add some chocolate, I would add some mini chocolate chips with the crumbled cookie dough on top of the caramel. A drizzle of melted chocolate would also work over the top of the baked bars.
I also debated having you bake the base first, followed by the caramel and shortbread crumble topping. But I bet you are as busy as I am and want to just put a dessert in the oven and be done, right?
Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.
- Caramel ~ an absolute necessity for this recipe. I tested with both a store bought caramel sauce {Trader Joe’s salted caramel} and with a homemade caramel sauce. My testers liked the chewy texture that came from using the homemade caramel sauce best.
- Cornstarch ~ the secret ingredient that creates a chewy caramel layer! If you prefer a more gooey middle the cornstarch can be left out.
- Egg ~ one large egg yolk adds richness and softness to the shortbread. You can save the egg white to use for meringue cookies or for vanilla snack cake.
- Kosher salt ~ brings balance and flavor and helps to cut the sweetness. If you only have table salt, use half the amount.
- Flaky sea salt {optional} ~ sprinkle over the top of the caramel cookie bars when you remove them from the oven. This creates that salty sweet combo. Murray River pink salt flakes are what I use in my kitchen.
🥣 how to make in photos
Start by making the homemade salted caramel. If you need a visual, see this cookie butter caramel sauce post.
Then preheat oven to 350°F and line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand held mixer beat together the unsalted butter, kosher salt, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar until creamy.
Scrape up and down the bowl, then add in the egg yolk and vanilla and mix on medium-low until fully incorporated.
Now add the all-purpose flour and mix on low until a clumpy dough is formed.
Take about ¾ of the dough and press it into the prepared pan, covering the bottom in an even layer and slightly coming up the sides of the pan, which helps to keep the caramel from melting out.
Now spread the caramel sauce over the cooke dough, the caramel should be thick, but spreadable. If it has thickened too much to spread, lightly warm it.
Then crumble the remaining cookie dough over the top of the caramel.
Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are just barely browning, about 25-30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. Top with flaky sea salt, when hot from the oven if desired. Once cool, a dusting of confectioners' sugar can also be added.
👩🏻🍳 tips for the best chewy caramel bars
Line the baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
Allow the bars to cool completely before slicing, otherwise the caramel sauce will melt out.
For the caramel cookie bars, I recommend baking in a light colored 8x8 baking pan. A dark pan will absorb more heat and can cause the edges to burn while the middle is undercooked. Glass pans also distribute the heat differently and can have similar results to dark colored baking pans. If baking in glass, it’s recommended to lower the temperature by 25°F and bake for a few minutes longer.
Remember your oven is different from mine and the baking time may be slightly different. I use this oven thermometer to ensure my oven is at the temperature I think it is.
Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make these Shortbread Caramel Cookie Bars. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!
If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!
📖 recipe
Easy Shortbread Caramel Cookie Bars
recipe created and tested by:
I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.
Please note
When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams in parenthesis DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.
Ingredients
salted caramel sauce
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (42g)
- ¼ cup heavy cream room temperature (60mL)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon water
cookie bars
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature (170g)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar (60g)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (188g)
- Flaky sea salt confectioners' sugar for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Make the salted caramel: Add ½ cup of granulated sugar (100g) to a medium saucepan and heat over medium, stirring constantly. Use a wooden spoon or a high heat resistant rubber spatula.
- The sugar will start to melt. Then it will clump together before melting into a thick amber colored liquid.
- When the sugar is fully melted, add the room temperature butter (3 tablespoons/42g). The butter will cause the sugar to bubble rapidly, so use caution in this step.
- Whisk the butter into the caramel until it is completely incorporated. I prefer using a whisk to keep the butter and sugar from separating, but your wooden spoon or spatula can work as well. When the butter and sugar are fully incorporated, slowly add the room temperature heavy cream (¼ cup/60mL) while continuing to whisk (or stir). Again, the mixture will bubble rapidly, so use caution.
- Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla (½ teaspoon) and kosher salt (¼ teaspoon). Dissolve the cornstarch (½ teaspoon) in water (½ teaspoon) and then stir into the caramel sauce.
- Carefully pour caramel into a heatproof container and allow to cool a bit while you prepare the cookie bars.
- Make the cookie bars: preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand held mixer beat together the unsalted butter (¾ cup/170g), kosher salt (½ teaspoon), granulated sugar (½ cup/100g) and confectioners' sugar (½ cup/60g) until creamy; start on low until incorporated and then on medium-low (speed 4 on KitchenAid) until creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Scrape up and down the bowl, then add in the egg yolk (1 large) and vanilla (1 teaspoon) and mix on medium-low until fully incorporated.
- Now add the all-purpose flour (1 ½ cups/188g) and mix on low (stir on KitchenAid) until a clumpy dough is formed.
- Take about ¾ of the dough (approximately 400g) and press it into the prepared pan, covering the bottom in an even layer and slightly coming up the sides of the pan, which helps to keep the caramel from melting out.
- Now spread the caramel sauce over the cooke dough, the caramel should be thick, but spreadable. If it has thickened too much to spread, lightly warm it.
- Then crumble the remaining cookie dough over the top of the caramel.**
- Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are just barely browning, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing and serving. Top with flaky sea salt, when hot from the oven if desired. Once cool, a dusting of confectioners' sugar can also be added.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.
Michelle says
These bars were so decadent and delicious! I made half the batch in a loaf tin, and it was just enough for my little family!
Tasia says
I'm so happy you loved them Michelle! I often make a half batch in a loaf pan too.