Carmelitas
These bars are like the bubblegum with the squishy, squirty center that oozes when you chomp down.
Except it’s rich, creamy, buttery caramel that squirts in your mouth when you bite down here.
They’re like the softest oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, with a streusel-crumble topping, and more melted caramel than you have napkins for, and that’s beautiful.
I’ve been wanting to (re)make these bars for years, and I’m so glad I did.
They’re a no-mixer, layered bar and are an adaptation of my early 2012 Caramel and Chocolate Gooey Bars.
In this version I tinkered with the flour and oat ratio, increasing the flour and decreasing the oats slightly, so the bars hold together better.
The crust and topping are made with the same mixture. It’s a buttery, brown sugar, vanilla-infused oatmeal and flour mixture.
Half is pressed into the pan and baked for 10 minutes as the crust, and the other half of the big buttery crumbs are crumbled over the top. Below, is after 10 minutes of baking.
The filling is just caramels and heavy cream melted together. I melted in the micro, but use the stovetop if you prefer. I used Werther’s Baking Caramels. I love these caramels because the wax paper just slides right off making unwrapping 30+ caramels a quick and easy job, rather than caramels with pesky cellophane, which is a huge strugglefest.
I haven’t tried using jarred caramel sauce, but I have a feeling a thick, higher quality jarred sauce would be fine. If anyone tries Trader Joe’s Salted Caramel Sauce, let me know how it goes. That would be my first choice if I wasn’t melted caramels with cream.
After baking the crust for 10 minutes, sprinkle with chocolate, drizzle with caramel sauce, and crumble the reserved oatmeal-brown sugar mixture over the top.
Return the pan to the oven and bake until the center is bubbly and the edges are just set and lightly browned.
It’s very important to allow the bars to cool completely before slicing. It can up to take 4 hours, or overnight, at room temp. You can speed it along by placing pan in the fridge, but I made them in the evening, cooled overnight, and they were set by the next morning. However ‘set’ is a relative term. You can see they’re still plenty drippy and gooey.
If you slice the bars before they’ve cooled completely, you’ll have a literal hot mess with molten caramel and melted chocolate all over. They’ll taste fine (as long as you don’t burn your mouth on hot caramel), but you’ll have no chance for clean cuts or pretty bars that stay intact.
Plus, I think bars like this taste better the next day after the flavors have married. The caramel and chocolate also has a chance to soak into all the nooks and crannies of the oats.
Even after the bars are fully cooled, they’re soft, gooey, messy, and full of intense caramel flavor. The butter and brown sugar in the crust-topping mixture caramelize while baking, adding even more caramel flavor.
If you’re easily bothered by desserts that are ‘too sweet or too rich’, I wouldn’t recommend these because they’re both. However, adding a pinch of salt helps balance the sweetness. I included places in the recipe where you can add salt, to the crust-topping mixture, and/or to the caramel sauce, creating salted caramel sauce.
The semi-sweet chocolate is a great balance to the sweet caramel and chocolate is always welcome in any dessert I’m having.
The oats provide a light amount of texture and chewiness to the otherwise buttery-soft bars, just oozing with caramel everywhere. They aren’t called carmelitas for nothing.
Carmelitas
Carmelitas are a no-mixer, layered bar, and the crust and topping are made with the same buttery, brown sugar, vanilla-infused oatmeal and flour mixture. In the middle there’s chocolate and caramel sauce. They’re like the softest oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, with a streusel-crumble topping, and more melted caramel than you have napkins for. The oats provide a light amount of texture and chewiness to the otherwise buttery-soft bars, just oozing with juicy caramel everywhere. You can add salt, to taste, to the caramel sauce for salted carmelitas. I melted caramels with heavy cream (in the micro, use stovetop if you prefer), and while I haven’t tried using a jarred sauce like Trader Joe’s Salted Caramel, I think you’d be okay; I’d use 1 1/2 jars. You must let these bars set up for at least 4 hours before slicing, but overnight is strongly recommended.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, melted (1 1/2 stick; I use unsalted butter but salted may be used)
3/ 4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-rolled old fashioned oats (not instant or quick cook)
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
35 caramel squares, unwrapped (I used Werther’s Originals Baking Caramels which are slightly bigger than cellophane-wrapped caramels; if using those, I recommend using a couple more)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste, if you prefer salted caramel sauce
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks (I used a combo)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Lining your pan is highly recommended for ease of cleanup due to the stickiness of the caramel; set pan aside.
- In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 90 seconds.
- Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour, oats, baking soda, optional pinch salt, and stir until combined. Mixture will be quite thick.
- Add half of the mixture to the prepared pan (just eyeball it), and smooth it with spatula or the back of a spoon, to create an even, smooth, flat layer; set remainder aside.
- Bake for 10 minutes. While it bakes, make the caramel sauce.
- In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine the caramels, cream, and heat on high power in 60-second bursts to melt caramels, stirring after each burst. It will likely take about 4 to 5 minutes total to melt; heat until mixture can be stirred smooth. Alternatively, combine caramels and cream in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat to melt, stirring nearly continuously, until mixture can be stirred smooth.
- Optionally stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste, for salted caramel sauce; set sauce aside.
- After 10 minutes, remove pan from the oven and evenly sprinkle with the chocolate.
- Slowly and evenly pour caramel sauce over the chocolate.
- Evenly crumble reserved oatmeal-brown sugar mixture over the top.
