Carmelitas

• servings: 12 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 21 minutes

Ingredients

9 ounces soft caramels (see note 1)

1/3 cup heavy cream

12 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)

3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)

1-1/4 cups flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/4 cups milk chocolate chips (see note 2)

Directions

Prepare

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 8x8-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal later.

Melt Caramel

In a pot over medium-low heat, combine the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream. Stir with a wooden spoon until completely smooth, then set aside to slightly cool and thicken.

Form Batter

In a large bowl, mix together the room temperature butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt using a hand mixer until a thick dough forms. Divide the mixture in half and press half of it into the prepared pan.

Bake Base

Bake the base for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven. Gently sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the crust. Pour the melted and slightly cooled caramel over the chocolate chips, gently smoothing it into an even layer.

Bake Bars

Crumble the remaining oatmeal mixture over the caramel layer but don’t press it down. Bake for another 13–18 minutes until the edges are lightly browned and the top is set.

Cool

Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars. These bars are best enjoyed within 2–4 days; store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

• Calories: 238 kcal
• Total Fat: 12.6 g
• Cholesterol: 29.5 mg
• Sodium: 208.1 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 30.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.8 g
• Total Sugars: 15.7 g
• Protein: 2.3 g