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A Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar is a soft and delicious chocolate chip cookie that has a layer of salted caramel baked in the middle. It is gooey, amazing, and downright sinful in the very best of ways. I ate more than I would care to admit, but I just couldn’t help myself.
There is a part of me that feels selfish with this whole “Search for the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie” thing.
But the truth is that although I am totally in heaven with making these recipes…you are absolutely benefiting too.
Who doesn’t want a dozen amazing chocolate chip cookie recipes that they can choose from whenever they feel like it? You are right! Nobody! Maybe I should just say, “You’re welcome!”
How to Make Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars start with an amazing chocolate chip cookie recipe.
- Begin by melting your butter in the microwave.
- Add both brown and granulated sugars to the melted butter and stir until it has pretty much dissolved.
- Then add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla to the mixture and stir. You want to be sure that everything is incorporated well, but don’t go too crazy or it can make your dough tough.
- Then add your dry ingredients {flour, baking soda, corn starch and salt} and stir until everything is mixed well.
- Finally, add your chocolate chips. I decided to go with mini chocolate chips but use whatever you have on hand. Mix them in so that they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Put about 2/3 of the dough into a 8×8 pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray and pat it down into the pan. You want an even layer of dough.
- Then spoon and spread out the caramel over the first layer of chocolate chip cookie dough.
- Sprinkle the top of the caramel with kosher salt, being sure to get it evenly distributed.
- Then top the salted caramel layer with the remaining 1/3 of cookie dough. Try to get it into an even layer.
- Bake in a 325 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cookie bars are golden brown. Cool for 20-30 minutes at room temperature.
If you are serving warm then you can go ahead and cut them at this time.
Serve with more kosher salt on top if desired, but I think they are perfect just how they are. A scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have a dessert that dreams are made of.
This is a dessert that I would be proud to serve at a dinner party or holiday gathering. They are soft, salty and absolutely delicious. I couldn’t get enough!
Expert Tips
- When melting butter, I like to stop it when the butter is almost melted. This ensures that it isn’t too hot and won’t scramble my eggs when I add it. If, for some reason, you get sidetracked and melt it for too long, then just let it cool for a while at room temperature before adding the rest of the ingredients.
- It can be a little more difficult to add the chocolate chips when you are working with a cookie dough that starts with melted butter. Just be patient and use your hands if you need to.
- I have found that these Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars cut better if you put them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Why add Cornstarch to your Chocolate Chip Cookies
We know that cornstarch can thicken sauces and other mixtures, but it can also be added to baked goods.
When used in combination with flour, it can soften the harsh proteins of the flour and make your cookies {or cakes} more tender.
Do you love Chocolate Chip Cookies? Try these recipes…
Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter, melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, whites discarded from 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ¾-1 cup caramel sauce
- ¾-1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. Spray a 8×8 pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine melted butter and sugars. Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla to butter and sugar mixture, stir to combine. Add flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt and mix until incorporated. Finally, all chocolate chips to dough and stir to combine. NOTE: It can sometimes be hard to mix the chocolate chips into a dough with melted butter, so be patient and use your hands if needed.
- Put 2/3 of the cookie dough into the prepared 8×8 pan and press into the bottom. Pour caramel sauce over the cookie dough layer and sprinkle with kosher salt. Top with remaining 1/3 of cookie dough and gently press to try and get an even layer.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cookie bars are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting. Serve with additional kosher salt on top {optional}. Store in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These Salted Caramel Cookie Bars are easy to make and have the perfect combination of sweet and salty.