- Return pan to oven and bake for about 15 to 18 minutes (I baked 16 1/2), or until edges are lightly browned and center is bubbling slightly.
- Allow bars to cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving, giving the molten caramel time to firm up. This can take up to 4 hours, or overnight, at room temperature. You can speed it up by placing pan in fridge with a sheet of foil over the top to prevent fridge smells. If you don’t wait for bars to cool completely, they’ll be a literal hot mess. They’ll taste fine (don’t burn yourself), but they won’t slice neatly with clean cuts. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Recipe adapted from my Caramel and Chocolate Gooey Bars
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Related Recipes
Many blogging friends have made carmelita recipes. Check out Jaclyn’s Salted Carmelitas, Alyssa’s Carmelitas, Lulu The Baker’s Carmelistas, Michelle’s Oatmeal Carmelita Bars, Tracey’s Salted Carmelita Bars, and Shelly’s Carmelita Cookies
Caramel and Chocolate Gooey Bars (GF) – The bars that inspired today’s recipe
Dulce de Leche Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars
Peanut Butter Caramel Twix Bars (almost no-bake) – One of the favorite 2013 bars
Caramel Peanut Butter and Apricot Jelly Bars (GF with Vegan adaptation)
Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes with Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce
Salted Caramel Pretzel Blondies
Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
Hot Fudge and Salted Caramel Blondies
Wow!!! I’m saving this one to try.
I’ve made carmelitas a couple of times, but LOVE this recipe! I made them for 150 people last night and they were a huge success. I’ve had three people ask for the recipe already! I made three pans and multiplied the recipe by 6 for each pan without any real issues. The only problem I had at that volume was melting the caramels in the microwave; so for the second and third pans I switched to the stove and it was sooooo much quicker!
I will definitely be making them again! Thanks so much!
I cannot even believe you made these for 150 people! You are Superwoman!!!!!!!!! WOW!! Seriously that is an undertaking! Glad they were so popular and everyone wants the recipe!
I can imagine that melting that kind of caramel volume was much easier on the stovetop, good call!
Just made these using GF flour. So excited.
That’s wonderful! Hope they turned out amazing!
They turned out great!
Awesome!
I made these this past weekend and they came out great! Thanks for sharing! You have a new food blogger friend in me dear.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Could I use caramel sauce (like what would be found in a sundae aisle) in these instead, or would that not bake well?
Don’t use it, too thin, will not bake well at all.
I made these last year for the holidays and everyone loved them. This year I’d like to make them without dairy. Any tips?
Wow, that’s tricky. You would need to use vegan butter, vegan caramel sauce, and I am not sure how that will all come together. Good luck!
Made these last night, they are AMAZING!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it turned out amazing for you!
Made these this evening. Quick and easy to make. My hubby loved them. A bit too sweet for me, but I’m weird that way. I will definitely make them again, and will try some course salt in the top layer – and eat them with a cup of coffee…after a day of fasting! 😜
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad you will definitely make again. Sea salt sounds like a nice twist.
These are the most amazing, gooiest, chocolatiest, carameliest, softest-with-the-perfect-amount-of-crunch, most delicious dessert I have ever made. They’re so easy to make, yet they get compliments everywhere you take them! I’ve had to write this recipe down for so many family members and friends that I’ve learned it by heart! These will forever be my go-to bar dessert. Love love love!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this will be your forever be my go-to bar dessert!
These were really easy to make and I used the Trader Joe’s salted caramel in the bottle and sprinkled it with a little sea salt. One other thing I added was chopped pecans. It turned out good. They are just VERY VERY sweet. I had to make some whipped cream to dip them in to kill the sweetness a little. I think I’d use half the sugar next time. But, that’s a preference…Beautiful pics! Mine didn’t come out quite that good looking. ;)
Yes they are definitely sweet but also the salted caramel from TJ’s I think is sweeter than if you use caramel squares but they are both sweet; in general this is definitely a rich and decadent dessert! Thanks for the photo compliments.
I’m curious if i make recipe and 1/2 if they would make a 9×13 pan. Don’t want have to make 2 pans.
Person who made 6 batches what pan did you use?
It would be very difficult to halve this recipe and find a suitable pan. 8×8 is the smallest standard sized pan. Yes you can order smaller pans on Amazon but not sure how practical they would be for future baking needs.
If you double it, yes use a 9×13 pan.
These are one of my go-to desserts for cookouts/group gatherings. I like to make two pans, one salted and one not. Thanks for this great recipe!
I’m glad to hear this is one of your go to desserts and I’m all about salted caramel! Thanks for the five star review!
These bars were so amazing! We had a dinner party and made these for dessert and they were a big hit. I did make a couple small changes. I only added 1/3 cup of cream just so the caramel wasn’t quite as runny. I also added about 1/2 cup more of flour and 1/2 cup more oats to the top crust mixture to make it a bit more crumbly. They were so yummy!
Glad they were a hit!
I have made these quite a few times, and they are always a hit! I usually double the recipe to make a 9×13 pan.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad these are always a hit for you!
I have made them 3 times and they are so delicious! Everyone loves them. They are easy to make.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they have always been a hit with everyone!
Just did a trial run of these and I didn’t have enough oats to cover the top of the caramel sauce. I did exactly half of the oats for the bottom. And what I did put on the top, sank quickly into the warm caramel. Any suggestions to ensure the top is an actual oat crust top? Instead of just some of it?
Then I would add slightly more oats since you didn’t have enough. There is a video that shows exactly how I make these. That should help you.