Carmelita Bars (Gooey Oatmeal Caramel Chocolate Cookies!)
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Chewy, gooey and completely decadent chocolate caramel oat carmelitas will become your new favorite cookie bar. A chewy, buttery oat layer on top of a warm caramel sauce and a thick layer of chocolate that is good to the last bite!
Table of Contents
Why We Love Carmelita Bars
- Gooey Caramel Chocolate Center– Sweet buttery, gooey caramel and melted chocolate center, it’s deliciously decadent in every bite!
- Great To Bring To A Party– This recipe feels a little different at a party and will certainly turn heads! These bars never last long with a crowd and everyone will be asking for the recipe once they have a taste!
- Easy Layered Bar– These caramel chocolate oat bars are easy enough for a beginner, but the layers take a regular cookie bar up a notch with this Carmelita recipe. This easy recipe always gets rave reviews!
Ingredients For Carmelita Bars
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
- flour – all purpose flour
- butter – 12 tablespoons
- old fashioned oats
- brown sugar
- baking soda
- salt
- soft caramels like Kraft caramels, usually about one bag. The caramels MUST be soft caramel they can’t be crunchy caramel candies
- heavy cream
- semi sweet chocolate chips
How To Make Carmelita Cookie Bars
Make And Bake The Bottom Oat Layer
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper. You can butter or oil the pan, but parchment paper makes it much easier to release these bars. A baking spray such as Wilton’s Bake Easy or Baker’s Joy is another great easy release option.
You can butter or oil the pan, but parchment paper makes it much easier to release these bars so they don’t become too crumbly when you take them out of the pan. It’s really easy for the caramel to melt and stick to the pan in a spot or two if you grease the pan instead of using parchment paper. A baking spray such as Wilton’s Bake Easy or Baker’s Joy is another great easier release option.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, melted butter, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt to make an oat crumb mixture. Keep mixing until all the flour is fully mixed in and not dry in the bowl.
- Place half of the oat crumb mixture in the bottom of the 9 x 13 inch pan evenly Bake for 10 minutes until it just begins to turn golden brown, like this!
Make The Caramel Sauce
- Unwrap the soft caramels. Combine caramels with heavy cream in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave caramels for one minute, then stir well. Continue microwaving in 30 second intervals and stirring in between until the caramel sauce is smooth for the caramel filling.
Use a larger microwave-safe bowl than you think you need to melt the caramels, as they expand some as they melt.
Layer The Carmelita Bars
- Sprinkle all chocolate chips in an even layer across the oat mixture.
- Pour melted caramel filling over the chocolate chips evenly while still warm to make the caramel layer.
- Sprinkle on the remaining oat crumb mixture evenly across the bars.
Bake The Bars
- Bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until the top is starting to turn golden brown and caramel is bubbling on the sides. Allow the bars to cool, then slice and serve!
Can I Use Other Flavors Of Chocolate Chips?
Yes, semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips or even white chocolate chips can be used interchangeably in this recipe to change the flavor. You can also use caramel chips or peanut butter chips.
What Kind Of Oats Do I Use In This Recipe?
Quick oats or old fashioned oats (also called rolled oats) can both be used in this recipe. Both oats have been steamed and rolled and therefore will react similarily in this recipe. The old-fashioned oats will produce a slightly chewier bar.
I do not recommend using steel-cut oats in this recipe. Steel-cut oats are much thicker and absorb more liquid than the other two types.
Can I Use Half And Half Or Milk Instead Of Heavy Cream?
Yes you can swap out half and half to make the caramel in this recipe. Milk can be used in a pinch if it is whole milk. Two percent milk can also be used but expect the caramel to not taste as rich. If you do like a good rich caramel flavor, these White Chocolate Brownies have such a great rich caramel flavor to the chewy base and are worth a try too!
I do not recommend using milk that is less than two percent milk fat, or non-dairy alternatives unless you are making the non-dairy caramel sauce which I shared further down the page.
Can I Make This Carmelitas Recipe Dairy Free?
This recipe can be made dairy-free, but it does take a little more work. Your favorite non-dairy butter spread can replace the butter in this recipe.
For the caramel, you will need to make a non-dairy caramel sauce instead of using store-bought caramel.
Make sure you choose chocolate chips that are dairy-free also. Many stores carry dairy-free chocolate chips now, with the most popular being Enjoy Life dairy-free chocolate chips.
How Do I Store Carmelita Bars?
Store Carmelita bars in an airtight container. If you keep these bars on the counter they should last about 3-4 days.
