Salted Caramel Crumb Bars

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These Salted Caramel Crumb Bars are a slice of heaven! With rich and creamy salted caramel layered between a buttery cookie crust and crumb topping, what’s not to love? Everyone will be asking for this recipe.

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Salted Caramel Crumb Bars:

Friends, I have been wanting to share this Salted Caramel Crumb Bars recipe for almost a year now. Last year around this time, my mom’s friend (thank you, Julie) made these for me and I was instantly hooked! To be honest, I have been thinking about them ever since.

My family came to visit this past weekend and I was looking for the perfect sweet treat to make for their visit and I knew these Salted Caramel Crumb Bars would be something everyone would love. And I was right! They gobbled them up and asked to take home the extras.

Looking for more delicious bars? You’ll love these:

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking

Why are they so good? Well, I think they are the perfect combination of textures and flavors. First, salted caramel … need I say more? Second, both the cookie base and cookie crumble topping are like a soft, buttery shortbread-style cookie. Put those two together and it’s pure magic!

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They really are a treat and I wholeheartedly recommend them. I know you’re going to love them. And if you enjoy these bars, you’re going to love my Salted Peanut Bars! SO GOOD!

Ready to give these Salted Caramel Crumb Bars a try? Let’s bake!

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Kitchen Tools I Recommend for This Recipe:

Whether you’re wondering what equipment you’ll need for this recipe, curious about my favorite utensils, or if you’re just looking to stock your own kitchen, these are the kitchen tools I recommend for this recipe:

Want more? You can find the list of My Ultimate Kitchen Essentials HERE.

How to Make Salted Caramel Crumb Bars:

Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with baking spray. Set aside.

To the bowl of a stand mixer add the softened butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and salt. With the paddle attachment, cream together for about 2-3 minutes. For your convenience, I’ve shared ingredient amounts and full instructions in the printable recipe card below.

Add in the vanilla and mix again to combine.

With your mixer on low, add the flour one cup at a time and mix until a dough forms. You may need to scrape the side of the bowl down to ensure everything is evenly combined.

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking

Transfer 1/3 of the dough to your prepared pan and press with your fingers to form an even layer of dough on the bottom of the pan. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic and place it in the refrigerator to chill.

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking

Bake the crust for about 20 minutes or until the edges just start to slightly brown. Allow the crust to cool completely.

In the meantime, prepare your caramel filling by placing the unwrapped caramels and milk into a microwave-safe bowl. For the caramel candies, you want the Kraft or Brach’s caramels. You can find those HERE or HERE. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Continue to microwave at 30-second intervals stirring in-between until the caramel is smooth. Mix in the vanilla.

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking

Pour the caramel mixture over the cooled crust. Spread into a uniform layer and then sprinkle evenly with your sea salt flakes. Any flakey sea salt will work here, but my favorite is Maldon. I buy it by the tub, but you can get a smaller quantity here.

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking

Crumble the remaining chilled dough over the top of your caramel layer. (This will look odd but trust the process. Everything settles down in the oven.)

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking

Bake again (at 325 degrees) for about 30 minutes. The caramel should be bubbly and the topping will be lightly golden.

Cool completely, then cut into squares for serving.

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking

And that’s it! While the recipe for these Salted Caramel Crumb Bars does have a lot of steps, these bars are actually quite easy to make. The effort you expend is totally worth it!

These bars are delicious any time of the year. I also think they would make a tasty addition to your holiday cookie trays, so don’t forget to put them on your Christmas baking list.

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking #christmas

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking

I hope you give these bars a go and enjoy them as much as I do! Happy Baking!

