{recipe} Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Bars

Chocolate caramel oatmeal bars. Do these really need much more introduction than that? Probably not. What I have shared with you here is a picture of a cross-section of the bars. Gooey caramel, chewy chocolate, and a crumbly oat bar cookie both on the bottom and on the top… I can’t imagine you need much more convincing than that.

Give them a try. They’ll be a big hit. This whole tray was gone before I knew it.

And if you have a friend who doesn’t like these, well, let’s just say I wouldn’t be too sure about that friend from now on.

RECIPE: Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Bars
makes one 9X13 pan – but it serves a lot, because they are very rich and should be cut into pretty small pieces.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cups oats (not quick cooking)
• 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 10 Tblsp butter, melted
• 40 caramels (like Kraft), unwrapped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 oz. mini chocolate chips (you can substitute regular chocolate chips, but they won’t melt as well)

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir in melted butter and mix well to combine.
• Press about 3/4 of the dough into an ungreased 9X13 pan. Set aside the remaining 1/4 of the dough to use as topping.
• Bake cookie layer 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.
• While the bars are baking, put unwrapped caramels and heavy cream in a small saucepan. Melt over low heat, stirring often. When melted, stir in remaining 1/2 tsp salt and the vanilla extract.
• When bars come out of the oven, sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips. Pour caramel over the top. Crumble remaining dough mixture with your fingers and sprinkle over the top.
• Bake another 15-20 minutes, until caramel is bubbling and topping is lightly browned.
• Cool several hours before cutting, or the caramel layer will be too hot.