Other Recipes You Will Love
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Sticks
Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Carmelita Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- ¾ cup butter 12 tablespoons
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 30 pieces soft caramels like Kraft caramels
- 5 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Make And Bake The Bottom Oat Layer
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, melted butter, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt to make an oat crumb mixture. Keep mixing until all the flour is fully mixed in and not dry in the bowl.
- Place half of the oat crumb mixture in the bottom of the 9 x 13 inch pan evenly Bake for 10 minutes until it just begins to turn golden brown.
Make The Caramel Sauce
- Unwrap the soft caramels and place in a large bowl that is microwave safe with the heavy cream. Microwave caramels for one minute, then stir well. Continue microwaving in 30 second intervals and stirring in between until the caramel sauce is smooth. This process will take about three minutes total.
Layer The Bars
- Sprinkle all chocolate chips in an even layer across the oat mixture.
- Pour melted caramel over the chocolate chips evenly while still warm, and then sprinkle on remaining oat crumb mixture evenly across the bars.
Bake The Bars
- Bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until the top is starting to turn golden brown and caramel is bubbling on the sides. Allow the bars to cool completly, then slice and serve!
Notes
Tips And Swaps
- You can butter or oil the pan you are using but the bars may stick to the pan. The caramel especially can become very sticky. I recommend using parchment paper so it releases easily once cooled. Baking spray like Wiltojns or Bakers Joy is also a great option if you have it.
- Salted butter is fine in this recipe. If using unsalted butter add an extra 1/4 teaspoon to the mixture.
- Half and half can be substituted for heavy cream in this recipe. Milk that is whole or at least 2% can also be substituted in a pinch, but the caramel will have a much less rich flavor. I do not recommend using milk that isn’t at least 2% or using a dairy-free alternative in this recipe without making the caramel dairy-free from scratch. See further up the post for more information.
- These bars are very gooey if you try to slice them while they are warm they won’t hold their shape. Let them cool completely and even refrigerate them for a little while after they have cooled will help them hold a bar shape. Don’t put the bars into the fridge until the pan is cool enough to hold with your hands.
How To Make Caramel Sauce In A Double Boiler
- Unwrap the caramel squares and place them in the top pot of a double boiler. Add the heavy cream to the pot.
- Fill the bottom pot of the double boiler with a shallow layer of water that is at least one inch deep
- Put the top pot over the bottom and place on a burner over medium heat.
- Melt the caramels, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. A smooth and creamy sauce will form after about 5-7 minutes of stirring.
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
Can you use the Quaker Quick Oats?
Hi Jill, If you substitute quick oats for old fashioned oats the bars may cook more quickly and need a shorter cook time. The bars also won’t be as chewy as old fashioned oats are thicker, so the bars may have a slightly different texture though they should still work.
Using steel cut oats though will not produce the same results at all, and the bars will likely be too dry and crumbly. Hope that helps!
I’ve made these everytime and they’re amazing! Question though, are they gluten free or can I use almond flour to make them gluten free? I want to make them for a friend.
So glad you liked these bars Jen! These bars are not gluten free naturally because they have regular flour in them. I would check with the person who can’t have gluten as some people are more sensitive to gluten then others. I wouldn’t swap in almond flour as it doesn’t behave the same way in baking as regular flour. I’ve had luck making gluten free goodies with the Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten free flour and have used it cup for cup in recipes, though I have not tried it in this specific recipe. Hope that helps and it works out well.
My daughter loved these and so did my husband.
So glad all of you enjoyed!
Made years ago, used Carmel ice cream topping, easier than carmels and cream.
I have made this several times and keep coming back! We’ve added shredded coconut to make it more like a Girl Scout cookie.
We’ve also replaced some caramels with chocolate caramels. Delish every time!
Yum, I will have to try your Girl Scout Samoa cookie tip, delicious!
Can us use caramel ice cream topping instead of melting caramels? If so, how much would I use?
Hi there. No I’m sorry I wouldn’t suggest using ice cream topping in this recipe. using the soft caramels will produce a thicker caramel in the bars that will layer into the bars. The ice cream caramel sauce will be a lot thinner and likely drip out of the bars too much. Ice cream topping would be great if we were just drizzling the caramel on top before serving, but won’t work well this time because the caramel itself is a layer in the bars. Hope that helps. -Kristy
Can I use something else than caramel? A lot of calories come with caramel
You could use more chocolate, or add a layer of peanut butter in there. These cookies are Carmelitas, so the caramel is kind of the focus of the recipe here. They are a dessert and are intended as a treat. -Kristy