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Caramel Oatmeal Bars

Caramel Oatmeal Bars feature gooey caramel between sweet, buttery oat layers. Absolute yum!

Caramel Oatmeal Bars on a white plate

Layered bars are not a new baking sensation. They’ve been around for ages. What I love about them is how easy they are to vary. Change up the crust or the filling or the topping, and you’ve got a new sweet treat suited specifically to your tastes!

These particular bars follow a bar layering strategy that is one of my all-time favorites. A buttery, oat-y, crumbly bottom and top layer with deliciousness in between. Specifically, these have a creamy caramel layer nestled between all that oat goodness. Plus, there’s just a little bit of chocolate under all that caramel. If you like more chocolate, feel free to toss in a little extra.

Caramel Oatmeal Bars served on a white plate

This is a lovely blend of flavors, as the rich caramel is mellowed a bit by the oat crust. They are still quite rich, so a small bite goes a long way. They are thick and chewy and just about perfect. These are ideal candidates for sharing. Or, maybe they’re too good for sharing!

Caramel Oatmeal Bars

Yield 24 2-inch bars or 48 1"x 2" bars
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Rich caramel and a buttery oatmeal crust and crumb topping combine in these Caramel Oatmeal Bars for an irresistible treat!

Caramel Oatmeal Bars on a white plate

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (198g) old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 & 1/4 cups (282g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
  • 48 soft caramels (such as Kraft caramels)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9″x 13″x 2" baking pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving about a 2-inch overhang on the short ends.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the butter, using a fork or your fingers, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Press half of the mixture onto the bottom of prepared pan.
  3. Bake until just set and starting to brown around the edges (about 20 minutes). Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.
  4. While the crust is baking, cook the caramels and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally, until the caramels are melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  5. Sprinkle the partially baked crust with chocolate chips. Drizzle the caramel mixture over the chocolate chips and crust. Top with the remaining crumb mixture.
  6. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until pale golden. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.

Notes

Recipe slightly adapted from Martha Stewart.

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    32 Comments on “Caramel Oatmeal Bars”

  1. Look yummy!
    And since I like following technique vs recipes, this is perfect for my sensibility.

  2. These look amazing – The batter and cooked recipe will be devoured by yours truly 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru
    Latest: Healthiest Natural Sugars Muesli Bars

  3. These look so good! I can’t wait to try my own version soon.

  4. I think these look pretty darn tasty.. although swapping the caramel for something lemon would be my kriptonite.

  5. Now these look super delicious. I’m a fan of oats in baking and with chocolate and caramel in too, I’m sold.

  6. WOOOOOOW! They look fantastic!!! Can you believe that I’ve never baked bars?? This is a great option to start with!

  7. This looks great! I love caramel and chocolate together! This is something my boyfriend would be a big fan of, so I need to make these soon!

  8. I’ll layer YOUR bar. Come over here! 🙂

  9. This looks so good! Can’t wait to try them.

  10. These look yummy! How do you store them? Room temp or in fridge? Thanks.

  11. These are cooling now! Can’t wait to try them!

  12. Want to try these this weekend. Did you use cold or room temp butter? Thanks.

  13. Made these today. We loved them!!! Thanks!

  14. Curious, what brand chocolate do you like in these?

  15. Oh wow! These look so good. Definitely printing this.

  16. These look yummy! Can they be frozen for later use?

  17. I don’t like wrapped caramels, but buy block caramel at a local cooking specialty store. How much (weight -wise) should I use?

  18. Absolutely delightful! I also added a little bit of cinnamon to the oat mixture which was quite yummy. Will definitely be baking this again in the future 🙂

  19. Thank you for all the delicious recipes you share!

    Really want to make these but don’t get the caramel candies in my country. Can you please share I can substitute to give same results? Can want to try this recipe.
    Thank you in advance for your help

  20. Sorry I meant share a recipe for caramel that will give same results

  21. These are amazing. My favorite fall treat to make. Sprinkle walnuts on top!

  22. Made this today for Father’s Day and omg sooooooo delicious!! Thank you!

  23. These bars were yummy! I added more chocolate chips because I love them. I shared them at work and everyone wanted the recipe. Thank you.

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