Description

These Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Oat Cookie Bars are a delightful combination of chewy oats, rich chocolate chips, and sweet caramel bits, topped with a sprinkle of sea salt for the perfect balance of flavors. Baked to golden perfection, these bars offer a deliciously satisfying treat that combines the comforting taste of classic cookies with the indulgence of salted caramel.

Ingredients

Scale

Wet Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix-ins and Toppings

2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup caramel bits or soft caramel candies, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides for easy removal later.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Stir in the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Add Mix-ins: Stir in the old-fashioned oats, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and caramel bits until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Spread Dough: Spread the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula to ensure even baking.
Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are set. Be careful not to overbake to maintain chewy texture.
Add Sea Salt: Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the sea salt evenly over the top of the bars for a perfect salted caramel finish.
Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, use the parchment overhang to lift the bars from the pan. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

For gooier bars, slightly underbake by a couple of minutes.
You can substitute caramel bits with chopped soft caramel candies for a more intense caramel flavor.
Use good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips for best taste.
Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
Reheat bars slightly before serving to soften the caramel.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: salted caramel, chocolate chip, oat cookie bars, baked cookie bars, caramel chocolate bars, dessert bars