Insanely Good Caramel Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
These unforgettable caramel chocolate cookie bars are crispy, chocolatey, chewy, caramelly, and totally blissful. Each layer builds on the next to make this bar oh so craveable!
Servings 24 bars
Ingredients
BASE LAYER
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter (one stick - salted or unsalted), melted
TOP LAYER
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ⅚ cup caramel sauce (almost 1 cup) store bought or homemade
- ⅓ cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconuts
- ½ cup crushed nuts OPTIONAL
Instructions
MAKE THE BASE LAYER
- Set the oven to 350°F.Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Leave excess parchment paper on both ends for easy lifting.
- In a large bowl, mix all of the base layer ingredients except for the melted butter. This includes the rolled oats, flour, shredded coconut, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- Next, add the melted butter and combine until the mixture is evenly moistened. The mixture should be crumbly.
- Transfer the mixture to the lined baking pan and spread in the bottom of the pan.Press firmly into an even, packed layer.
- Partially bake this layer for 12-15 minutes until the edges begin to brown and the top is slightly toasted.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes so that it is somewhat warm but not hot.
ADD THE TOP LAYER
- While the base is still somewhat warm, sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the base.
- Next, pour the caramel sauce evenly over the chocolate chips.
- In a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, and coconut shreds from the TOP LAYER INGREDIENTS and sprinkle evenly over the caramel sauce.
- With a spatula, gently press this layer down so it somewhat "sticks" to the caramel and becomes moistened when baked.*If you are adding crushed nuts, sprinkle it on now and gently press it down with a spatula.
FINISH BAKING THE BARS
- Put them back in the oven for an additional 25-27 minutes. The caramel should bubble and the top layer of oats should absorb the caramel and butter from the layers below and become golden.
- Take them out of the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes then score the bars into 24 pieces (4 rows by 6). (Each bar will be about 2 inches).This will help cut them all the way through once they've cooled.
- Once they cool completely, lift them out of the pan (with the parchment paper) and finish cutting them all the way through.
- Enjoy!
Notes
How do I store these bars?
Store these bars in an airtight container at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or the freezer.
They will keep for up to two weeks at room temperature and even longer in the fridge or freezer.
If you refrigerate or freeze these bars, set them out at room temperature for 20-30 minutes to thaw before enjoying.