Big caramel energy. Minimal drama. These bars layer a soft, chocolate-chippy cookie base with a silky heavy-cream caramel (hi, caramel squares!) and a golden dollop top. Semi-sweet chips keep the sweetness in check; pecans bring the crunch. The batter is classic and chill: butter, granulated + brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, and salt. Par-bake, pour, dollop, bake, then chill for clean, camera-ready squares. They’re perfect for parties, bake sales, or that “I need dessert now” mood. Slice, sprinkle a little flaky salt, and watch them vanish. Ready to flex your dessert MVP status? Let’s go.
Time Breakdown
- Prep: 20 minutes
- Bake: 25–30 minutes
- Chill: 1–2 hours
- Total: ~2 hours
- Servings: 24 bars
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1½ cups (255 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (110 g) chopped pecans (optional)
Caramel Layer
- 11 oz (312 g) caramel squares
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
- Pinch salt
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
This recipe doesn’t require fancy gadgets, just a few reliable kitchen basics to keep everything simple and stress-free.
- 9×13 pan + parchment
- Bowls, mixer or whisk
- Saucepan + spatula
- Measuring tools
- Rack, sharp knife
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat to 350°F (175°C); line pan.
- Cream butter + sugars; beat in eggs + vanilla.
- Fold in flour, baking powder, salt; stir in chips + pecans.
- Press ⅔ dough into pan; par-bake 10 min.
- Melt caramel, cream, butter until smooth; salt it.
- Pour over base; crumble/dollop remaining dough on top.
- Bake 15–20 min till edges set and top is golden.
- Cool 30, chill 60–120, slice. Snap the caramel pull pic.
Pro Tips
- Salty finish: Flaky salt on warm bars = chef’s kiss.
- Extra chips: Scatter a few on top in the last 2 minutes of baking.
- Crunch swap: Try crushed pretzels if you’re out of pecans.
- Storage: Fridge up to 5 days; freeze up to 2 months (double-wrap).
Nutrition
| Serving Size | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Fiber | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bar (1/24 pan) | 300 | 4 g | 38 g | 16 g | 2 g | 28 g |