Chocolate Chip Caramel Butter Bars

These homemade bars use a healthy amount of butter and are ridiculously good because of it! Chocolate Chip Caramel Butter Bars are a fun combination of sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies and gooey caramel sauce. Instead of brown sugar (like a traditional chocolate chip cookie), we’re using white sugar which is more like a sugar cookie. These bars come out thick and are easy to slice!

Chocolate Chip Caramel Butter Bars are ooey gooey and easier to make than you might think! Such a yummy recipe (that you might want to make two pans!)

Before You Get Started

Here are a few of my tips to get the best treat each time:

• Use nonstick spray. When forming the cookie dough in the pan, I find it doesn’t stick to my hands as much if I spray my hands with nonstick spray first. That makes shaping the dough to the pan a lot easier.
• Wipe the knife blade in between cuts. If you want clean, pretty dessert bars, when you’re making each cutting pass through the pan, wipe the blade clean so you aren’t dragging more pieces through the dessert as you’re cutting.
• Warm the knife blade. I find this is another helpful tactic. Running the knife under some warm water first and then wiping it dry will help make clean cuts in the bars too.

How To Make Chocolate Chip Caramel Butter Bars

1️⃣ Prep the oven & pan

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2️⃣Cream the butter & sugar

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

3️⃣Add wet ingredients & leavening

Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in the baking soda and cream of tartar.

4️⃣Add the flour

Slowly mix in 4 cups all-purpose flour (a little at a time). Don’t over mix. Just stir until combined.

⚠️Over mixing flour develops too much gluten. This results in baked goods turning out dense and tough. So just mix until you can no longer see any white bits of flour in the dough.

Fold in the chocolate chips

Stir in the chocolate chips. Batter will be thick and stiff. This is normal.

✏️Tip: This part is best to do by hand instead of using an electric mixer. A stand mixer or electric mixer will continue mixing the dough which can then over work the gluten in the flour.

5️⃣Make the caramel mixture

In a separate bowl, whisk together caramel sauce and ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Mix until smooth and fully combined.

✏️Tip: To easily measure sticky ingredients like caramel, peanut butter or corn syrup, try spraying the measuring cup with a little nonstick cooking spray first. This will help the caramel easily slide out after measuring!

6️⃣Layer the base

Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared pan, pressing it gently up the sides.

✏️Tip: Spray your hands with nonstick spray to make this step easier!

7️⃣Add the caramel layer

Pour the caramel mixture evenly over the dough layer.

8️⃣Add the top layer

Drop spoonfuls of the remaining dough on top of the caramel. Spread gently to cover as much as possible.

9️⃣Bake & cool

Bake for 25–35 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely before slicing into bars.

Variations

Other things you can try with these bars:

• Enhance the chocolate vibes. Drizzle the bars with chocolate sauce before serving.
• Change up the chocolate chips. Instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, try milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white chocolate chips.
• Try Salted Caramel. If you want to enhance the caramel vibes try using some Homemade Salted Caramel.
• Feel free to garnish. You can garnish these cookie bars with flaky sea salt or a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Storage & Make-Ahead Tips

Room temperature (up to 4 days): These dessert bars can be kept at room temp for up to 4 days. Keep them in an airtight container and store on the counter.

Freezer (up to 3 months): You can keep these cookie bars even longer by Flash Freezing them first and then place in a freezer safe container or freezer safe bag. Thaw them individually in the fridge and reheat as desired.

Make ahead: Sure can. These can be made earlier in the day and then can be served room temperature or fresh from the oven.

FAQs & Troubleshooting:

▼ What to serve with these bars?

These bars can be served warm or room temp. I also like to serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

▼ Can I make these with different baking chips?

Sure. Try swapping out the chocolate chips for any other baking chips. Or you could omit them and just make caramel ooey, gooey bars.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Grab these ingredients (or try one of these swaps if you’re short on something) from the store on your next trip:

• salted butter– Dairy: I used salted butter, but you could use unsalted butter and a pinch of salt if needed
• sugar– Pantry: granulated white sugar can be used, but I suppose you could try a mix of white and brown sugar for
• eggs– Refrigerated section by the dairy: this is your binding ingredient to help hold the dough together
• vanilla extract– Pantry: adds a touch of sweetness
• baking soda– Pantry: a leavening agent
• cream of tartar– Spice or Baking aisle: this is typically found by your spices in most grocery stores
• all-purpose flour– Pantry: I’ve only tested this with all purpose flour, so I don’t have gluten free recommendations.
• chocolate chips– Pantry: you can use regular chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips
• caramel sauce– any brand of caramel sauce will work. I have used Smuckers, store brand, whatever is on sale.

CRAVING MORE TASTY DESSERT RECIPES?

• Carmelitas
• Homemade 100 Grand Bars
• Lazy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Tollhouse Cookie Pie
• Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Mug
• Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
• Knock You Naked Brownies
• Homemade Twix Bars
• Snickers Bars
• Homemade Kit Kat Bars
• Grandma’s No Bake Peanut Butter Bars
• Brown Sugar Pop Tart Bars

Originally published: March 2017
Updated photos & republished: November 2025