Easy Salted Carmelitas

This is my favorite recipe of oatmeal cookie bar! These carmelitas are sandwiched with a layer of two kinds of chocolate chips and a layer of silky smooth salted caramel, which is so delicious! I love the balance the flaky sea salt adds to all the sweetness of these bars. If you are looking for a treat yourself dessert, this should definitely be it! I don’t make these often because they’re dangerously addictive, but when I do I savor each and every bite.

Ingredients

32 caramels, unwrapped (such as Kraft) (note: you can use 1 1/4 cups caramel sauce instead of the individual caramels and cream)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (You can't substitute instant or steel cut oats for the old-fashioned oats. They won't give you the same texture!)

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp table salt

12 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1 tbsp pieces

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Flaky sea salt (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F. Pour cream over caramels in a microwave safe bowl, heat mixture on high power (important!) in 30 second intervals, stirring well after each interval until melted and smooth (alternately you can combine the two ingredients in a saucepan and melt over low heat), set aside.

Step 2

In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and 1/4 tsp table salt. Place butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat butter in the microwave until melted.

Step 3

Stir vanilla extract into melted butter then pour mixture over dry ingredients. Using a fork, stir well to evenly coat.

Step 4

Press half of the oat mixture evenly into the bottom of a buttered 8 by 8-inch baking dish (layer will be thin) then bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Step 5

Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips into an even layer over baked cookie crust, then pour caramel mixture evenly over chocolate chip layer. Sprinkle a scant 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt evenly over caramel layer (or you can sprinkle it over the top of the last crumble layer before baking), then sprinkle the top evenly with remaining oat mixture.

Step 6

Bake in preheated oven 16 - 20 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely on a wire rack (it will take a few hours. To speed up the cooling you can chill in refrigerator). Store in an airtight container in a single layer.

Bon Appetit!