Description
Salted Caramel Shortbread Bars deliver pure sweet-salty bliss right to your taste buds. Crumbly buttery shortbread meets rich caramel, creating a simple yet elegant treat that sparks pure cookie joy.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Seasoning:
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring the edges hang over for easy removal.
- Cream 1 cup softened unsalted butter with ½ cup granulated sugar in a mixing bowl for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Gently fold 2 cups all-purpose flour and ¼ teaspoon salt into the butter mixture. Mix until a crumbly dough forms.
- Press the shortbread dough firmly into the prepared pan, creating an even layer about ½-inch thick.
- Bake the shortbread base at 350°F for 20 minutes, watching for a golden-brown color across the surface.
- Combine 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir the caramel mixture continuously until it reaches a rolling boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the caramel from heat and carefully pour it over the baked shortbread base, spreading evenly with a spatula.
- Immediately sprinkle ½ teaspoon sea salt across the warm caramel surface.
- Allow the bars to cool completely at room temperature for 2-3 hours before slicing into 2-inch squares.
Notes
- Use room-temperature butter for the shortbread to ensure smooth, even mixing and prevent tough texture.
- When pressing shortbread base into pan, use the back of a measuring cup to create an even, compact layer that bakes uniformly.
- Watch caramel carefully while cooking to prevent burning, and remove from heat the moment it starts to thicken and turn golden brown.
- For gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with almond flour or gluten-free flour blend, maintaining same measurements.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 243 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 115 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg