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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!
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…)
Yes indeed, butter does make about everything x100000 times more perfect and that’s a fact. And so does salted caramel. I mean, these bars are bound to solve all of my problems mmm. Send them to me pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee.
Haha! I would if I hadn’t eaten them all already!!
Gorgeous dessert bars! Your photography is getting better with each post! I am gluten free right now but your photos make me crave salted caramel in a dessert bar!
Thanks, Julia, I am really trying to work on it and my editing skills. That explains the gluten free crepes, which look delicious btw!
Eeeek! These look FAB, Lindsey! Seriously, bring ON the butter in these gorg bars! Totally wishing I could faceplant into several dozen of these right about now….;) Pinned.
Thanks, Sarah! And thanks for the pin!
These look just amazing! I want to do them! Thank you!
Thanks Josephine! Super easy especially if you don’t make your own caramel!
I’m also fairly certain that these bars will make me happy. Very, very happy. And I love the baking them a bit longer trick…that will definitely have to happen. Are there any leftovers? Because I could really go for one of these with my morning coffee right now!
There *were* leftovers until my husband came home last week and cleaned out the fridge!!! So sorry! Good thing they are easy enough to just throw together 🙂
Quick, easy and store cupboard ingredient treats are definitely for me these days. I’ve always loved chocolate like most people, but caramel is always my first choice.
I so need these ASAP,thanks. Must work my way through your other suggested caramel desserts too.
Thanks, Bibs! As you can see I love salted caramel!
Oh my, Oh my….I’ve just found the best dessert ever! I’m drooling. Pinned!
Haha Thanks, Julie! And thanks for the pin!
mmmmmmmmmmmmm salted caramel. MMMMMM BUTTER! Butter DEF is the ultimate comfort.
NEED THESE NOW
Haha! You so do! Thanks!