Description
Delight in these Gooey Chocolate Caramel Bars featuring a buttery oat crust, melted semisweet chocolate chips, crunchy pecans, and a luscious caramel drizzle for a perfect sweet treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust and Topping
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups cold butter, cubed
Fillings
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 jar (12 ounces) caramel ice cream topping
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour, quick-cooking oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix thoroughly to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Cut in Butter: Add the cubed cold butter to the dry mixture. Using a pastry cutter or fingers, cut the butter into the mixture until it becomes crumbly and resembles coarse crumbs.
- Divide Crumb Mixture: Set aside half of this crumb mixture for the topping. Press the remaining half firmly into a greased 13×9-inch baking pan to form the base crust.
- Bake Crust: Preheat your oven to 350°. Bake the pressed crust for 15 minutes until lightly golden.
- Add Chocolate and Pecans: Remove the pan from the oven and evenly sprinkle the semisweet chocolate chips and chopped pecans over the warm crust.
- Prepare Caramel Drizzle: Whisk the caramel ice cream topping with the remaining 1/4 cup flour until smooth to slightly thicken the caramel for drizzling.
- Assemble Topping: Drizzle the caramel mixture evenly over the chocolate and pecans. Then, sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture on top for a crunchy finish.
- Bake Bars: Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and bubbly.
- Cool and Serve: Transfer the bars to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely, about 2 hours, before cutting into bars to serve.
Notes
- For a nuttier texture, substitute pecans with walnuts or almonds.
- Use cold butter to ensure a crumbly texture in the crust and topping.
- Allow the bars to cool fully to help them set and achieve clean cuts.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
- You can warm the caramel topping slightly if it is too thick before whisking with flour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
