Salted Caramel Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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This dessert is a mouthful in the most glorious way. My Salted Caramel Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars start with a brown sugar chocolate chip and pecan oatmeal cookie dough with layers of salted caramel sauce and melty dark chocolate chunks baked in. They are INCREDIBLE. There are so many delicious textures from the chewy of the oats, the buttery crunch of the pecans and then the oozing caramel and melty chocolate. These need to set before you can slice them, but if you have them slightly warm they are sinful. When they are chilled, they're like a candy bar but not too sweet thanks to a nice balance of salt and the nutty oats.

stack of caramel oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Oatmeal cookie dough - you'll make one simple oatmeal cookie dough and use it to make the base layer and also the chunky crumble-like topping.
Chewy chocolate chip cookie - once these bake up, they have the texture of a nice chewy chocolate chip cookie with so much added goodness.
Toasted pecans - bits of pecan add buttery notes, a bit of gentle crunch and help balance the sweet flavors. The combination of toasted pecans with caramel and chocolate is heaven!
Dark chocolate chips - I use 70% bittersweet chocolate chips for this recipe and it complements the sweet/salty caramel so nicely. It also ensures these bars aren't too sweet.
Gooey salted caramel sauce - I use my Easy Salted Caramel Sauce recipe with a bit of flour stirred in - that's the trick! The flour helps to set the caramel to a thicker consistency so it doesn't just bake into the cookie dough and you get a nice gooey pull.

sliced caramel oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars with gooey cross section

Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Unsalted butter - for this recipe you can use unsalted or salted butter. If you use salted butter, then reduce the added salt by half.
Brown sugar - I highly recommend dark brown sugar for this recipe. The molasses in brown sugar gives these bars a toffee-like flavor to complement the oats and nutty pecans and also gives them a chewy texture. Dark brown sugar has twice as much molasses compared to light brown sugar.
Egg - you only need 1 large egg to make this recipe.
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is enhances all of the flavors. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
Toasted pecans - to toast the pecans, place them in a dry frying pan over medium heat and shake the pan frequently until they darken in color and smell very fragrant. It will take about 10 minutes. Then, chop them up and they will add so much flavor to the cookie dough base.
Quick oats - this recipe calls for quick oats or minute oats so that they bake well into the cookie dough. They are different from rolled oats because they are rolled flatter and cut into smaller pieces.
Salted caramel sauce - I use my Easy Salted Caramel Sauce recipe with a bit of flour stirred in - that's the trick! The flour helps to set the caramel to a thicker consistency so it doesn't just bake into the cookie dough and you get a nice gooey pull.
Dark chocolate chips - I highly recommend dark chocolate to balance the sweetness. You can use semi-sweet chocolate chips if that is all you have on hand. They will still taste great!
Dark chocolate chunks - You will also need chunks of dark chocolate which will make glistening puddles in these bars and melt much more nicely than chips. You can chop up a bar of this 70% dark chocolate or any bar that you love.

caramel oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars sliced

caramel oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars ingredients

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1). Make the cookie dough. Combine softened butter and brown sugar in a large bowl and beat until smooth, creamy and a bit fluffy but more like damp sand. This can be done by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula, or with an electric mixer. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until evenly incorporated. Add the oats and mix them in.
STEP 2). Add dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Add it to the bowl with the buttery oat mixture and fold it in. Add the chocolate chips and chopped pecans and fold them in.
STEP 3). Bake the base. Press about ¾ of the dough in the bottom of the baking pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden and place the leftover dough in the refrigerator.
STEP 4). Layer on the caramel and chocolate. Remove the base from the oven and place on a wire rack. Stir 1 tablespoon of flour into the caramel sauce so it is evenly combined and pour it over the pre-baked cookie base. Spread it out almost to the edges and then sprinkle with an even layer of dark chocolate chunks.
STEP 5). Top with cookie dough. Break up pieces of the reserved cookie dough and place randomly on top.
STEP 6). Bake. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the caramel is bubbling and the cookie dough on top is golden. Allow the bars to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then chill for about an hour.

caramel oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

Use bittersweet chocolate. Even if you don't think you're a fan of dark chocolate, I encourage you to try it here because it will balance the sweetness of the caramel.
Don't skip the salt. It's so important in this recipe to balance out all the flavors as well as enhance them.
Measure the flour accurately to ensure you get the right texture. Too much flour will make the bars dry instead of soft and chewy.
Toast the pecans for extra flavor. Toasting nuts really makes a difference in any recipe whether it's cooking or baking. Take the extra few minutes to do this and you will not regret it. See the FAQ below to learn how to quickly toast nuts.
Use a kitchen scale. For best results, weigh your ingredients according to the measurements in the recipe card below using a kitchen scale.

caramel oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars stacked

RECIPE FAQ

Can I make caramel oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars without pecans?

Yes, you can leave out the pecans but they add so much flavor and also a nice bit of crunchy texture.

How do I toast pecans?

The fastest way to toast nuts is to simply place them in a dry frying pan over medium heat and shake the pan frequently until they darken in color and smell very fragrant. It will take about 10 minutes.

Can I use salted butter to make these bars?

Yes! Salted butter will be fine. In this case I would suggest to use a level ¼ teaspoon of salt instead of a heaped ½ teaspoon.

Can I use rolled oats for these cookie bars?

You can use rolled oats and the dough will be slightly more sticky since quick oats absorb more moisture, but it will work. I prefer quick oats here so that they soften quickly and bake into the cookie dough.

How do I store caramel oatmeal chocolate chip bars?

These bars are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They stay nice and soft and chewy!

Can I freeze caramel oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars?

Yes, you can freeze these bars. First let them cool completely, then slice them into squares and place them in a resealable freezer bag. You can keep them frozen for up to 3 months, and if you want them to keep longer, wrap them individually in plastic wrap before placing in the freezer bag.

sliced caramel oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars

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