Description
Delicious Caramel Crush Bars featuring a buttery crust layered with gooey caramel and melty chocolate chips. These bars combine a rich, tender base with sweet, smooth caramel and chocolate, baked to golden perfection. Perfect for dessert or a sweet snack, these bars are easy to make and sure to delight any crowd.
Ingredients
Scale
Bar Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings
- 1 cup caramel sauce
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan to prevent sticking and ensure easy removal of bars.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the unsalted butter and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes using a mixer or vigorous stirring by hand.
- Add Vanilla Extract: Beat in the vanilla extract until it is fully incorporated into the creamed mixture.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt evenly ensuring no lumps remain.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, stirring gently until just combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Form Base Layer: Spread half of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, pressing it down gently to create a uniform crust layer.
- Add Caramel and Chocolate: Pour the caramel sauce evenly over the dough base, then sprinkle the chocolate chips over the caramel layer for a delightful combination of flavors.
- Top with Remaining Dough: Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the caramel and chocolate layer to form the top crust.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the bars are golden brown around the edges and set but still soft in the center.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 squares for serving.
Notes
- Use room temperature butter for easier creaming with the sugar.
- Ensure not to overmix the dough after adding flour to keep the bars tender.
- Cool completely before cutting to ensure clean slices and prevent the caramel from oozing.
- You can substitute caramel sauce with homemade caramel for a richer flavor.
- Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