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars Recipe:

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars #saltedcaramel #bars #butterbars #caramel #cookies #recipe #holidaybaking

Salted Caramel Crumb Bars

These Salted Caramel Crumb Bars are a slice of heaven! With rich and creamy salted caramel layered between a buttery cookie crust and crumb topping, what's not to love? Everyone will be asking for this recipe.
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bars, christmas cookie, cookie, crumb bars, salted caramel
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 28 bars
Calories: 305kcal

Ingredients

Filling:

  • 50 caramel candies* unwrapped (about 14 ounces)
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt flakes**

Instructions

  • Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with baking spray. Set aside.
  • To the bowl of a stand mixer add the softened butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, and salt. With the paddle attachment, cream together for about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add in the vanilla and mix again to combine.
  • With your mixer on low, add the flour one cup at a time and mix until a dough forms. You may need to scrape the side of the bowl down to ensure everything is evenly combined.
  • Transfer 1/3 of the dough to your prepared pan and press with your fingers to form an even layer of dough on the bottom of the pan. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic and place it in the refrigerator to chill.
  • Bake the crust for about 20 minutes or until the edges just start to slightly brown. Allow the crust to cool completely.
  • In the meantime, prepare your caramel filling by placing the unwrapped caramels and milk into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Continue to microwave at 30-second intervals stirring in-between until the caramel is smooth. Mix in the vanilla.
  • Pour the caramel mixture over the cooled crust. Spread into a uniform layer and then sprinkle evenly with your sea salt flakes.
  • Crumble the remaining chilled dough over the top of your caramel layer. (This will look odd but trust the process. Everything settles down in the oven.)
  • Bake again (at 325 degrees) for about 30 minutes. The caramel should be bubbly and the topping will be lightly golden.
  • Cool completely, then cut into squares for serving.

Video

Notes

*For the caramel candies, you will want the Kraft or Brach's caramels. You can find those HERE or HERE.
**Any flakey sea salt will work here, but my favorite is Maldon. I buy it by the tub, but you can get a smaller quantity here.

Nutrition

Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 417IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

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Recipe Rating




24 Comments

  1. I fixed this last year, and I’ve been dreaming of fixing it again! The only reason I haven’t is because I’m afraid I will eat the entire thing by mysel!

  2. I’ve made these twice now & they’re a huge hit.
    I had 5 caramels left over and am currently in the midst of baking a mini batch to enjoy.
    Thanks for the great recipe

  3. I’ve made these twice now and they are so delicious! My co-workers asked me for the recipe. I even froze some leftovers for myself last year and ate them as a special treat later. I made homemade caramel for another recipe and I’m thinking of trying it in these because it firms about the same! Thanks!

  4. these are perfection. brought them to a friend’s house and three people asked me for the recipe!! super simple to make and a complete crowd-pleaser!

  5. Hi! These look amazing and I would love to make them, however I don’t have access to the types of caramel candies mentioned. Just wondering if using dulche de leche (condensed milk simmered for 3 hours) might be a substitute to get the same texture, anyone has an idea? Thanks in advance!

  6. This was fun to make. If I make them again, I’ll reduce both caramel and butter. However, my neighbors devoured them and asked for the recipe.

    1. I haven’t tried freezing these. My concern would be with the caramel. It may get too hard in the freezer. I would test one bar before freezing the entire batch.

      xo Michael

  7. Did anyone else make the stupid mistake that I did? In a major rush (extremely hectic week) I didn’t read all the way through the directions (yes, I do know better than that). I forgot to bake the crust – poured the caramel on top of the raw crust then realized, nope this isn’t right…
    For those of you wondering, I poured as much off as I could, baked the crust, immediately poured the caramel back on and added the topping, stuck it in the oven and called it a day. They are cooling as we speak. Looks good – hopefully I didn’t ruin them!

  8. These are amazing! I only leave a review when it deserves 5 stars. This recipe is well above 5 stars. I made a batch to add to my Christmas cookies gifting. They were so good I had to make a second batch since I felt guilty only putting a couple in each gift box (plus I needed a few leftovers). I did cut the sea salt in half on my second batch, just a personal preference. This is definitely one of those recipes that everyone will be asking for. Thanks for the deliciousness!