Gooey Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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If you love chocolate chip cookies and gooey caramel, these Gooey Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are your dream dessert. Soft, chewy, and loaded with pockets of molten caramel and melty chocolate, these bars take cookie baking to the next level. Perfect for sharing at parties, gifting, or just indulging on a cozy night, these bars are simple to make but look impressively decadent.

Why You’ll Love These Cookie Bars

  • Gooey & Chewy: A soft, tender base loaded with chocolate chips and caramel.
  • Perfectly Balanced: Sweet caramel with a hint of flaky sea salt keeps flavors irresistible.
  • Easy to Make: No complicated folding or layering, just straightforward mixing.
  • Great for Sharing: Cut into squares for parties, lunchboxes, or dessert platters.
  • Customizable: Swap chocolate types, use vegan butter, or drizzle extra caramel on top.

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup soft caramel candies, cut into small pieces
  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven & Prepare Pan: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
  4. Combine Ingredients: Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and caramel pieces gently.
  5. Transfer to Pan: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips and a pinch of sea salt on top for extra texture.
  6. Bake: Bake 25–30 minutes, or until edges are golden but the center remains slightly soft. Bars will firm up as they cool.
  7. Cool & Slice: Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Use the parchment overhang to lift bars and cut into squares. Serve with an extra sprinkle of sea salt if desired.

Gooey Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Soft, chewy cookie bars loaded with chocolate chips and gooey pockets of caramel, topped with a pinch of sea salt.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Bakery
Calories: 280

Ingredients
  

Base Ingredients
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs large
  • 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup soft caramel candies cut into small pieces
  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • 9×13-inch baking pan
  • Wire rack
  • Spatula

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
  3. In a large bowl, mix melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
  4. Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and caramel pieces.
  5. Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips and a pinch of sea salt on top.
  6. Bake 25–30 minutes, until edges are golden but center is soft.
  7. Cool completely on wire rack. Lift with parchment and cut into bars.

Notes

Bars stay soft for 3 days in an airtight container. Freeze for longer storage.

Tips for Perfect Gooey Bars

  • Soft Caramel: Cut caramel into small pieces to ensure gooey pockets in every bite.
  • Don’t Overbake: Bars should look slightly underbaked in the center for maximum gooeyness.
  • Use High-Quality Chocolate: Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate works best for balance.
  • Cool Completely: Bars firm up when cooled but remain soft inside.
  • Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for longer.

Variations

  1. Nutty Caramel Bars: Add ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch.
  2. Vegan Version: Use vegan butter and egg replacer; caramel can be replaced with vegan caramel pieces.
  3. Double Chocolate: Replace ½ cup flour with cocoa powder for extra chocolatey bars.
  4. Chocolate Drizzle: Once cooled, drizzle melted chocolate or caramel over the top for a beautiful presentation.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an indulgent dessert.
  • Perfect for parties: cut into small squares and place on a dessert platter.
  • Great with coffee or milk for a cozy afternoon treat.
  • Use as a base for dessert sandwiches: layer with peanut butter or cream cheese frosting.

Fun Facts & Cultural Context

  • Chocolate chip cookie bars are a modern adaptation of classic cookies, offering easier serving and storage.
  • Salted caramel became a global favorite after French chefs popularized it in desserts; the contrast of sweet and salt makes flavors pop.
  • Combining caramel with chocolate in bars creates a melt-in-your-mouth texture that is irresistible, especially when slightly underbaked for gooeyness.
  • These bars are ideal for gifting, especially during holidays or celebrations, because they cut neatly and hold their gooey charm.

SEO Benefits

  • Keywords like “salted caramel chocolate chip bars” and “gooey cookie bars” appear naturally.
  • Sections like tips, variations, serving suggestions, and cultural context increase dwell time and relevance.
  • Step-by-step instructions and clear ingredient lists improve user engagement and usability

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