Is there anything better than a cookie + salted caramel + oatmeal + chocolate?! These Salted Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Bars truly have it all!
Salted Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Ok story time: I got COVID back in August of 2021 – and I don’t get sick very often so I didn’t think it would be a huge deal. Noah got it the week before I did and he was just fine the whole time other than a bad headache for a couple days. Well that’s not what happened for me lol. I had a terrible go-round with COVID. I was stuck in bed almost all week and had hardly any strength. But the worst part? I lost my taste and smell completely for 6 months and when it did start to come back, some things tasted wildly different than they did before I had COVID.
This was actually quite ironic because I didn’t really believe people could completely lose their taste and smell. People started saying that was a symptom at the very beginning and I just couldn’t understand how you could lose both taste and smell completely. Well, let me tell you if you made it out without that symptom… it is REAL. It was actually a really difficult time for me too because tasting and smelling are both such huge parts of what I do both for my blog and full-time at eMeals.
When those 6 months were over, though and I started to get my taste back I was overjoyed! Noah and I legitimately prayed for it to come back every day because I was so afraid it would never come back. I’m so thankful it did. The one thing that *unfortunately* tastes completely different is chocolate. Honestly, it tastes pretty bad anytime I eat it. I’m still working at training my taste to get back to where it was, but this whole chocolate problem sparked a love of oatmeal cookies, and that’s something I’m not complaining about.
What are Salted Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Bars?
These cookie bars are a base oatmeal cookie recipe, filled with chopped chocolate, homemade salted caramel, and topped with more cookie dough. Honestly, I couldn’t think up a better dessert if I tried. I’m so happy with how these turned out, and the best part is that if you’re like me and chocolate is *sadly* not your favorite, you can take it out. The brown sugar, oats, and caramel are the stars of the show here.
Equipment for these bars
- Mixing bowls: I love these glass mixing bowls from Amazon. They’re especially perfect for food photography.
- Measuring cups/spoons: I’ve been linking these in all of my posts because I love them SO much! They are beautiful and look just like some other expensive ones on the market (but wayyy cheaper).
- Parchment Paper Sheets: say goodbye to the annoying rolls of parchment paper. These parchment sheets are a kitchen staple, makes everything so much easier!
- 9-inch square pan: I love everything USA pan makes, they use a light-colored metal and have crisp sides.
Ingredients for Salted Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Bars
- Old-fashioned oats
- Chopped pecans
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Large eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Bittersweet chocolate
- Heavy cream
Tips for these Bars
- Read my homemade caramel post. If you’ve never made your own caramel, don’t be intimidated! If you follow this recipe exactly as I have it written in this blog post, you won’t fail! You just need to pay close attention to it and remove the caramel when it begins to darken into a beautiful brown-amber color. The recipe is fail-proof, and I walk you through it step-by-step. Of course, if you’re crunched for time or you’d rather use store-bought caramel, that’s perfectly fine as well.
- Be careful when handling the caramel. There’s nothing worse than a sugar burn. Just be sure you’re being careful when transferring the caramel to the bars, and stirring the cream and butter into the mixture.
- Don’t forget to omit chocolate chips in the cookie recipe. We’re adding delicious chopped bittersweet chocolate to the inside of the bars, so no need to add chocolate chips to the actual cookie dough as I do in this recipe.
- Don’t overbake! These bars will have quite a jiggle to them when you bake them the second time. Don’t worry, that’s mainly because the caramel underneath that second layer of dough hasn’t set up yet, so it’ll look more on the jiggly side in the center. Just look for slight golden brown edges and that’s when you’ll know they’re done!
If you’re confused by the process of this recipe you can go check out this reel for a better understanding!
These have quickly become one of mine and Noah’s favorite desserts. They’re easy because they bake in one pan and sooo worth the time! If you bake these be sure to tag me @sarahsdayoff so I can see them!
Love,
Sarah
“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” -Habakkuk 3:17-18-
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Salted Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 1 batch oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough omit the chocolate chips
- 1 batch homemade caramel* salted caramel variation
- 1 (4-oz) bar bittersweet chocolate chopped
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on each side. Spray with cookie spray.
- Prepare cookie dough according to directions in this blog post, omitting the chocolate chips. Do not chill the dough.
- Spoon about 2/3 of the dough into prepared baking pan, pressing into an even layer with the back of a spoon. Bake 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the caramel according to this blog post, using the salted caramel variation; set aside to cool slightly.
- Sprinkle chocolate over first layer of dough in a single layer. Drizzle with 3/4 cup salted caramel, spreading into an even layer with the back of a spoon.
- Evenly distribute remaining 1/3 dough in pieces over the caramel (it's ok if it doesn't completely cover the caramel - I think it looks pretty to have some caramel showing through).
- Bake additional 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown and center is still slightly jiggly. Cool bars completely in pan before sprinkling with salt, slicing and serving.
Notes
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