Carmelitas

5 from 16 votes

A brown sugar oatmeal bar layered with salted caramel and chocolate chips. No mixer required!

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: bars

Servings: bars

Calories: 631kcal

Prep oven and pan. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Lining your pan is highly recommended for ease of cleanup due to the stickiness of the caramel; set pan aside.
Combine wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth. ¾ cup (1 1/2 sticks, 170 g) unsalted butter ¾ cup (160 g) packed light brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Add dry ingredients. With a wooden spoon or spatula stir in the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, and stir until combined. Mixture will be thick. 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour 1 cup (100 g) old fashioned oats 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt
Bake half of the dough. Add half of the mixture to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Set the remaining dough aside. Bake in a preheated 350°F for 10 minutes.

Combine caramels and cream in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat to melt, stirring nearly continuously, until mixture can be stirred smooth. Remove from heat and stir in salt. Set aside. 35 caramel candies ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream ⅛ teaspoon salt

After 10 minutes, remove pan from the oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Slowly pour the caramel sauce over the chocolate, leaving a small border to the edge. The caramel has a tendency to stick to the foil, so I make sure to not spread the caramel right to the edge. Crumble the remaining oatmeal cookie dough over the top. 1 ¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Finish baking. Return pan to oven and bake for about 15-18 minutes, until edges are lightly browned and center is bubbling slightly. If using a glass pan, your bars may take slightly longer.
Allow to cool. Allow bars to cool for 1-2 hours completely in the pan before slicing and serving to allow the caramel time to firm up. (Time may vary on cooling, and may take longer). You can speed up the process and cover the bars and place in the fridge.

Storage - Store at room temperature for up to 2-3 days, covered.
Freezing - You can freeze for up to 3 months. Be sure to cool completely and wrap well. Then thaw at room temperature before serving.
Pan size - You can use a 9x9 pan but they won't be as thick. Or double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 pan. You will need to bake these longer, 20-25 minutes. If baking in a glass pan, increase baking time slightly.
Caramel - You want to use soft, chewy caramels (Werther's chewy caramels are easiest to open, or Kraft caramels also work). Do not use hard caramel candies. If you don't want to make your own caramel, then use 3/4 cup of store-bought caramel. The thicker the better. Different brands may lend different results in thickness and flavor of caramel. If yours is too thin, try stirring in 1 Tablespoon flour.
Oats - I prefer old-fashioned, but quick oats will also work but will lend a slightly powdery texture and different consistency.
Butter - I use unsalted but if using salted butter, then omit the extra salt.