Caramel Butter Bars
These crazy delicious Caramel Butter Bars are a heavenly treat that is a cinch to make! You MUST think up an excuse to bake up a batch!
Layered with streusel and caramel over a shortbread crust, these Caramel Bars will thrill the caramel lovers in your life. And they may convert some who aren’t!
Why You Must Make
- If you love caramel desserts as much as I do, please make this caramel dessert ASAP.
- One easy dough is used for both the crust and crumble topping.
- And a half cup of storebought caramel sauce is nestled between those two layers.
Seriously, I could not stop snacking on them!! These caramel butter bars are phenomenal, trust me.With such simple ingredients, it’s important to use a good quality caramel sauce. Look for real ingredients like sugar, cream, and butter on the label. Prepare to be dazzled!
Expert Tips
These caramel cookie bars are about the simplest dessert recipe you can make. If you love caramel, these caramel butter bars are a must-make!
- The same dough is used to make the crust and to crumble over the caramel. Easy peasy. These gems can be made using just one bowl!
- PRO-Tip: If you really want to be precise, you can weigh out the dough so it can be accurately divided into one-third for the crust and 2/3 for the topping, but I just estimated.
- Line your baking pan with non-stick foil so the edges of the bars don’t adhere to the sides of the pan due to the sticky caramel sauce.
- And with a yummy jarred caramel sauce as the filling, there is no messing with a candy thermometer or unwrapping squares of premade caramels. You definitely don’t have to hunt down a specialty caramel sauce. But I do recommend using a premium brand for the best results.
- PRO-Tip: To find a premium brand of caramel, check the ingredients on the label for butter, cream, and vanilla. You want real ingredients for the best caramel flavor!
- Try Salted Caramel Sauce to shake things up. Or just mix some sea salt into your regular caramel sauce to taste.
Everyone needs a recipe that doesn’t take oodles of time or numerous ingredients to throw together. These will thrill any caramel fans in your family…heck, they will thrill anyone you know with a sweet tooth!
How to Make
- Soften the butter at room temperature to make for easier mixing of the dough that’s used for the crust and crumbs.
- Mix the topping ingredients with a hand mixer until well combined.
- Pat 1/3 of the dough into the prepared baking pan. Bake the crust and chill the rest of the crumb mixture while the crust is in the oven.
- Pour the caramel sauce over the warm baked crust. The heat of the crust will help make it easier to spread the caramel over the crust.
- PRO-Tip: Spray your liquid measuring cup with a non-stick cooking spray like Pam before measuring the caramel. It will slide out easily when you pour it over the bars.
- Then Crumble the rest of the mixture over the top of the caramel. PRO-Tip: Use your fingers to pinch together the dough to make some larger crumbs, if you’d like.
- Put the pan back in the oven and Bake as directed, until the filling is bubbly.
- Cool well before slicing into bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
These caramel butter bars can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Any longer, or if it’s warm in your kitchen, these bars can be refrigerated for about a week.
Yes, these bar cookies freeze well. Make sure they are cool, place in an airtight container with parchment or waxed paper between layers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Chill them first. Then place them on a cutting board, using a ruler if necessary, and slice into nice squares. Serve at room temperature.
The ruler is helpful to mark off 2-inch intervals on all 4 sides of the bars before slicing. You can also use the ruler to help guide you in cutting straight lines if eyeballing isn’t your strong suit.
You May Also Like
- Caramel Apple Magic Bars from Brown Eyed Baker
- Homemade Caramels
- Cookie Dough Billionaire Bars
- Chocolate Chip Caramel Butter Bars
- Caramel Chocolate Brownies
- Microwave Caramel Sauce.
- More of my Best Bar Cookies
Caramel Butter Bars Recipe
Simple flavors with delicious results! Perfect for caramel fans!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour
For the Filling:
- ½ cup premium jarred caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°
- In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Using a hand mixer, beat butter and sugars till creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix on low till well combined.
- Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with non-stick foil (or regular foil, then spray with cooking spray). Press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Put the rest of the dough in the refrigerator while the crust is baking.
- Bake crust until slightly golden, about 20 minutes.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce over the crust and let sit for a few minutes before using an offset spatula to carefully spread it over the surface.
- Crumble the reserved dough 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 minutes.
- Let cool before cutting into squares. Place in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process if desired.
Notes
Spray your liquid measuring cup with a non-stick cooking spray like Pam before measuring the caramel.
Use your fingers to pinch together the dough to make some larger crumbs for the topping.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 barAmount Per Serving: Calories: 227Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 127mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 0gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g
96 Comments on “Caramel Butter Bars”
Vanilla chai caramel sauce should be sold in India. haha
I know folks would it there. Liz I would love a bit of your bars now. =)
I would serve it warm on top of apple crisp.
Of course w/ ice cream. And it would make a pretty swirl on cupcakes.
Mini-apple hand pies with a vanilla chai caramel drizzle sounds pretty delicious to me!
I have a jar of this sauce in my fridge. I so know what I want to do with it next, these look amazing!
I adore caramel, and these cookies ND the suace sound wonderful!
Oh my goodness Liz, these bars look heavenly! I love caramel but vanilla chai caramel sounds ridiculously amazing!
These bars look incredible! I will have to try them. I just love caramel anything!
Would definitely have to try the Caramel Bars, the Cilantro Lime Aioli would be great to serve with Chicken Enchilada Bites and the Sweet Dill Relish would be a great addition to Crab or Shrimp Louie sauce.
Your caramel bars look so enticing! Yum!
Yum!!
Wow, this looks like a dream dessert, carmel, a buttery crust and streusel. I love that it’s so simple with purchased caramel sauce.
looks delicious. would try it on vanilla ice cream
MMM I love caramel so much!! These look great!
What a pity EU residents can’t enter.
Yummy yummy bars!
All my family we are fans the caramel, these bars is for us, thank you Liz 🙂
YUM!! Well, on almost everything 🙂 Vanilla ice cream. Apple Pie. Drizzled over fruit crisp… Thank you for the chance to win!
OMG the recipe looks awesome! I would love to win
I’d eat it on some fresh picked apples…love this first taste of fall. Or swirled into some plain greek yogurt.
Bathing…. lol