Carmelitas
User Reviews
5
Carmelitas
Description
These Carmelitas begin with a mixture of melted salted butter, light brown sugar, vanilla, all-purpose flour, old-fashioned oats, baking soda, and salt, forming a sticky oatmeal dough. Half of this dough is pressed thinly into the bottom of a parchment-lined square pan and partially baked until just golden.
Meanwhile, caramel candies are melted gently with heavy cream until smooth, creating a rich sauce that is poured over the warm, baked bottom layer. Milk chocolate chips are sprinkled over the base before the caramel, with the remaining oatmeal dough broken into chunks and scattered on top. The bars then bake again, blending the flavors and textures.
The finished Carmelitas have a crisp, slightly chewy base, a luscious caramel and chocolate center, and a crumbly oat topping. They store well at room temperature and freeze nicely, making them convenient for make-ahead treats.
Ingredients
Oatmeal Dough
- 3/4 cup butter melted, salted
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar 150g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats not quick or instant oats, 90 g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1 1/3 cups milk chocolate chips
- 40 caramel candies unwrapped, like a 10.8-ounce bag of Werther's chewy caramels, soft
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch square baking pan with a parchment paper sling to make it easy to lift the bars out and cut them later after they have cooled completely.
- In a large bowl, whisk the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla together.
- Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt, stirring until everything is combined.
- Press half of the oatmeal dough evenly into the prepared pan. It will be a very thin layer, but don't worry!
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until just golden.
- While the bottom layer bakes, heat the unwrapped caramels and cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until the caramels are melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the partially baked bottom layer, then pour the caramel over the chocolate chips. Scatter the remaining oatmeal dough over the caramel by breaking apart small chunks. No need to worry about completely covering the caramel. Gaps are just fine!
- Bake for another 16-18 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. The middle will continue to set as the bars cool. Remove from the oven and cool completely, at least 2 hours, before cutting into squares. You can slice them sooner, but they won't slice clean and you will have an ooey-gooey (albeit delicious) mess on your hands.
Notes
- Using an 8x8-inch pan thickens the bars slightly but requires longer baking than 9x9-inch pans.
- Kraft caramel bits provide a quicker alternative to unwrapping individual caramel candies.
- Carmelitas keep fresh up to 1 week stored airtight at room temperature.
- They freeze well for up to 3 months; thaw before serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 16Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 326 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 326kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 45g | 15% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 16g | 25% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 34mg | 11% |
| Sodium | 287mg | 12% |
| Potassium | 101mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 32g | 64% |
| Vitamin A | 349IU | 7% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 53mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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