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If a caramel latte with extra drizzle is your coffee shop drink of choice, this dessert recipe is for you. Sweet, gooey and salty Caramel Bars only require 6 simple ingredients that you already have in your pantry: flour, granulated sugar, butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, and heavy cream.
If youโre the type of person who wishes it was socially acceptable to drink caramel through a straw, this recipe is for you. (I am one of those people, too!) You should also sip my caramel latte while baking.
This is an excellent way to use my small batch caramel sauce recipe. You will only need half of that recipe (or 1/2 cup) to make these caramel bars. Of course you can use a store-bought caramel, too, but please note that sauce is different from caramel ice cream topping (which is often too thin and watery).
The Ingredients
To make the caramel sauce from scratch, you will need:
- Sugar. We will dissolve one cup of granulated sugar in 1/4 cup of water to start the caramel sauce.
- Heavy Cream. We need 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of heavy cream for this recipe.
- Butter. One tablespoon of butter. We stir in butter at the end of making caramel sauce because adding fat stops the cooking process. This prevents the caramel from continuing to darken and caramelize as it cools.
- Salt. This is a salted caramel sauce recipe, so we need 1 full teaspoon of fine sea salt. Additionally, I like to decorate these caramel bars with the Maldon brand of large-flake sea salt before serving.
- Vanilla. One teaspoon of vanilla extract to deepen the flavor of the homemade salted caramel sauce.
For the shortbread crust on the caramel bars, you will need:
- Butter. We need 14 tablespoons of unsalted butter (softened) to make the shortbread portion of this recipe. Weโll use about three-quarters of the shortbread for the bottom crust, and then weโll sprinkle the remaining one-quarter on top decoratively (see photos for reference).
- Powdered Sugar. I always use 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in shortbread crust to keep it light and flaky, but if you donโt have any, you could use an equal amount of granulated sugar.
- Flour. One and a half cups plus two tablespoons of flour to make the shortbread curst.
How to Make Caramel Bars
First, make the caramel sauce: whisk together the sugar and water in a deep sauce pan. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn the heat to medium high.
The mixture will start to bubble, and slowly will turn a golden brown. Do not stir! When the mixture is as golden brown as you like your caramel sauce to be, turn off the heat and add the heavy cream.
The mixture will bubble up furiously (be careful, back up!). This is why weโre using a deep saucepan! After some of the bubbling calms down, whisk in the butter and salt. Then, finally whisk in the vanilla. Once smooth, pour into a jar or bowl to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit.
Now, make the shortbread crust: in a large bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, flour, and salt. Bring this mixture together using a pastry blender or two knives. It should be crumbly but hold together when squeezed in your hand.
Press three-quarters of the crust into an 8 or 9-inch square pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Press it flat with floured fingers.
Drizzle one-half cup of the caramel sauce over the bottom crust. You will have another 1/2 cup of sauce leftover for another recipe! Dot the remaining crust over the top of the caramel sauce, bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges are set. Let cool completely before attempting to slice.
To be fair, I only tested this recipe as you see written that includes with my homemade version. My caramel is thick enough to pour and drizzle but also hold its shape when baked. You should have great results if you experiment with a store-bought jar of artisanal caramel. However, DO NOT USE CARAMEL TOPPING OR ICE CREAM SAUCE. Caramel topping is much too thin and watery for this recipe to have great results. The extra moisture will cause the crust to be overly soggy.
Yes, double the recipe for the crust exactly as written, and use the entire batch of caramel sauce (1 cup) to make this in a 9ร13-inch pan. I have made these caramel bars in a 9ร13 pan for holiday gift giving, and it works perfectly.
I didnโt test the recipe with store-bought sugar cookie dough. I know that the shortbread crust in the photos looks similar to a roll of cookie dough, and you might be tempted to try it. In reality, shortbread crust has far less sugar than sugar cookie dough. I believe the excess sugar from the sugar cookie dough will make these caramel bars too soggy and soft. Itโs really best to follow the recipe as-written here.
Caramel Bars
Gooey, salty chewy perfect caramel bars in an 8 or 9 inch square pan.
Ingredients
- Salted Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream, warmed
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the caramel bars:
- 14 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce
Instructions
- First, make the caramel: in a deep saucepan (at least 2 quartsโno smaller because the mixture
bubbles up), add the sugar and water. Whisk to combine. - Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the whisk and wash it. Turn the heat to high and let the
mixture come to a strong bubble. You'r waiting for it to turn a medium amber color. It will take
about 7-10 minutes. Itโs important that you DO NOT STIR during this process at all!
Once the mixture is an amber color, turn off the heat. - Add the warmed cream to the pan. Be carefulโit will bubble up a lot!
- Then, using the clean whisk, add the butter and salt and whisk until the caramel is smooth. At the very end, whisk in the vanilla. Let cool until ready to use.
- Now, make the bars: Preheat the oven to 350. Line an 8โ or 9โ square pan with parchment paper.
- Combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, and salt. Use two knives or a
pastry blender until the mixture turns into a soft, shaggy dough. It doesnโt have to be too perfect
but no streaks of flour! - Press 3/4 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Drizzle ONLY 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce on top. (You will have extra caramel leftover).
- Scatter the remaining dough into pieces over the top of the cookie bars. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are set. Let cool completely, and then lift out using the parchment paper, slice and serve. Itโs easiest to cut these bars when theyโre cool or cold.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 328Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 354mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 0gSugar: 36gProtein: 1g
The recipe doesnโt say, is it meant to be 1.5 cups of flour + 2 tbsp? The flour also isnโt mentioned in the recipe card. Making it now and canโt wait to try them!