These caramel cookie bars are incredibly rich and satisfying, and come together in just a few easy steps.
Stop what you’re doing and make these caramel cookie bars. Seriously. Okay, finish reading through the post and recipe, THEN go and make these bars 😉 I promise you will not be disappointed.
These are basically cookie crumble bars with a thick and decadent caramel layer. They are not gooey or moist like blondies. But they are delicious in their own right! If you didn’t know by now, we are HUGE fans of caramel in my house so I will incorporate it into my recipes any chance I get. In this case, we’re using dulce de leche!
While you could easily make your own dulce de leche with condensed milk, I cheat and buy the canned kind. We’re cool with that, right? I’m all for making things easier. As I’ve previously mentioned when I showed you how to make my no-churn salted caramel ice cream, I like using dulce de leche over other store-bought caramels because it doesn’t contain corn syrup.
Why You’ll Love These Caramel Cookie Bars…
- That layer of caramel. Need I say more? It’s perfectly thick and indulgent, and gives these bars all the flavor they need.
- It’s a one bowl recipe, which you know we LOVE around here! You’ll mix up your wet ingredients and add the dry ingredients right in.
What You’ll Need…
- The dry ingredients: flour for structure + baking powder for leavening + salt to balance out all of that rich, sweet flavor.
- The flavor: sugar + vanilla extract.
- Instead of eggs: Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer.
- That delicious filling: canned dulce de leche.
How To Make…
To make the dough for the bars, start by creaming room temperature butter with granulated sugar. Add the prepared egg replacer and vanilla extract, and beat until it’s all nice and combined.
Once that’s done, simply add your dry ingredients right into your bowl and mix on low until you have dough. That’s really all there is to it!
The dough is on the drier side and crumbly, and you might wonder if that’s the way it’s supposed to look. Don’t worry — it is. Take about 2/3 of the dough and press into your pan.
Now comes the fun part! Drop spoonfuls of the dulce de leche right onto the dough, and gently spread it around to get it as even as possible. It’s thick and sticky, so it might be a little challenging, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. The dulce de leche will spread a bit as the bars bake, too, so don’t worry if it’s not covering every inch. Sprinkle the rest of your dough on top, and bake for about 25 minutes.
Caramel Cookie Bars – Gluten Free, Eggless
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tbsp water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups (296g) gluten free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 13.4 ounces dulce de leche
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8" square baking pan and set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar until combined. Add the prepared egg replacer and the vanilla extract and mix well.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and continue to mix on low speed until dough forms.
- Pour 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of the greased pan. Drop spoonfuls of dulce de leche on top and spread gently (dulce de leche will also spread as it bakes, so no need to worry about fully spreading it around at this point). Sprinkle the remaining dough on top evenly. Bake for 25-28 minutes. Cool completely before slicing into bars.
Notes
-
Be sure to follow the instructions on the package of Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer. Once mixed with water, the egg replacer must sit for just a few minutes to thicken.
-
If you are not looking to replace eggs, you should be able to use 1 egg instead of the egg replacer.
- The dough will be crumbly. For best results, press the dough into the bottom of the pan using a rubber spatula, then sprinkle the remaining dough on top of the dulce de leche using a spoon or clean hands.
Did you make my caramel cookie bars? Tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog.
Holy crud! You’re a magician. No gluten or eggs?! These look AMAZING. Like, I’d eat one for breakfast with my coffee and be wired all day.
Thanks so much, Rachael! I think these would make a great breakfast 😉
I love crumble bars, but the addition of dulce de leche just takes them to another level! So delicious!
Thanks, Robyn!
Ok wow those looks amazing! This will be my weekend project this week:)
Yay! Thanks Meesha!
We can never resist caramel, and these cookie bars are divine!
Thanks, Alexandra!
Big caramel fans in this house! This is on the must try list for sure!
Thanks, Sue!
I am a big Dulce de Leche fan – these were a hit! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad to hear that, Raquel!
Wow, these look so amazing and I will definitely be treating myself to these with my morning coffee this weekend!
Thank you, Emily! Enjoy!
I think I just heard my tummy growl. lol! Must print the recipe.
Lol! Thank you!
I am drooling right now! I can’t wait to try these Caramel Cookie Bars.
Thank you!
Loved these cookie bars – so easy to make! They disappeared off the plate.
That’s so great to hear! Thanks, Michele!
Caramel is my favorite sweet flavor. Always looking for new gluten-free ways to enjoy it. Thank you.
Thank you, Debra!