Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
User Reviews
4.7
Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Description
This recipe begins with a cookie dough of melted salted butter, brown and granulated sugars, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, salt, and baking soda, mixed and combined with chocolate chips. Half of the dough is spread into a foil-lined baking pan and baked briefly until set. Meanwhile, caramels and cream or milk are melted together, then combined with creamy peanut butter and vanilla extract to make a smooth topping.
The warm caramel-peanut butter mixture is spread over the partially baked cookie base and then topped with the remaining cookie dough. The bars bake further to meld the layers and develop a soft, chewy texture. The combination of the caramel and peanut butter adds a rich sweetness balancing the chocolate chip cookie flavor.
The recipe allows for variations in caramel brand and dairy choice, with cream producing a richer topping than milk. Using foil helps remove the bars in a slab for easy cutting. Optionally, browning the butter first enhances the buttery flavor but is not required.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
- 12 tablespoons butter melted, salted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg large
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Caramel:
- 10 ounces caramels soft, unwrapped, see note
- ⅓ cup milk or cream, see note
- ⅓ cup peanut butter creamy
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil (the foil part is optional but helps the bars come out in one big slab after cooling, if that's your thing) and spray liberally with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour, salt and baking soda and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spread or press about half (or just slightly more than half) of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 8-9 minutes.
- While the cookie dough base is baking, add the caramels and cream to a microwave-safe bowl (you can also heat on low on the stovetop in a saucepan) and microwave for 1-minute increments at 50% power, stirring in between, until the caramel is melted and smooth. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract.
- Drizzle the caramel mixture over the top of the baked cookie dough and spread evenly.
- Pinch the remaining cookie dough between your fingers and crumble over the top of the caramel.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until the bars are puffed and the edges are slightly golden.
- Let the bars cool completely before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Trader Joe’s soft salted caramels are preferred, but other chewy caramel brands or homemade caramel work as well.
- Using cream instead of milk results in a richer, creamier peanut butter caramel layer, while milk makes it thinner.
- Line the baking pan with foil to lift the bars out easily for cutting.
- Browned butter can be used for a deeper flavor, though it’s optional.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24Bars (9X13-inch pan)
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 Bar | |
| Calories | 289kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 40g | 13% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 44mg | 15% |
| Sodium | 193mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 27g | 54% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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