Gooey Salted Caramel Cookie Bars (Print Version)

Delight in gooey chocolate chip bars with rich caramel and sea salt—soft-baked for the ultimate dessert.

# Ingredients:

→ For the Cookie Base

01 - 1 cup salted butter, can substitute with unsalted butter for less salt
02 - 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
03 - ½ cup granulated white sugar
04 - 2 large eggs
05 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
06 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, reduce to ¾ teaspoon if using table salt
07 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour, or swap with a gluten-free flour blend if needed

→ For the Filling

09 - 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
10 - 10 ounces soft caramels, unwrapped

→ For the Topping

11 - 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, or swap with dark or milk chocolate
12 - 1 teaspoon flaked sea salt, avoid coarse salt

# Directions:

01 - Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a 9x13-inch baking pan by lining it with aluminum foil and greasing it.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of salted butter and both sugars. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
03 - Add 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Mix on low until smooth and blended.
04 - Gradually add 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 2½ cups of all-purpose flour. Mix just until incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Gently fold in 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips using a spatula.
06 - Press approximately ¾ of the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan.
07 - In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine one 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk with 10 ounces of soft caramels. Stir until melted and smooth, about 5-7 minutes.
08 - Pour about ¾ of the caramel mixture over the pressed dough in the pan.
09 - Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cookie dough over the caramel layer.
10 - Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are set and the center is slightly soft.
11 - Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flaked sea salt over the top while the bars are still warm.
12 - Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

# Notes:

01 - Reduce salt levels in the recipe if you prefer a less salty flavor.
02 - For a deeper caramel flavor, use homemade caramel if possible.

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