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
This is the cookie I always take to cookouts, parties, etc. Everyone raves about how good this is and always wants the recipe. It’s one of our absolute favorite cookies! Thanks for a great recipe!
You’re welcome! So glad you enjoy!
Both my kids loved this! Thanks for sharing! I couldn’t get a photo to attach but it turned out great!
I made these for my ladies Bible study. We are having a cookie exchange at the Christmas party and I was told that this was what I was to bring. I was wondering if anybody had tried the condensed milk caramel That you boil in the can?
I was wondering the same thing, did you ever try it?
The caramel recipe was AMAZING!
These sound amazing! How do you do the nutella version you mentioned? Do you replace the caramel with nutella or add it?
Here’s the recipe 🙂 https://cookiesandcups.com/salted-nutella-butter-bars/
Oh my gosh! That looks amazing!
I cannot get caramel candy where I live . Can you please give a from scratch caramel recipe that would work here? Thanks
Here’s my recipe: https://cookiesandcups.com/homemade-caramels/
You can also use the caramel bits (find them near the chocolate chips in the baking section of your market). They are easier because you don’t have to unwrap the caramel candies! Awesome!
Order on Amazon. I got them in one day.
Can I adjust the amount of sugar and use less? Or will the crust not come out the same? It seems like a lot of sugar and would love to make it but using less. I just want to make sure the crust and crumble will still be able to form correctly?
It definitely won’t come out the same. I can’t advise on how much sugar to cut back on because this is the amount that I found works best 🙂 sorry!
I am trying to get ahead on my Christmas baking. Do these freeze well?
They freeze great!!
Unwrapped caramels?? Lol
How or could I use peaches for the filling instead of caramel? The salted caramel are amazing and I was asked to make again for work next week and I am but would love to use peaches in another but not sure how to do it, please help, lol?
I had to bake for 45 minutes to get the topping golden brown. But the recipe is delicious! Thank you!