These Carmelita Bars have thick, buttery oatmeal cookie layers with semisweet chocolate and gooey caramel in the middle. I use a little less sugar and a thicker caramel filling, so they’re plenty sweet but balanced, and they cut cleanly once they’ve cooled.
Note from Erin
I've always loved the flavor of Carmelita bars, but so often the sweetness is overwhelming. When I started testing this recipe, that was the first thing I wanted to fix.
I cut back just a little on the sugar, which helped, and then used a little less cream in the caramel. That gave the caramel a richer flavor and kept it in a thicker layer.
The bars are still sweet and gooey, but the buttery oat layers don't get lost.
Helpful Ingredient Tips
The recipe card at the bottom of this post includes the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
- Old-fashioned oats: I use old-fashioned oats because I want the oat layers to have some chew and texture. Quick oats are cut much smaller, so you lose some of those distinct pieces of oatmeal in the cookie layers.
- Caramel candies: I measure the caramels by weight instead of counting them because the size varies by brand. Ten ounces is about 35 Kraft caramels, and Werther’s Original soft caramels work well too. I’ve found jarred caramel sauce is usually too thin for these bars and can ooze out at room temperature.
- Salted butter: A lot of carmelita recipes call for unsalted butter and then have you add the salt back in. I can't be bothered with that. Salted butter with a little extra salt comes out perfect.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: I use semi-sweet chocolate because these bars already have plenty of sweetness from the caramel. I haven’t tested milk or dark chocolate here, but I think milk chocolate would make them sweeter than I want.
Keep It Simple 🍃
Most chocolate caramel oat bars simply layer the chocolate chips under the caramel. You can do that here too and skip spreading the softened chips. The chocolate won't be uniform, but it's still delicious.
Tips to Make the Best Carmelitas
Mix the Cookie Base
- Let the melted butter cool for a few minutes before mixing the dough. I found that when the butter was still really hot, the dough ended up greasier.
- I make this dough in one bowl, so I sprinkle the baking soda and salt across the flour and oats instead of adding them in one spot. That way they mix in evenly without dirtying another bowl.
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Pre-Bake Oatmeal Bars
- The edges should look set, but the center will still look soft and fairly pale. Don't wait for the crust to turn golden brown since it still has another bake once the caramel and chocolate are added.
Make the Caramel
- Start preparing the caramel sauce as soon as you put the bars in the oven. They should be ready for the next step about the same time.
Layer and Bake
- The chocolate chips should spread easily once they've softened. If they're pulling at the oat crust instead of gliding over it, give them another minute before trying again.
Make Ahead⏳
These are a great dessert to make the day before you need them. I usually let them cool in the pan overnight, then lift the whole slab out with the parchment and cut them the next day. The extra time gives the caramel plenty of time to set, while the bars stay soft and gooey.
Make it Special✨
For an extra-gooey caramel center, warm an individual bar in the microwave for about 10 seconds before serving. That's just enough to soften the chocolate and caramel and give you a really good caramel pull.
Recipe
Carmelita Bars
Recipe by:Ingredients
- 1 cup (224 grams) salted butter (16 tablespoons)
- 1 cup (220 grams) light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon (13 grams) vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (120 grams) old-fashioned oats
- 1 ½ teaspoons (6 grams) baking soda
- ½ teaspoons (3 grams) salt
Filling
- 1 cup (180 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 10 ounces (284 grams) soft caramel candies About 35 Kraft brand caramels, unwrapped
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8x8-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on the sides to lift the bars out after baking. Lightly spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl, then set aside to cool slightly.1 cup salted butter
- Add the brown sugar, vanilla extract, and melted butter to a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined.1 cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour and oats, then sprinkle the baking soda and salt evenly over the surface so they do not clump in one spot. Stir just until no dry streaks remain.1 ½ cups all-purpose flour , 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ½ teaspoons salt
- Press half of the oat mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 13 minutes. The crust will still look slightly underbaked when it comes out of the oven.
- While the crust bakes, make the caramel filling. Add the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream to a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, or until the caramel is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.10 ounces soft caramel candies, ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- As soon as the crust comes out of the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top. Let them sit for 4-5 minutes to soften, then gently spread the melted chocolate into an even layer.1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Pour the warm caramel evenly over the chocolate. Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the top, leaving some of the caramel peeking through.
- Bake for an additional 18-22 minutes, until the caramel is bubbling around the edges and the oat topping is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan, at least 3-4 hours or overnight. Once cooled, use the parchment overhang to lift the bars from the pan, then cut into squares.
Notes
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Nutrition
The nutritional facts provided are only estimates. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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