The Best Gooey Carmelitas

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Gooey Carmelitas!  O M G…can we just say Oh Myyy GOD?  These soft, ooey, gooey delicious bars are loaded with lots of gooey, buttery caramel oozing in between oatmeal and chocolate fudge layers with a oat cookie crust that is to die for! We can’t resist this easy & best carmelitas bar recipe! Heavenly!

These scrumptious bars are very addictive and so easy to make, just like these Delish Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars, these Ultimate Gooey Brownies and these Salted Caramel White Chocolate Cookies! Who’s ready for yumminess!

Why You Need Gooey Carmelitas In Your Life! 

I guess I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy making and scarfing down these caramel cookie bar treats, because I’ve never made them until now, but I’ve had them made by others and loved them!

I thought these bars would be way more complicated to make and I hate complicated, so guess what?  This gooey carmelitas recipe is easy!!  You just have to make layers by melting the caramel, making the oat cookie mixture and there is nothing to the chocolate chip layer, which is just chocolate chips scattered about.

This delectable bar is packed with rich caramel, chocolate chips, and old-fashioned oats, making it the perfect pick-me-up or after-dinner indulgence. They taste like the best dessert on the face of this earth!

This is the the best carmelitas recipe to make if you’re looking for an awesome caramel and chocolate treat!  I’ve been missing out not having this before!

These are super addictive, so they are dangerous as well!  You can easily cut these bars smaller for giving away to friends and family so everyone gets some, especially around the holidays!  They are rich but like I said, addictive!!

These gooey carmelitas have everything I love in them! Total drool-worthy perfect when you’re in the mood for a caramelita bar recipe that’s both sweet and gooey!

What Kind of Caramels to Use for Gooey Carmelitas

• I used 1 & 1/2 bags of caramel bits to get lots of gooey caramel, but feel free to just use one (plus 1/4 cup of the whipping cream) or two bags of caramel bits (1/2 cup of the whipping cream for however much caramel you want in your bars!  Either way, they will be super gooey & delish!
• Other caramel options include Kraft Caramels or Werther’s Soft Caramels, or something similar.

How to Measure Caramel Squares if Not Using Caramel Bits

• The caramel bits come in 11 ounce bags, and the same goes for the Kraft caramel squares. There are 35 caramel squares in each 11 ounce bag of caramel squares.
• Whatever caramel you use, use a soft caramel that measures out to about a cup and a half for each 11 ounces of caramel.

Ingredients You Need for the Gooey Carmelita Bars

The Best Carmelitas Recipe

• butter, melted (can use salted or unsalted – if using unsalted, add ½ teaspoon salt)
• caramel bits – I used 1 & 1/2 bags of caramel bits to get lots of gooey caramel, but feel free to just use one (plus 1/4 cup of the whipping cream) or two bags of caramel bits (1/2 cup of the whipping cream for however much caramel you want in your bars!  Either way, they will be super gooey!
• heavy whipping cream
• all-purpose flour
• old fashioned rolled oats, can use gluten free oats, if you want gluten-free option
• baking soda
• brown sugar
• pure vanilla extract
• semi-sweet chocolate chips

How To Make the Gooiest Carmelitas?

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In microwave, melt butter, set aside.
3. Add the caramels and heavy cream in a microwavable bowl and microwave in 45 second minute intervals stirring in between until the caramel is fully melted. If you want to use the stovetop use a small saucepan to melt the caramel.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine flour with oats, baking soda and salt, if using unsalted butter.
5. Add the brown sugar, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and whisk to blend. Add to the dry ingredients, and stir with a spatula until combined.  If it’s too sticky, add a tablespoon or two of oats, if needed)
6. Add half of the dough to the prepared baking pan and press into pan. Layer will be seem thin but it’s fine.  Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Once it’s done, keep the oven on, but remove from the oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the baked cookie layer, then pour the melted caramel on top of the chocolate chips. Then, crumble the remaining cookie dough on top of the caramel.
8. Transfer mixture back to the oven, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown.
9.  Remove bars from the oven, and allow to cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve while still a little warm, if you want a dreamy, warm & melty bite or after they’ve set up completely, they’ll still be dreamy, but when you slice them, you’ll get nice cut bars for the best caramelitas recipe! 

How to Store Gooey Carmelita Bars

More Gooey Caramel Desserts That Have Us Drooling! 

• Outrageous Peanut Butter Caramel Truffle Cookies
• Salted Caramel Chip Apple Blondies
• Ooey Gooey Salted Caramel Butter Cake Bars
• Easy Caramel Heath Cheesecake Pie
• Snazzy Butterfinger Caramel Cookie Bars
• Caramel Pecan Chocolate Oat Bars
• Turtle Caramel Truffle Brownies
• Heavenly Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Brownie Trifle
• Best Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
• Brown Butter Brownies with Caramel Frosting

Gooey Caramel Carmelitas

Kim Lange

Ooey, gooey deliciousness in bars loaded with chocolate, oats and caramel with an oatmeal cookie crust!

3.63 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 12 Servings

Calories

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ¾ cup butter melted (can use salted or unsalted - if using unsalted, add ½ teaspoon salt)
• 1 11 oz bags of caramel bits or 35 Kraft caramel squares, unwrapped (For double the caramel layer, use 2 bags of either and double the heavy whipping cream to 1/2 cup.)
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats can use gluten flour oats, if you want gluten-free option
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

 

Gooey Carmelitas

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In microwave, melt butter, set aside.
• In another microwaveable bowl, add the caramels and heavy cream in a microwavable bowl and microwave in 45 second minute intervals stirring in between until the caramel is fully melted. If you want to use the stovetop use a small saucepan to melt the caramel.
• In a mixing bowl, combine flour with oats, baking soda and salt, if using unsalted butter.
• Add the brown sugar, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and whisk to blend. Add to the dry ingredients, and stir with a spatula until combined. If it’s too sticky, add a tablespoon or two of oats, if needed)
• Add half of the dough to the prepared baking pan and press into pan. Layer will be seem thin but it’s fine. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Once it’s done, keep the oven on, but remove from the oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the baked cookie layer, then pour the melted caramel on top of the chocolate chips. Then, crumble the remaining cookie dough on top of the caramel.
• Transfer mixture back to the oven, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown.
• Remove bars from the oven, and allow to cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve.

Notes

About the Caramel & Measurements

• The caramel bits come in 11 ounce bags, and the same goes for the Kraft caramel squares.  There are 35 caramel squares in each 11 ounce bag of caramel squares.
• Whatever caramel you use, use a soft caramel that measures out to about a cup and a half for each 11 ounces of caramel. 

For double caramel or double chocolate, just double the amounts if you desire.

Keyword bars, caramel, chocolate, chocolate chips, cookie, oats

Tried This Recipe?Let us know how it was by commenting below!

This caramelita bar recipe and the photos have been updated to be easier and gooier!  Enjoy!