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’m also wondering if 2 Tbs vanilla is a typo? Seems like quite a bit! Thanks 🙂
Making these for a Christmas potluck tomorrow.. They look amazing!
That’s correct! Seems like a lot but it works 🙂
I used just 2 tsp of vanilla – thinking 2 TBS was a typo – and used sweet, unsalted butter, with the sprinkling of kosher salt. They came out great – rich – but, great. Maybe the salted butter offsets the vanilla? I’m doing these for a cookie exchange, so I’m making a second pan with the salted butter, same vanilla and less kosher salt. I don’t have Princess Emulsion – just regular vanilla extract. Worried that it will just be too much.
SWEETBABYJANE I want to eat those Right. Now. My husband would die of happiness if he came home to those. My diabetes would probably kill me if I ate as much as I wanted to (read:all of them) but it may *just* be worth it.
These are the best. Will be my regular go to recipes! Thx!,
I made these a couple days ago and I think I messed a couple things up…. My tastebuds just KNOW they will be wonderful but the first try didnt like me so much! First I think I used too much salt… next time im going to go A little easy on it… second… I prolly wont crumble so much of the leftover dough on top!!! The dough took over much of the carmel flavor! Third… I think I used a smaller bag of carmels than I was supposed to!! They really are overall great but VERY VERY RICH!!!! We had a hard time letting them cool but they turned out to actually be better when they cooled!! I am going to retry them in a couple of days though because I just KNOW my trial couldnt have been right!!! Wish me luck! And by the way…. I just love love love your recipes
oh gosh! Let me know how your second try goes…They are really one of my all-time favorites 🙂
think I just found my baking soulmate! First visit to this site and OMG!!!! Guess I should just make it my homepage…..right after I make these Caramel Bars…
Just wondering if the caramel from the apple section would work, or the caramel from the ice cream topping section would work? Would save me time unwrapping all those candies”.
I’m not sure…as that caramel doesn’t really set up. It stays in liquid form, which might make the bars kinda soggy, but hey, give it a shot! Another alternative is the Kraft Caramel Bits… http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kraft-Caramels-Premium-Unwrapped-Caramel-Bits-11-oz/10308416 They come already uwrapped!
I’m curious how things turned out for folks who tried homemade caramel instead of the kraft..waht recipe did you use, and what adjustments? Of course, homemade caramel sauce already has cream in it, so I wouldn’t add even MORE cream, but wondering if even so the caramel sauce cream needs to be reduced???
I saw these on Pinterest and tried them out tonight. They are completely insane. People were dying at the party I took them to. Thank you!
Also the recipe here calls for 2 Tbs of vanilla extract, which looks like a typo? I used 2 tsp and that was plenty. I might try them next time with some ground oats for texture (although I know that kind of violates the spirit of the dish). Thanks again for sharing!
I have to say, I’ve baked a LOT of bars in my life…. but these are the most delicious EVER. Such simple ingredients come together for pure heaven in your mouth. LOVE. Thank you. These WILL be a part of my Christmas Goody Plates for sure!!!
Ha! I happened to have that book and you’re right. I skipped over that recipe many times but after seeing your pictures I think it’s time to make some. Thanks!
What does the “AP” mean before the flour? And where do you find Emulsions? Can’t wait to make these! They look amazing.
That stands for All-purpose flour…just regular old flour 🙂
You definitely don’t NEED an emulsion to make these…just regular vanilla extract would be fine, but if you would like to get emulsions, they are great…here’s a link directly tot he company…https://www.lorannoils.com/c-10-bakery-emulsions.aspx
or I know they also sell them on amazon 🙂