Caramel Corn Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
I can inhale caramel corn by the handful. And the more I eat, the more I want.
Rather than just inhale it as fast as I can chew, I baked it into layered bars that are bursting with texture.
That at least slows down the rate of inhalation because the caramel corn is perched on top of squishy, gooey marshmallows, which are on top of dense, rich chocolate chip cookie bars. They’re quite a mouthful in the best possible way.
I have a real fondness for marshmallow-based bars and cereal bars. I’ve never met a Rice Krispies Treat variation that I didn’t love. The same can be said for pans of bars. Love them for their quick and easy prep.
These bars are a hybrid using some of my favorite elements. Rather than using cereal, I caramel corn. A nice trade-up.
And get a load of all that gooey marshmallow. I’m pretty proud of this one-handed shot. My camera and lens weigh a good 8 or 9 pounds, no joke. But marshmallow gooey shots are worth it.
The bars are fast and easy to make, and the dough for the chocolate chip cookie layer is the easiest chocolate chip cookie dough I’ve ever made.
I used the recipe I created for the Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups and you don’t need a mixer. Chocolate chip cookie dough without dragging out a mixer is a major feat in my kitchen.
After stirring together the dough and pressing it into a pan, bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, or just until the top is set. It’s okay if it’s quite pale, light, and possibly a touch underdone in the center because the pan goes back into the oven for another 8 minutes. Don’t overbake now or they’ll be dry and overdone later.
Top the baked cookie layer with marshmallows and then with Werther’s Original® Caramel Popcorn.
Werther’s just launched this caramel corn and it’s buttery, caramely, light, airy, with just the right balance of salty-and-sweet. If I didn’t bake most of an 8-ounce bag into the bars, I would have inhaled said 8-ounce bag in no time. Really good caramel corn.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 8 minutes or so, just long enough so the marshmallows have puffed slightly and have softened, but don’t bake to the point they’re browning because you may scorch the caramel corn.
The marshmallows are the ‘glue’ that trap the caramel corn into their sticky web so that it becomes anchored and doesn’t just fall off.
After pulling the pan from the oven, drizzle with melted chocolate, and then set it aside to cool for at least a couple hours. You don’t want to slice into the bars until they’ve had a chance to properly set up or you’ll have a literal hot mess on your hands.
If you love a lot of diverse textures and flavors going on in your bars like I do, you’re going to love these.
The chocolate chip cookie layer is soft and tender, with just slight chewiness near the edges. The chocolate chips add nice bursts of chocolate flavor, without overpowering the buttery, flavorful dough that complements the buttery caramel corn.
The marshmallows are like soft little pillows, and make the perfect squishy, tacky perch for the caramel corn. I love bars with surprise layers of marshmallows, and this layer reminds me of the Peanut Chewy Payday Bars and Peanut Butter Cocoa Krispies Smores Bars.
The caramel corn stays crunchy, crispy, and makes a wonderful contrast to the fluffy marshmallows and soft cookie base.
Something for everyone. Chocolate chip cookies. Marshmallows. Caramel corn. Melted chocolate.
All in one very easy bar.
Caramel Corn Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
The bars are fast and easy to make, and the dough for the chocolate chip cookie layer is the easiest chocolate chip cookie dough you’ll ever make – you don’t even need a mixer. The chocolate chip cookie layer is soft and tender, with just a slight amount of chewiness near the edges. The chocolate chips add nice bursts of chocolate flavor, while not overpowering the buttery, flavorful dough. On top of the cookie base, the marshmallows are like soft little pillows, and make the perfect squishy perch for the caramel corn. It’s crunchy, buttery, crispy, salty-and-sweet, and makes a wonderful contrast to the fluffy marshmallows and soft cookie base.
Ingredients:
Cookie Base
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Topping
2 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups Werther’s Original® Caramel Popcorn
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted for drizzling
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- Cookie Base – To a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the butter and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power. Allow the butter to cool momentarily so you don’t scramble the egg.
- Add the egg, sugars, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix
- Fold in 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
- Turn dough out into prepared pan, pushing it into the corners and smoothing it with a spatula or pressing into place with your fingers to form an even, flat layer.
- Evenly sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips over the top, pressing them very lightly into the dough with your fingers.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until top has set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. It’s okay if it’s quite pale, light, and possibly a touch underdone in the center because the pan goes back into the oven for another 8 minutes or so; don’t overbake now.
- Topping – Evenly sprinkle marshmallows over the cookie layer.
- Evenly sprinkle the caramel corn over the marshmallows.
- Return pan to oven and bake for about 7 to 9 minutes, or until marshmallows have puffed slightly and have softened, but don’t bake to the point they’re browning because you may scorch the caramel corn.
- After removing pan from oven, using a hot mitt or being extra careful and using your palm, gently press the caramel corn down into the softened marshmallows to encourage it to become anchored and stick; set pan aside.
- In a small microwave-safe mixing bowl, add 1/4 cup chocolate chips and heat to melt, about 1 minute on high power. Stop to stir. Heat in 15-second bursts until chips can be stirred smooth. 15 seconds is likely all they’ll need.
