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    Home > Recipes > Brownie + Bar Recipes

    Salted Caramel Butter Bars

    Published: Aug 20, 2014 | Updated: Aug 5, 2022

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    These Salted Caramel Butter Bars are incredibly easy! A buttery shortbread crumble surrounds a salted caramel filling for the perfect salty-sweet dessert!

    Jump to Recipe
    Caramel Butter Bars cut with caramel pull

    There are few things in life that cannot be fixed with salted caramel and butter, so as my life has gotten increasingly more crazy and stressful, my desserts have gotten simpler and more butter-laden! Starting with these Salted Caramel Butter Bars – these are miracle-workers!

    Caramel Butter Bars sliced stacked

    Butter is comforting, no? Maybe I am secretly French.

    The secret to a good life? Beurre. #fact

    Caramel Butter Bars unsliced in vintage baking pan

    This recipe is from Cookies & Cups  and Shelly uses these to cure bad days too, so I am not alone here!

    These Salted Caramel Butter Bars look complicated but they are actually super easy! The bottom crust and the top crumble are the same shortbread dough. Easy peasey.

    The Lowdown on Salted Caramel Butter Bars

    I made these in, but 50 minutes of that time was me waiting for the bars to finish baking!

    I used homemade salted caramel because I had some in refrigerator from these salted caramel cupcakes, but you could use caramel candies to simplify these bars even further.

    Additionally, I baked mine a bit longer than the directions so my bottom crust and top crumble were a little crunchy, which added some texture to the bars but that is completely unnecessary; they would be just as delicious as soft and chewy bars.

    Caramel Butter Bars cut with caramel pull

    Do you know what else makes everything better? Shark Week. #obsessed

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    I didn’t get to watch any this year (tear), but I’ve gotten inexpressible enjoyment out of reading the memes and someecards. #whyaretheysofunny

    So throw some Salted Caramel Butter Bars in the oven and cozy up on the couch to watch Shark Week reruns!

    And there is my recipe for happiness. You're welcome.

    Caramel Butter Bars sliced stacked detail
    Caramel Butter Bars sliced stacked detail

    Salted Caramel Butter Bars

    Chef Lindsey
    These Salted Caramel Butter Bars are incredibly easy! A buttery shortbread crumble surrounds a salted caramel filling for the perfect salty-sweet dessert!
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American, French
    Servings 24 people
    Calories 287 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    For the Crust and crumble:

    • 2 cups salted butter (room temperature)
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
    • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
    • 4 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)

    For the Filling:

    • 1 14 oz bag caramel candies
    • ⅓ cup milk or cream
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter or line with parchment paper a 9×13 baking dish.
    • In a large bowl combine butter and sugars, mix on medium speed until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.
    • Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture on low speed and mix until a smooth, soft dough forms.
    • Press ⅓ of the dough into the prepared baking pan, and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the edges are a pale golden brown. Refrigerate the remaining ⅔ of the dough.
    • If you are going to make your caramel from candies, do that while the crust bakes.
    • Place the unwrapped caramel candies and cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minutes. Stir until smooth. If the caramels are not completely melted, continue microwaving on high heat for 30 second intervals, stirring after each one.
    • Once the caramels are melted, stir in the vanilla. Set aside until the bottom crust is done baking.
    • Pour the caramel filling over the crust, sprinkle with salt and crumble the remaining dough over top.
    • Continue baking until the filling is bubbly and the topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25-30 minutes.
    • Let cool before cutting into squares. (I know, I know…go ahead and cut a corner out for quality control…the things we must do as bakers…)

    Notes

    Yield: 24 Bars
    Can use 1 cup homemade salted caramel sauce instead of the filling ingredients. 
    *I halved this recipe and made 16 squares in an 8×8 baking dish, because I am only one person and I have no willpower where butter and caramel are concerned. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
    Recipe adapted from Cookies and Cups
    Keyword caramel sauce, chewy cookies, cookie bar recipe
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cheflindseyfarr
    Salted Caramel Butter Bars Post Oven
    Salted Caramel Butter Bars Purple Border
    Salted Caramel Butter Bars

    These other Salted Caramel Desserts will also lead to happiness:

    Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Blondies

    Caramel Chocolate Chip Blondie

    The Best Salted Caramel Sauce 

    The BEST Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
    Easter Double Salted Caramel Cupcakes

    Double Salted Caramel Cupcakes

     Maple Pecan Caramel Brown Butter Blondie

    Maple Pecan Brown Butter Blondies

    Bailey's Irish Coffee Caramel Brownies

    Baileys Irish Coffee Milk Chocolate Brownies

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    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    1. Jane Wagner says

      February 08, 2021 at 1:35 am

      Super, super yummy!!! Definitely will be adding this to my treat arsenal!

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        February 12, 2021 at 11:13 am

        I'm so glad!

        Reply
    2. Julia says

      November 06, 2019 at 1:10 pm

      Question: I made these salted caramel butter bars and they are amazing! Everybody loves them. Can I make a batch ahead of time and freeze them? How do they do in the freezer? I am going to be in a Christmas craft show and I am prepping ahead of time and really need to put stuff in the freezer.

      I made the homemade salted caramel and I did make an adjustment to the recipe. I used ground sea salt in the homemade caramel recipe and it was far, far too salty. I read it again with half a tablespoon and it was perfect.

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        November 21, 2019 at 10:54 am

        Hi Julia! Absolutely freeze away! Just wrap them really well and put them in a ziplock bag to keep the flavor as fresh as possible! Happy baking!

        Reply
    3. Chelsey says

      February 26, 2019 at 11:07 am

      I want to ship these to someone deployed, it usually takes about 10 days for the food to get there. do you think these will last 10 days at room temp?

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        March 30, 2019 at 10:12 am

        10 days might be pushing it depending on the heat. If its super hot, I wouldn't. Otherwise, sure! I'm sure they will appreciate these! Make sure to send enough to share! They are addicting!

        Reply
    4. Cathy says

      December 23, 2018 at 9:21 pm

      Omg!!! These are SO GOOD! They came out far better than I ever expected. Butter, caramel yumminess!

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        January 01, 2019 at 11:09 am

        I'm so glad Cathy! So simple yet so delicious! Happy New Year!

        Reply
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