This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These Salted Caramel Butter Bars are incredibly easy! A buttery shortbread crumble surrounds a salted caramel filling for the perfect salty-sweet dessert!
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!
These bars are one of my go-to recipes. They are easy because the top and bottom use the same dough and you can either use homemade caramel sauce or use caramel candies!
If I need a crowd pleaser and am short on time, I will bring these caramel butter bars, 7 layer bars, old fashioned butterscotch brownies, or these perfect chewy white chocolate macadamia nut cookies! If I have a little more time I’ll bring pecan pie bars or a chocolate pecan pie as well!
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 an hour, 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.
Do you know what else makes everything better? Shark Week. #obsessed
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.
If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!
Salted Caramel Butter Bars
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
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 1/3 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 2/3 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
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious Brownies and Bars Recipes or top it off with my homemade Chocolate Ice Cream recipe!
Looks like a stress relieving treat. I agree with you about butter. It’s so good and comforting. What kind do you use anyway? A long time ago, I’ve learned the hard way that good butter makes all the difference in the world when baking. I’ve baked same things using different butter and the one baked with cheap bleh butter turned out BLEH compared to when baked with the better butter. Oh and what is Shark Week, a reality shark show?
Girl, tell me that ain’t true!!!! Google shark week right now. It is in some ways a reality show but it’s a whole week of marketing genius by the Discovery Channel, during which they play nothing but shows about sharks. Love me some sharks!
I use whatever organic sweet cream butter they have at the grocery store. What should I be using is the question?
Salted caramel = amazing! These bars look incredible! I just love the crumble on the top. So impressive!
And secretly so easy! Love when desserts work out like that!
I have a jar of caramel just waiting for this recipe! My kind of stress reduction, too 🙂
Yay!!! You’ll love it, Liz! Stress be gone!
Can I use the caramel apple dip
I think that is a genius idea!
I love how you roll with all this salted caramel action here — I can’t get enough of the stuff! And with butter…all that butter. These bars are the stuff dreams were made of! Salted caramel makes me SO dramatic. Pinning. 🙂
lol! BUTTER!!! It makes me dramatic too. Thanks for the pin!
Um, yes please!!! Salted caramel and butter are two of my very favorite things. These bars are totally up my alley! Pinned!
Me too! Thanks for the pin, Kristine!
These bars are irresistible. Love how they look.. I’m really craving for something like this now…
It know it’s too early in the day to be dreaming about butter and caramel…yet here we are 🙂
You had me at salted caramel, Lindsey! I definitely think these bars would help me get over a bad day, too. They look amazing! I love all of the caramel and buttery flavors. Wish I had one for breakfast! Pinned!
Is there anything as good as caramel and butter?! Nope…well, probably chocolate, caramel and butter but that’s besides the point!
As always looks great.
Thanks, Ernesta!