Description
Salted Caramel Butter Bars deliver pure comfort straight from your kitchen, melting with rich buttery goodness and that perfect sweet-salty balance. Rich golden layers of caramel and tender shortbread create a delightful treat your friends and family will absolutely adore.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 pound unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Finishing Ingredients:
- 1 (14 ounces) bag soft caramel candies
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1.5 teaspoons flaky sea salt
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Chocolate chips or melted chocolate for drizzle
Instructions
- Grab a 9×13-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper, ensuring extra paper hangs over the edges for easy bar removal.
- Combine 2 cups softened unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1½ cups powdered sugar in a mixing bowl. Cream these ingredients until the mixture becomes light and airy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour 1 tablespoon vanilla extract into the butter mixture and blend thoroughly.
- Gradually incorporate 4 cups all-purpose flour, stirring until a soft, cohesive dough forms.
- Press two-thirds of the dough firmly into the prepared pan, creating an even base layer. Slide the pan into a 325°F oven and bake for 20 minutes until the surface turns a delicate golden color.
- Unwrap a 14-oz bag of soft caramel candies and place them in a microwave-safe bowl with ⅓ cup heavy cream.
- Microwave the caramels in 30-second bursts, stirring between each interval, until the mixture becomes completely smooth and glossy.
- Pour the melted caramel evenly across the baked base, making sure to cover the surface completely.
- Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of flaky sea salt across the caramel layer, adjusting to your personal taste preference.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the caramel, allowing some of the golden caramel to peek through the topping.
- Return the pan to the 325°F oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, watching for a golden-brown top and bubbling caramel edges.
- Remove from the oven and let the bars cool completely inside the pan to allow the caramel to set properly.
- Use the parchment paper edges to lift the entire dessert out of the pan and slice into individual bars.
Notes
- Salt matters big time for balancing the sweetness, so use good quality flaky sea salt for the best flavor contrast.
- Chilling the dough before pressing into the pan helps create a more stable and crisp shortbread base that won’t crumble.
- For gluten-free friends, swap the regular flour with a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend to make this treat accessible to everyone.
- Caramels can burn quickly, so watch carefully when melting and stir frequently to prevent scorching.
- Prep Time: 28-33 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
- Category: Dessert Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 393
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg