Salted Caramel Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
What do you get when you decide to brown a little butter and get creative? The most insanely delicious little salted caramel brown butter chocolate chip bars ever, that’s what.
Why are good ol’ chocolate chip cookie bars so irresistible? I mean, chocolate chip cookies are tasty, but smash the same basic dough into a pan, underbake just a little, and wow.

It is safe to assume that bar cookies in some form have solved many a dessert dilemma for me over the years (and in some cases made me look way more put together in the potluck department than I really am).
I’m not trying to usurp the almighty chocolate chip cookie bar here, but sometimes even amazing things can be improved on. And in this case, a touch of brown butter and soft, chewy caramel does just that.
Honestly, these bars are magically delicious. A basic chocolate chip cookie dough gets a boost from the nutty flavor of browned butter before being layered in a pan with chewy, lightly salted caramel.
After baking, that caramel layer pops up a bit here and there throughout the chocolate chip cookie bars, creating a chewy, buttery soft ripple that immediately alerts my self-control: get these bars out of the house ASAP.
The fact that these salted caramel brown butter chocolate chip bars freeze amazingly well can either be taken as the best news ever or a dangerous piece of advice.
What’s the deal with browned butter?
Yes, brown butter is a bit trendy…but it’s also here to stay. And I am not sad about that. If you’ve never browned yourself some butter, may I encourage you to do so at your earliest convenience? I have a quick and easy tutorial here. Other than keeping a close eye on the butter while it cooks (as in, now is not the time to go paint your toenails), it’s easy as can be.
And if you’re wondering why the fuss? Well, the little bits of butter solids that turn nutty and toasty give the brown butter (and resulting cookie dough, in this case) a delicious depth of golden, caramelly flavor that can’t be achieved by any extract or artificial flavoring.
Caramel, Caramel and a few other tips
Caramel is a distinct and important ingredient in these cookie bars. You don’t want caramel sauce. You want soft, chewy, squares of caramel that most likely need to be unwrapped (unless you are ambitiously making your own homemade caramel or are using little chewy caramel bits – Kraft brand, I think?).
My favorite brand of wrapped chewy caramels are Trader Joe’s or Kraft. Whatever the brand, make sure to spread the melted caramel over the unbaked cookie dough while the caramel is still warm.
If you are using homemade caramel, you probably want about 1 1/2 cups or so.
Despite the few simple extra steps of browning the butter and melting a bit of caramel, these chocolate chip cookie bars are easy. Almost too easy. If you know what I mean.
They are positively dangerous for anyone who possesses a love of caramel and cookies. The good (?) news is, if word gets out you have a batch of these sitting around, you might be rid of them sooner than you’d like. #barthedoor
I know I’ve shared a lot of recipes over the years with you, my faithful friends, but I’m never happier than when I’m typing up a recipe like this – so easy, so sure to become a family favorite. If I wasn’t solidly sure if it before, days like today reinforce that my love language is definitely sharing good food with anyone and everyone who will listen/eat.
One Year Ago: Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
Two Years Ago: Simple Weeknight Greek Chicken Burritos {or Wraps!}
Three Years Ago: Amazing Cinnamon Chip Scones {Best Basic Scone Recipe}
Four Years Ago: My Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies
Five Years Ago: Baked Shrimp and Orzo with Feta Cheese
Salted Caramel Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 g) salted butter
- 1 cup (212 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (106 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (213 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (255 g) chocolate chips
- 14-ounce bag (397 g) soft caramels, unwrapped (not caramel sauce)
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or cream
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch pan (I use metal) with foil or parchment paper (to make cleanup easier with the caramel). Lightly grease the bottom and sides with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Brown the butter by cutting the butter into tablespoon-size pieces and placing in a skillet (preferably not nonstick so you can see the changing color easily – quick tutorial here). Cook over medium-low heat until the butter melts, begins to sizzle, and the butter solids on the bottom begin to turn a toasty brown, 3-4 minutes. Watch closely; the exact time will vary. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into a medium bowl. Refrigerate the butter for 10 minutes or so (not too long or it will solidify) until no longer hot.
- Stir in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt to the browned butter until evenly combined.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined. Stir in the flour and chocolate chips until no dry streaks remain.
- Take about 2/3 of the dough and dot in large pieces across the bottom of the prepared pan. Press into an even, thin layer.
- Add the unwrapped caramels and cream to a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 1-minute increments at 50% power, stirring in between, until the mixture is melted and smooth (careful not to burn).
- Spread the caramel, while still warm, over the cookie dough in the pan. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt, if desired. Pinch teaspoon-size pieces of remaining cookie dough and sprinkle across the caramel.
- Bake for 20-27 minutes until the cookie dough is golden (the bars will be super gooey coming out of the oven – like molten lava because of the melted caramel; as long as the top and sides are golden, they'll set up as they cool). Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Wow- so amazing. I made these today and let them cool for a few hours. Then I dug in. (I had to sit down and write a review in the middle of eating one of these.) The texture is amazing- slightly crispy edges and soft caramel together is divine. The taste is awesome too. I used homemade caramels from Christmas that weren’t getting eaten. So glad I had those. Wow. I usually don’t take time to comment but these are amazing. To everyone who is worried it’s too wet/soupy/gooey when you pull it out of the oven- it’s fine! Just leave it alone for a few hours or even overnight. They will set up beautifully. The only change I made was to reduce the chocolate chips to one cup, and bake a few minutes less (my oven bakes hot). Do use parchment paper!! They are releasing beautifully. I did not increase the crust. Just spread it thin on the bottom. The pieces on top will spread in the oven to cover the caramel.
can these be frozen?
Yes
I just made these – have never done Browned butter before- you have to do it! Adds an amazing flavor! These bars are delicious- I added the salt – it’s just a hint but excellent flavor! Thanks Mel for another great recipe- I’ll make these again for sure!!
Hello I just tried to make these with my daugther and the recipe calls for 3 tbsp of milk or cream but no where in the directions mentions what to do with it? Will they not turn out now?
In step #6 it says to add the caramels and cream to a bowl.
Can I use unsalted butter to make this ?
Yes, but you’ll want to increase the salt by 1/2 teaspoon, more or less, in the recipe
I was nervous about these because they were still super gooey, even after a couple of hours (though my son claimed that’s when they were the best), but the next day they were delightful and happily devoured by all. After reading the reviews, I doubled the crust (but not the granulated sugar) and that was perfect for us.
Have you tried freezing these?
Yes, they freeze great!
I baked a batch of these delicious bars and divided it between two gatherings. It was met with rave reviews at both functions! It is a straight forward recipe. The most time was spent browning the butter; trying to spread the batter along the bottom of the pan; and unwrapping the caramels. Totally worth it. I will make these again!
These bars were easy to make but I also had issues with the gooey-ness! Don’t get me wrong…it didn’t stop everyone from devouring the delicious gooey bars, but I’m not quite sure what went wrong. Maybe more flour needed? It seemed as if 14oz of caramel may be too heavy for the lower portion of the dough as the caramel ended up on the bottom. Love your recipes, Mel! I’ll tinker with this one in the future!
These were delish! The only issue I had was that I felt like I didn’t have enough cookie dough. The bottom layer had some holes and the top looked sparse as well. They baked very thin. Any suggestions?
The cookie layer is fairly thin in this recipe – you can 1 1/2 the cookie dough if you like for thicker layers.
I finally tried these and they are divine and dangerous. Goodness, it’s easy to consume these little gems! It does look like a soupy mess right when you pull them out of the oven, but just WAIT. They will set up just like you said and be utterly delicious!
You just have to wait for that madness to set up, you are right! Glad you loved these, Madison!
Do I use semi-sweet chocolate chips or just milk chocolate? Can’t wait to make these tonight!
I use semisweet 🙂
I made these this weekend. I’m not an amazing baker and so they felt quite labor intensive but they were amazing! Very much worth all the work.
Way to go, Shannon! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Be patient- I kept these in for 12 minutes longer so the top would be golden brown and when it was, I pulled them out. Cool for at least 90 minutes before cutting- these are fabulous! Very excited to serve them at a cookout- thanks for a really delicious dessert!
Thanks for the review, Kathleen!
I just made these and got them cut and oh my gosh!! This was my first time trying to make browned butter and what a game changer! This recipe is definitely a keeper.. as long as the finished product quickly leaves my house! Headed to the treadmill :). Thank you for another awesome recipe!
OMG!!!! Just made these. They are absolutely delicious! The brown butter if done right really gives it flavor. Love them!!! You have to let cool for about an hour and a half before cutting and eating. Definitely worth the wait,!!
I bought the ingredients today to make this. I can’t wait!! I will make this tomorrow and let you know how it was.
It looks like in the picture of the dough that you use caramel chips or some type of light colored chips but I don’t see them in the recipe. What are they and do I need to add them?
No, you don’t need to add them. They are Ghirardelli caramel chips and they weren’t very yummy in these which is why I didn’t include them in the ingredient list – I prefer using all semisweet chocolate chips. 🙂
Hi there! Curious where you put the 3TBS milk that’s in the ingredient list? Thanks!
In step #6 you add the caramels and cream (or milk, if using) to a bowl and melt.
So delicious! Tip: when you pull it out of the oven it will appear soupy. This is because the middle layer is melted caramel. Just make sure the cookie layer on top looks browned. As it cools, the caramel will set and it will all firm up. You will not be disappointed so don’t over bake it!
Made this to take to a friend’s home for dinner, and it was a hit! The only person who didn’t like it was my daughter who has a nut allergy. The nuttiness of the browned butter and caramel smelled too much like nuts to her which turned her off.
Thanks for the review, Lisa! Good tip on watching for doneness!
I’ve read the recipe over and over and can’t see where to add in that browned butter? I assumed it was with the eggs and vanilla so that’s where I put it when I made them this afternoon. The flavor was so good but mine were a goopy mess, even after baking them for an extra 15-20 minutes! What went wrong?! I followed the recipe to a T. Not sure what happened but the goop tasted delicious! Would love to get the texture right but I’m not even sure what to fix.
Hey Becca – in step #3 you add the sugars, baking soda and salt to the browned butter. Like Lisa mentioned in the comments, they may seem underdone at first because the caramel is molten hot, bubbly and runny, but they should set up as they cool. Did they set up for you after some time cooling?
These were delicious! I made them for a party the other night and they certainly were a hit! I love the unique flavor that the caramelized butter gives them! Almost nutty! Def will be making again! Thanks for always being my go-to site for recipes that don’t disappoint.
Thank you so much, Kristen!
Made these today for a family get together and they were a total hit!! They are soo delicious-especially the edges. The caramel just puts them over the top! I baked them about 5 minutes longer because they didn’t seem to set. But once they cooled they set nicely. Thanks for another superb dessert recipe!
Thank you, Suzanne! I agree those edges are hard to resist!
Amazing! Whole family loved them! Thank you!
Thank you, Mary!
I think most of your recipes have 1 cup of sugar equaling 7 ounces. Is there a reason this one is different? I have the bars in the oven now but either way I’m sure they will be awesome!
Hmmm, most of the recipes I’ve included weight measures with should have 1 cup of sugar = 7.5 ounces. That’s pretty much the standard that I use…is there a particular recipe you’ve seen on my site that’s different?
Oh my I just looked at a bunch that I make a lot and the only one I saw 7 ounces in was the thick and chewy chocolate chip bars. So sorry never mind! On the bright side your recipes are so awesome they still turned out for at least the last year
Help! The goodness of goooo… That is what I got after 22 min. It’s just not done. I will put it back in, but I think this is a fail. I checked the list of ingredients. Followed perfectly.
Hey Emily, others have said their bars were pretty gooey as well…I think it means adding a few minutes to the baking time. Was the top of the bars browned and golden?
I had the same problem! I tend to underbake my cookies and I think I didn’t check that the sides were set or maybe I don’t know what that means. It was still gooey after cooling. Currently rebaking to see if that helps! Probably going to be weird now but oh well.
Made this recipe last night for a lunch catering today. I’m glad I made it last night because I feel it needed the “resting” time for easier portioning. I wasn’t quite sure when it was ready to be pulled from the oven. It was very puffy and soft. I baked it until the edges were a dark golden brown and pulled it out even though the center seemed very underbaked. It fell slightly but firmed up beautifully by the next morning. I purchased the “caramel loaf” at Cash and Carry, also available at King Arthur, and weighed out the proper oz. This is very rich and from a 9X13 pan, I cut 48 pieces. 6X8. Everyone truly enjoyed it, rich, chewy, chocolate chip, caramel, of course!
Thanks so much for the detailed review, Annamarie!
These are SO yummy!! I meant to add the coarse salt but forgot to, I loved them without but think they would have been even better with! Next time…
Glad you liked them, Misty!
Hi! I plan on making these this weekend … But I have a question. If I use your caramel recipe do I spread it on immediately after it reaches the correct temperature in the pot I’m cooking it in? I know the caramel needs to be spreadable but not sure if I need to let it cool some first. Thanks!
P.S. I plan to have enough help to prepare both the cookie dough and caramel at same time.
That’s a good question! Yes, I would let it cool for 10-15 minutes (I think if it were right off the stove, it might sink into the cookie dough layer and “cook” it).
Should have stopped after Instruction #4 and just eaten the dough–which was incredibly good. It was all downhill after that–a total fail. Don’t even want to analyze where I went wrong–haha! My husband, however, is spooning out the gooey mess and telling me how good it is.
So I made these are they are a hit! My husband and son loved them. And if anyone is wondering I used the 11 oz bag of kraft baking caramel bits and it was plenty of caramel and worked perfectly! I love that you don’t have to unwrap them! Awesome recipe! I will def be making again!
Thanks, Rose!
I made these today and they are divine! Another win Mel!
Thanks so much, Haley!
Made these today! My kids all love the taste. The dough seemed pretty wet to me. Is that normal? It was hard for me to get it to spread in a thin layer and I wonder if I measured the flour wrong!
Yes, the dough is softer than some other cookie bar recipes on my site. I found it easiest to dollop spoonfuls of the dough on the bottom of the pan and spread that way (and if it’s still sticky, wetting your hands with really cold water and pressing it should help). Sorry that was a bit tricky!
Hi Mel—you’re amazing and darling and your recipes never fail me. Oh dear for me cuz chocolate chips cookies lover, check…caramel lover, check. I’m in trouble. Have one quick question: would using Peter’s caramel work? You know the bricks of caramel Orson Gygi sells?
Thanks! Julia
Yes, Peter’s caramel would work great here!
Did you use ten ounces of Trader Joe’s caramels or 14 ounces?
I use 14 ounces – basically 1 1/2 packages of the TJs caramels.
Do you think this would double well and I could make in a half baker’s sheet?
Yes, I think so! I’m always a little worried to recommend doing it when I haven’t tried it myself – mostly because those half sheet pans have lower edges and I’d hate for anything to spill over in the oven, but I think it’ll probably work.
What would happen if using salted caramel sauce in jar ?
The texture of the bars would probably be kind of wet and gooey vs chewy and caramelly.
I like the version with oats, so I bet this is as delicious!
No words! I’m sitting here in my pj’s trying to justify these as a breakfast food. They sound divine! Like some others have said I’m afraid if I make them I will eat the whole pan without sharing. Also, am I crazy for picturing them slightly warm with a scoop of ice cream on top?
Heavens no! That would be divine! 🙂
These bar cookies look so yummy! Can I add nuts??
