3/4 cup butter, melted (1 1/2 stick; I use unsalted butter but salted may be used)
3/ 4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-rolled old fashioned oats (not instant or quick cook)
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
35 caramel squares, unwrapped (I used Werther’s Originals Baking Caramels)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste, if you prefer salted caramel sauce
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (I used a combo)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with
aluminum foil 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.
In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the
butter and heat on high power to melt, about 90
seconds. Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and
whisk until smooth. Add the flour, oats, baking
soda, optional pinch salt, and stir until
combined. Mixture will be quite thick. Add half
of the mixture to the prepared pan (just
eyeball it), and smooth it with spatula or the
back of a spoon, to create an even, smooth,
flat layer; set remainder aside. Bake for 10
minutes.
While it bakes, make the caramel sauce. In a
large microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine the
caramels, cream, and heat on high power in 60-
second bursts to melt caramels, stirring after
each burst. It will likely take about 4 to 5
minutes total to melt; heat until mixture can
be stirred smooth. Alternatively, 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. Optionally stir in 1/2 teaspoon
salt, or to taste, for salted caramel sauce;
set sauce aside.
After 10 minutes, remove pan from the oven and
evenly sprinkle with the chocolate. Slowly and
evenly pour caramel sauce over the chocolate.
Evenly crumble reserved oatmeal-brown sugar
mixture over the top. Return pan to oven and
bake for about 15 to 18 minutes (I baked 16
1/2), or until edges are lightly browned and
center is bubbling slightly. Allow bars to cool
completely in the pan before slicing and
serving, giving the molten caramel time to firm
up. This can take up to 4 hours, or overnight,
at room temperature. You can speed it up by
placing pan in fridge with a sheet of foil over
the top to prevent fridge smells. If you don’t
wait for bars to cool completely, they’ll be a
literal hot mess. They’ll taste fine (don’t
burn yourself), but they won’t slice neatly
with clean cuts. Bars will keep airtight at
room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the
freezer for up to 4 months.
Originally Submitted
7/10/2019
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