Chocolate and caramel stuffed in a sweet, oatmeal cookie crust? These carmelita bars are impossible to put down.
carmelita bars
These carmelita bars are easy to make and some of the most delicious cookies you'll ever have: Rich, gooey caramel stuffed with chocolate with a buttery brown sugar and oatmeal crust.
And good news! This recipe uses a shortcut to save you from unwrapping dozens of tiny caramel squares. Read on to learn more...
more yummy bar cookies
ingredients and tools
With just a few ingredients, you're on your way to divine bar cookies!
ingredients
BUTTER -- Start with melted, SALTED butter. If you only have unsalted, that works too. But I suggest adding ½ teaspoon of salt to the recipe.
LIGHT BROWN SUGAR -- Dark brown sugar works as well. Be sure to pack your brown sugar in the measuring cup.
PURE VANILLA EXTRACT -- Many recipes omit the extract, but I find it adds a great flavor.
QUICK COOKING ROLLED OATS -- I like to think the oats add some nutrition to justify eating an entire pan.
FLOUR -- Use all-purpose flour.
BAKING SODA -- As always, be sure not to substitute baking powder.
SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS -- There is plenty of sugar in this recipe, so the semi-sweet chips work best.
CAN OF NESTLE DULCE DE LECHE --And here is the secret ingredient! Instead of unwrapping lots of caramels and preparing your own sauce, this can of Nestle Dulce de Leche is the perfect amount and consistency to fill your bars.
Find the caramel in the baking aisle or in the Hispanic foods section of the supermarket.
tools
My other favorite thing about this recipe is you only need a couple of bowls and an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan.
Line the baking pan with lightly greased parchment paper OR non-stick foil.
how to make the oatmeal crust
First, melt the butter in the microwave or stove-top.
Add brown sugar and vanilla extract and stir well.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and oats. If you're using unsalted butter, add salt here.
Spread half of the mixture in the bottom of your lined baking pan.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
Prepare your filling
After baking the crust for 10 minutes, spread the chocolate chips on top.
Place dollops of the caramel across the baking pan. The heat should start to melt the caramel so you can spread evenly.
Crumble the rest of the topping on top and bake until bubbly and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
Let the bars set
It will take at least two hours at room temperature for the carmelitas to cool and set. You may also speed the process by placing the bars in the refrigerator.
Cut into 16 squares and enjoy!
Storing your carmelitas
Store in an air-tight container for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.
COOKIE TIPS
While our recipes provide both the metric and non-metric amounts, for best results, we recommend a digital scale.
I use an oven thermometer for accuracy. (This is how I know my oven runs 25 degrees cold.)
printable recipe
carmelita bars
The BEST, easy carmelita bars! Thick, gooey caramel and chocolate with a buttery, oatmeal and brown sugar crust.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter, melted (185 grams)
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar (160 grams)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (128 grams)
- 1 cup quick rolled oats (80 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
- 1 13.5 ounce can of Nestle Dulce de Leche caramel
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with lightly-greased parchment paper or non-stick foil.
- Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
- In a large bowl, briefly stir the flour, baking soda, salt (if using, see note) and oats.
- Pour the butter mixture over the flour and oats and blend well.
- Transfer slightly more than half of the mixture to the baking pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Scatter the chocolate chip on the crust.
- Spoon dollops of the dulce de leche over the chocolate chips and careful spread evenly.
- Crumble the remaining crust on top.
- Bake until bubbly and golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.
- Let cool for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Cut into 16 squares.
Notes
If using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon of salt with the flour.
We recommend weighing ingredients with a digital scale.
Use an oven thermometer to be sure your oven is at the right temperature.
You may chill in the refrigerator to set more quickly.
Find the dulce de leche in the baking aisle or Hispanic foods aisle of the supermarket.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 219Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 162mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g
HowToMakeEasyCookies.com offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you use to create this recipe.
more caramel recipes
Do you love caramel? Check out these recipes:
- Salted caramel Rice Krispie Treats
- Dulce de leche fudge
- "Caramel apple" grapes
- Chocolate caramel cashew clusters
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- white cake mix cookies - May 26, 2023
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