- Using a spoon, evenly drizzle melted chocolate over the bars. Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 2 hours, or overnight, before slicing and serving; do not slice into bars that haven’t cooled and set up because they will be exceedingly messy. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Cookie base adapted from Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
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Related Recipes
Caramel Corn Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vanilla Cake Batter and White Chocolate Chip Caramel Corn
Peanut Chewy Payday Bars (almost no-bake)
Biscoff Marshmallow Chocolate Bars (no-bake)
Peanut Butter Cocoa Krispies Smores Bars (almost no-bake)
No-Bake Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cereal Bars (GF)
Marshmallow Caramel Oreo Cookie S’Mores Bars
Smores made with Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Graham Crackers
Do you like caramel corn? Do you have a favorite recipe if you make it yourself?
caramel corn and marshmallow sounds yummy together!
That gooey marshmallow one-handed shot is stunning Averie! You must have some superpower muscles to hold the camera steady AND perfectly vertical with one hand. So impressive! I can never keep caramel corn in the house; between me and my guy, we inhale those bags in a matter of minutes. But’s it’s so worth it!
Every creation you come up with amazes me. These look incredible! Thanks for being such an inspiration!
Too sweet – thanks, Rachel!
OMG I’m sitting her at Panera wishing the clock would fast forward to theatre pick-up time and OMG I want one of these! GOOEY HEAVEN! :)
Panera…I havent been in one in so long. Used to inhale their cookies :)
Thanks for the pin!
OMG!!! I want one right now! Have I told you lately that you’re my hero Averie?! Caramel popcorn and marshamallows …amaaaazing!
you’re so sweet, Liz!
Oh my goodness! Sounds delicious. You think of the best combinations!
Thanks Erin!
Interestingly, even when I didn’t know I had an allergy to corn, I didn’t really dig caramel corn. I know, weird, huh! Seraphim and Simeon love it, however. Although, Seraphim has an allergy to corn so he can’t have it either, poor guy! If we could eat them, we would try them! That shot of you holding the marshmallow gooey stuff? Brilliant!
I bet that you could use rice cakes that you chop up the size of popped popcorn and then pour over homemade caramel sauce (same protocol that most online recipes for DIY caramel corn start out). I bet a hearty rice cake would hold up fine and if it’s that or nothing, if he really had a huge craving, it would probably be better than nothing.
WHAT THE WHAT?! We’ve got caramel corn, marshmallow, and cookie bars all in like one yummy package??!!! I cannot get overrrr it!
These look like Heaven in bar form! I need!
I love everything about these bars. I’ve never tried baking with caramel corn, but I think I just got inspired!!
Ive been to your site recently Anna! You have some yummy food! :)
Caramel corn and marshmallow!? LOVE the idea of this–a twist on rice crispy bars with chocolate chip dough thrown in!
I’m typing this comment right now with sticky fingers. Because I’m eating Werther’s caramel corn as I type.
Caramel corn is my favorite kind of popcorn. Don’t get me wrong, I love a giant bowl of the buttery stuff (oh, and kettle corn too) but caramel corn steals my heart every time. My grandmother made it from scratch and I use her recipe often!! But the Werther’s brand caramel corn is so good!! Anyway, I love these dessert bars so much. One of my favorites from you.
That one-handed shot. Dear lord girl. You are talented! I need my tripod for that!
Girl I had to hold my breath and focus every yoga bone in my body to get that one-handed shot. As you know, with our camera body and the 24-70, it’s a beast. And so awkward, too. And then I had this weird translucent light coming thru. Yeah. FUN! But I actually love that pic :) Thanks for noticing!
And yes buttery popcorn is nice but let’s face it, caramel corn will always win! And homemade, the best :) With your nana’s recipe no less! nice!
Thanks for saying you love this dessert…it hasn’t really popped so far. We shall see.
Averie you are amazing, how do you come up with all these ideas? These look beyond delicious, if I cooked everything of yours I liked the look of I’d be the size of a house!
A piece or two and off it goes to another home, trust me, moderation is key!
I’m totally dying over how much goodness is packed inside of these!!
Love the idea of using caramel corn on bars like this! they look amazing!
Melted marshmallows make the best/stickiest glue! Not very fun to wipe off the counter, but so tasty! These bars look amazing…what’s not to love? :D
These look INSANELY good!
Three little wonders right on top of each other!!
I’m quite sure that I’ve never seen a mountain of anything more lovely than these bars – spectacular! So creative Averie! Pinned too, of course :)
Thanks for pinning, Trish!
*DROOL* Is there a more glorious combination of sweets?! I love this!
You’re the best, Brandy! Thank you!
The crunchy cookie base with explosions of chunky chocolate chips to add to a simply heavenly topping of gooey marshmallows and double crispy popcorn coated with creamy caramel is a promising combo of tempting indulgence ideal for a sweet fanatic!Bliss…keep posting stuff like this Averie!
Thanks for the great comment and compliments! I appreciate it and sometimes making some really unique desserts is just so much fun!