Carmelitas, an oatmeal cookie base layered with chocolate chips and soft caramel then topped off with more oatmeal cookie! So addicting!
Have you ever heard of Carmelitas before? They are easy to make and oh so sweet. These bars are basically an oatmeal cookie sandwich with gooey soft caramel and melty chocolate in the middle. All you need is a little time and a napkin!
Ingredients Needed for Carmelitas
Carmelitas are made of two basic parts, the oatmeal cookie bar and the filling. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Flour – unbleached all-purpose flour is what I used. This just fills out the oatmeal cookie mixture.
- Brown Sugar – to sweeten and to keep the cookie soft.
- Rolled Oats – these are for texture and goes great with the chocolate and caramel.
- Baking Soda – used for leavening.
- Salt – salt balances the sweet.
- Salted Butter – softened or partially melted. This helps combine all of the other ingredients together. Feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s all you have.
For the Filling
- Kraft Caramels and Heavy Cream – these two are heated and mixed together to create a pourable caramel filling that stays soft even after refrigeration. Your local grocery store should have the soft square caramels in the candy section,
- Chocolate Chips – I used regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. They are sprinkled on and melt when baking.
How to Make Carmelitas
Like I said before, Carmelitas are super easy to make but do take a little bit of time. So while things are baking and/or cooling, find a show to watch, do a quick chore or simply relax. For full details see the recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven. Line a baking dish with parchment paper then spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the oatmeal cookie bars until large crumbles form. Press half of the dough into the prepared pan. Bake.
- While baking, prepare the caramel filling. Unwrap the caramels into a microwave-safe bowl along with the heavy cream. Microwave, stirring in 30-second intervals until completely melted and smooth.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips over the baked oatmeal cookie base, then top with melted caramel mixture. Top with the remaining oatmeal cookie mixture, gently press down into the caramel.
Note: This dough does not have to be like the base, you simply crumble it over top and it will bake together.
- Bake until the top and edges start to brown. Cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate to help the caramel set. After about an hour, cut into squares and enjoy!
Variations
Make these Carmelitas your own by trying one or two of these variations!
- Sea Salt: sprinkle some sea salt on top of these bars for some salted caramel action!
- Nuts: add some nuts for flavor and crunch. I suggest walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
- Coconut: shredded coconut shaving bring a whole new texture and flavor combo to these bars.
- Ice Cream: instead of cooling down the bars, serve them hot with some vanilla ice cream. It’s like a chocolate caramel cobbler!
Storing
Room Temperature: cover or store these bars in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 days! Will they even last that long?
Refrigerate: extend the shelf life of Carmelitas by storing them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just note that the caramel might be a little chewier than soft if left in the fridge. Fix this by warming in the microwave for a couple of seconds.
More Bar Recipes to Try!
Try this Carmelita recipe ASAP people, it’s so so good.
The printable recipe card is below, enjoy 🙂
Carmelitas
Ingredients
For the Oatmeal Cookie Bar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 9 tablespoons salted butter partially melted
For the filling
- 11 oz package Kraft caramels 38 pieces unwrapped
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips I used semi-sweet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper then spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the oatmeal cookie bars until large crumbles form. Press half of the dough into the prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes.
- While baking, prepare the caramel filling. Unwrap the caramels into a microwave-safe bowl along with the heavy cream. Microwave, stirring in 30-second intervals until completely melted and smooth.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips over the baked oatmeal cookie base, then top with melted caramel mixture. Top with the remaining oatmeal cookie mixture, gently press down into the caramel.*
- Bake 18-20 minutes. Cool to room temperature then cover and refrigerate to help the caramel set. After about an hour, cut into squares and enjoy!
2 Comments
Betsy
September 29, 2020 at 12:28 amYum these are a favorite of mine! Question on the caramels – it says the square kraft caramels but looks like a different kind in the photos?
laurenb
September 30, 2020 at 10:41 pmThe girl who took the pictures was in a different country and they come in ovals! Cool, right? You’ll get the same results with the square kraft caramels.