Sure!
this has nothing to do with the bars, but I wanted to say, it’s time to renew a spinach salad you featured in 2014. Even tho I had no spinach and substituted ice berg lettuce the salad was so good and all the family loved it. Made me look good once more, thanks, Melanie.
I know of the spinach salad of which you speak! And yes, you are right, it’s probably time to bring that one back into the limelight. Thanks for the reminder!
I just made these bars!!! DEVINE Igot in a hurry and mixed the ingredients before the butter was completely cool which resulted in the chocolate chips melting. They were just as good. I bet there would be wonderful if you substituted a 1/2 cup of cocoa for the flour and still added the chocolate chips!!
Tanya! You win some kind of award for making a recipe the fastest and reporting back. I LOVE IT! And I love your report…specifically the chocolatey vibe going on in your cookie bars. Yum!
First foods I cooked at a very young age (I’m almost 50): French toast, Rice Krispie treats (back when the recipe called for an entire stick of butter) and browned butter (my mom always put it on asparagus).
I love that browned butter was one of the first things you learned to make. I have a favorite asparagus pasta dish that calls for browned butter and wow. So delicious!
Forgot to say on cauliflower too!
These look so delicious that I’m a little worried about making them…and then eating them, all by myself, in a single sitting. I definitely need to save this recipe for some sort of occasion where others will be there to help me eat them!
Am I just missing the note on chocolate chips? I don’t see it.
I was originally going to include a note but changed my mind. Sorry for the confusion!
In one of the pictures above (where the dough is mixed and there are chocolate chips sitting on top), there appears to be another kind of chip in the bowl. It’s not mentioned in the recipe. Was that an oversight? Or are two kinds of chips not necessary? I’m looking forward to trying this one!
Hey Susan – when I made these for the post, I added some caramel-flavored chips also but I didn’t like how sweet they were in the dough so I didn’t include them as a note in the recipe. These are much better, in my opinion, with regular chocolate chips (I use semisweet)
I can’t wait to try these! I am curious why you use a metal pan. What are the benefits? In other words, is there a valid excuse for me to go buy one? .
Also, are the Trader Joe’s caramels the ones that are in the candy area that are more Tootsie roll shaped? I’ve purchased some salted caramels there that are divine, but they are softer than the Kraft squares.
Hi Tanya, yes the caramels from Trader Joe’s are individually wrapped caramels that are probably more rectangular than square. They are labeled Fleur de Sel Caramels and are 10 ounces each package. I have had unreliable baking luck using a glass pan for baking. Glass has a tendency to bake a bit more unevenly in some recipes and often I’ve seen recipes indicating it helps to decrease the oven temp by 25 degrees if using glass. It probably boils down to personal preference – I make all my bar cookie/brownies in a metal pan so I guess that’s what I’m used to! 🙂
That sounds like a valid reason to me :). Thank you! I’m visiting my daughter and new grandbaby. They have a Trader Joe’s by their house so I will stick up on the caramels while I’m here.
These look delicious and I am sure will be a hit the chocolate and caramel lovers in my house. Thank you.
This recipe has the trifecta of dessert must-haves for me: browned butter, caramel and bar cookie ❤️! I can’t wait to try! I’m curious about the Trader Joe’s wrapped caramel. My Trader Joe’s only has the square plastic 10 oz container called “fleur de sel caramels” are these what you are referring to? I’d love to use something other than kraft because they aren’t my favorite but the texture between the ones I have from TJ’s and the kraft are quite different so I’m not sure they’d melt and bake the same. I’d love more info on your TJ’s caramel!! Thanks Mel! Can’t wait to make these scrumptious looking bars!!!
Hey Michelle – yes, those are the caramels I use from Trader Joe’s! They melt amazingly well and are so yummy!
Thank you!! These are my favorite caramels! I am adding them to my shopping list now! Can’t wait to make these this week!
These look delicious. Love the combination of all the flavors. I didn’t know TJ sold wrapped caramels. I will have to look for them. I am almost done with my new kitchen renovation, and I will have to put these at the top of my list to make when I can get back in there to cook and bake! Yum.