These Salted Caramel Butter bars are one of my most requested recipes ever! The buttery cookie is filled with a creamy, salted caramel that is so rich and beyond delicious.
Salted Caramel Butter Bars are THE BEST Cookie Bar of ALL TIME!
I can’t begin to explain to you how much I love these Salted Caramel Butter Bars…I make them ALL THE TIME. They are one of my most requested desserts to bring to parties and there is never one left! And might I add, if you happen to be entering a cookie contest, these will guarantee you victory. Unequivocally.
The base is a buttery shortbread that comes together very easily and the filling is simply caramels, milk or cream, and a little salt! You can use pre-made caramels, or even a thick caramel sauce. I do recommend using caramels over sauce, because I think the texture is more chewy and hold up better than sauce, but so many of you who have made this recipe let me know that you have used caramel sauce and it’s worked out well!
How To Make Salted Caramel Butter Bars
It’s all a pretty easy process, just a few steps, honestly: you make dough, you divide dough, you bake some of the dough, you chill some of the dough…
Looking For More Caramel Recipes? Try These:
Salted Caramel Butter Bars
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars 1x
- Category: Cookie Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
Salted Caramel Butter Bars are a buttery shortbread filled with creamy salted caramel! A MUST MAKE!
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups salted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all purpose flour
For the Filling:
- 14 ounces soft caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped
- 1/3 cup milk or cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- optional – 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour, mixing until a soft dough forms.
- Press one-third of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are a pale golden brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes.
To Make the Filling:
- While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling. Place the unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the milk or cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.
- Once the caramel is melted add in your ½ teaspoon of vanilla and stir until combined.
- Pour the caramel filling over the cooled crust. If you are going to salt the caramel sprinkle it on caramel layer now.
- Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 – 30 minutes.
- Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
Notes
- Store airtight for up to 5 days
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 423
- Sugar: 39.9 g
- Sodium: 515.9 mg
- Fat: 18.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 60.6 g
- Protein: 4.3 g
- Cholesterol: 43.6 mg
i think you could use caramel chips or the butterscotch chips
If i make them ahead of time and freeze, do you thaw them in the fridge or just in the counter? Would love to make them. Thanks alot
You could do it either way!
Have made this recipe about a dozen times in the last 2 or 3 years. I follow the recipe and they come out perfect, never a problem. The Kraft baking caramel bits work great, and I’ve even come close to doubling the amount of caramel- no problems. These became such a hit with friends that one of them adjusted the recipe and made them in mass, serving them at an event for close to 3000 people. We have loving renamed them “crack bars” because you can’t stop eating them.
I love the caramel bits but haven’t been able to find them lately in Fairbanks.
I just made these and the top layer of dough took much longer than 30 minutes to cook and by that point i had to cut off the edges because the edges werre overdone and the caramel was burnt. Maybe i needed to add more dough to the bottom layer?
Eh. These were just ok. I made them for a cookie contest… they were messy to eat and very greasy- more of a fudge-like texture than shortbread for sure.
This recipe rocks but for the LOVE of Sweets do NOT USE 4 STICKS. It came out soooooo oily, the butter keeps precipitating out of them, I had to soak up the butter with paper towels in order to reduce the buttery goodness that kept leaking from my bars before AND after cooling.
Pros about recipe:
Makes 2 9x 3 portions so it is already doubled for you, YAY!
Cons:
Butter amount did NOT WORK FOR ME!
Had to cook it for more than 20 mins, roughly 25-30 minutes for second bake.
Overall, YUM! Perfect for sweet tooth. I added chocolate chips and they were delish.
Instructions and video were very detailed. I will be reducing the butter amount by at least a stick, no more than 3 sticks and give an update on it. Thank you for the recipe!
Curious to know if you have tried it with less butter 🙂
Can I substitute butter with vegetable oil?
Nope, sorry! Not for this recipe 🙂
How much is a cup?
I would love to make these for the cookie table at my daughter’s wedding in October. Can they be frozen and then thawed for the big day as I have so many cookies to bake I need to start now?!
Oh yes, they can absolutely be frozen!
ANNA MY FRIENDS ARE B E G G I N G ME FOR MORE