If you love the irresistible combination of chocolate and caramel, you will simply adore carmelitas! They are basically caramel oatmeal cookie bars made with melted chocolate and gooey, rich caramel sandwiched between two layers of chewy, buttery rolled oats. Serve them with a cold glass of milk for the ultimate treat.
Carmelitas freeze beautifully, so you can easily make a double batch (just bake the dessert bars in a bigger pan) and freeze half to enjoy later! I love knowing there are extra carmelitas in the freezer, so I can grab one whenever I’m in the mood for a decadent treat. Try one of my other cookie bar recipes, like my Pecan Pie Bars, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, and Magic Cookie Bars.
Ingredients
Butter — use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter on hand, leave out half the added salt in this recipe.
Sugar — light brown sugar adds sweetness and rich flavor to the carmelita bars.
Salt — salt balances the sweetness and is an essential ingredient.
Flour — all-purpose flour is all you need for chewy cookie bars.
Baking soda — baking soda helps the bars rise and provides structure.
Oats — old-fashioned rolled oats give the carmelitas the perfect chewy texture. Do not substitute quick oats for rolled oats.
Caramels — use chewy soft caramels found in the candy aisle. Hard, brittle caramel candy will not work.
Cream — combined with the caramels, heavy cream makes a thick, gooey caramel layer.
Chocolate chips — using dark semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks keeps the cookie bars from being too sweet. If you want them sweeter, use milk chocolate chips. For less sweetness, use bittersweet chocolate chips.
How To Make Carmelitas
1. Combine the melted butter, ½ teaspoon salt, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the flour, baking soda, and rolled oats. Divide the mixture in half and crumble one half into an aluminum foil- or parchment paper-lined 8×8-inch baking pan. Press into an even layer, then bake the cookie crust at 350°F for 10 minutes.
2. While the base bakes, combine the unwrapped caramels, heavy cream, and ½ teaspoon of salt in a microwave-safe bowl and cook in 40-second bursts, stirring in between each burst, until a thick caramel sauce forms. You can also melt this in a pot over low heat. Make sure to stir frequently.
3. Sprinkle the chocolate chips in an even layer over the baked oatmeal base.
4. Pour the melted caramel over the chocolate chip layer.
5. Crumble the remaining oat mixture in the mixing bowl, then sprinkle it over the top of the caramel layer to form the oat streusel-like top layer. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.
6. Allow the carmelitas to cool completely before removing from the pan and slicing.
What Kind Of Caramel Should I Use?
You need soft, chewy caramel candies for this carmelitas recipe. Do not use hard candies! You can use homemade caramels if you like, but the store-bought kind works perfectly and will save you time.
You can also use 1⅓ cups of homemade or store-bought caramel sauce for the caramel layer; just be sure it is a thick sauce like a hot caramel topping. If the sauce is runny, you can whisk in 4 tablespoons of flour so it thickens during baking. You can also make homemade caramel sauce; for a thicker sauce, reduce the cream amount by ¼ cup (using ¾ cup cream instead).
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes, if you want to make more carmelitas, double the recipe and bake in a 9×13-inch pan instead of an 8×8-inch baking pan.
How To Store Carmelitas
These oatmeal caramel bars will keep well in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Baking pan sizes: These are baked in an 8×8-inch square pan. A 9×9-inch square pan will also work, though the bars will be slightly thinner, and the overall baking time should be reduced by about 5 minutes.
- Line the pan with parchment paper so the dessert bars are easy to remove from the pan.
- Weigh the flour. Using too much flour will cause the oatmeal caramel cookie bars to turn out dry. The best way to measure flour accurately is with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, fluff up your flour in its canister, spoon it into the measuring cup, and use a knife to level off the top.
- Add vanilla. For a little more complexity, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the oatmeal base mixture.
- Instead of chocolate chips, you can chop up a semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate bar into small- to medium-sized pieces.
- Let the cookie bars cool. For neat slices, let the carmelitas cool completely. Otherwise, the bars make quite a mess.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, I do not recommend using instant or quick oats instead of old-fashioned oats for this oatmeal carmelitas recipe.
Yes, you can freeze carmelitas for up to 3 months once they’ve cooled completely to room temperature. You can stack the bars in a freezer-safe container with sheets of parchment paper separating each one so they don’t stick, or wrap each one in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store them in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Thaw for a few hours at room temperature before enjoying.
Yes, you can add a variety of different mix-ins to experiment with flavor and texture. One cup of chopped toasted walnuts, chopped toasted pecans, peanuts, cocon ut flakes, or dried fruit all add something special. Sprinkle them in with the chocolate chips.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this carmelitas recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Carmelitas Recipe
Equipment
- 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch pan
- Microwave or small saucepan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted (170g)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar firmly packed (165g)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (100g)
- 36 caramels unwrapped (220g)
- ½ cup heavy cream (120ml)
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (4 ounces, 112g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil.
- Combine the melted butter, ½ teaspoon salt, and brown sugar in a large bowl and mix to combine. (If using salted butter omit the salt.)
- Add the flour, baking soda, and oats, and mix until combined. Divide the mixture in half and crumble one half into your lined baking pan. Press into an even layer, then bake for 10 minutes.
- While the base bakes, combine the unwrapped caramels, cream, and ½ teaspoon of salt in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 40 second bursts, stirring in between each burst. (You’ll need 3-4 bursts depending on your microwave.) You can also melt this in a pot over low heat if desired, but make sure to stir frequently.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips in an even layer over the baked base then pour the melted caramel over the chocolate chips.
- Crumble the remaining oat mixture in the bowl, then sprinkle it over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and cutting.
Notes
- Baking pan sizes: These are baked in an 8×8-inch square pan. A 9×9-inch square pan will also work, though the bars will be slightly thinner, and the overall baking time should be reduced by about 5 minutes.
- Line the pan with parchment paper so the dessert bars are easy to remove from the pan.
- Weigh the flour. Using too much flour will cause the oatmeal caramel cookie bars to turn out dry. The best way to measure flour accurately is with a kitchen scale. If you don’t have one, fluff up your flour in its canister, spoon it into the measuring cup, and use a knife to level off the top.
- Add vanilla. For a little more complexity, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the oatmeal base mixture.
- Instead of chocolate chips, you can chop up a semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate bar into small- to medium-sized pieces.
- Let the cookie bars cool. For neat slices, let the carmelitas cool completely. Otherwise, the bars make quite a mess.
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