These Chocolate Caramel Bars have all the things I love in an easy dessert. Everyday ingredients and simple steps that create a decadent hand-held treat with a sweet and gooey bite.

One slice of chocolate caramel bars on a white plate.

Why This Is A Bar Above the Rest

This recipe has a simple shortbread base, gooey caramel and toffee bits, melted chocolate, and a shortbread crumble topping to create flavorful layers.
I love this recipe because all you need is a handful of ingredients, many of which you likely already have in your pantry!
Using a parchment lined 8×8 pan, these bars are easy to pop out onto a wooden board. This makes the bars easy to slice into clean slices, and also makes clean up a breeze.
These caramel bars need time to cool before slicing so they are great made ahead of time. Perfect served at potlucks, on holiday dessert trays, or as an afternoon treat.

Chocolate chips, toffee bits, vanilla, powdered sugar, flour, butter, and caramel sauce to make chocolate caramel bars.

The Good Stuff Inside

All-purpose flour is the main ingredient to make the shortbread base and topping.
Powdered sugar adds a subtle sweetness and helps create a delicate shortbread texture.
Melted butter is an easy way to bind the flour and sugar together, plus give rich flavor.
Caramel sauce makes these bars gooey, sweet, and extra special.
Toffee bits, combined with the caramel sauce, creates a toffee style layer.
I use semi-sweet chocolate chips for delicious chocolate flavor, but you can use dark chips if you want.
Sea salt, while optional, adds a delicious salty contrast that balances the sweet flavors.

process to make chocolate caramel bars with the shortbread base mixed in a clear mixing bowl.

process to make chocolate caramel bars where shortbread base was pressed into a pan.

How To Make Chocolate Caramel Bars

Combine base ingredients, reserve 1 cup for topping, and press the rest into pan. Bake 10 minutes.
Pour caramel sauce, sprinkle with toffee bits, chocolate chips, and finish with reserved topping.
Bake 20 minutes, remove from oven. Cool to slice and serve

A slice of chocolate caramel bars on top of the other bars.

Sweet Secrets!

It is important to grease the pan then line it with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang. This overhang works as a handle to lift the bars out easier.
Press the shortbread base evenly into the pan to create a sturdy base for all those gooey layers.
Add the caramel, toffee bits, and chocolate while the base is warm.
Be sure to allow the bars cool completely before slicing. The caramel needs time to set so the bars hold their shape.

Two chocolate caramel bars stacked on each other on a white plate.

Slice, Serve, and Save Caramel Bars

These caramel bars are great served at room temperature for the best texture.
For an extra treat, serve each bar with a bit of extra caramel drizzle or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Store cooled bars in an airtight container. You can keep them at room temperature for about 3 days, refrigerate for about a week, or freeze them for up to 3 months.
If you enjoy eating these bars with a more firm caramel texture, try them straight from the refrigerator while cool. For a softer texture be sure to bring them to room temperature.
If you choose to freeze these bars, slice them first, separate with parchment paper, and place in a freezer-safe container. Thaw before serving.

More Dessert Recipes To Try

I hope you love these Chocolate Caramel Bars as much as I do, and add them to your dessert trays! Leave a comment and rating below.

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Chocolate Caramel Bars

Donnalea

Servings

Prep 10

Cook 30

Cool 2

Total 2 40

Print Pin

Baked in one pan with simple ingredients, these Chocolate Caramel Bars are a sweet treat perfect for holidays, potlucks, or just an everyday dessert.

Equipment

8×8 inch pan
mixing bowl

Ingredients

Base

2 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ cup butter melted

Caramel Layer

½ cup caramel sauce
½ cup toffee bits
1 cup chocolate chips
sea salt optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray 8×8 inch pan and line with parchment.

Base

In a bowl add 2 cup all purpose flour, ¼ cup powdered sugar, and ½ cup butter melted. Mix with a fork until crumbled. Reserve 1 cup and set aside for topping.
Press remaining crumble evenly into pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Caramel Layer

Pour ½ cup caramel sauce over warm base, top with ½ cup toffee bits, then 1 cup chocolate chips, and reserved crumble mixture. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories: 228kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 80mgPotassium: 59mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 269IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 18mgIron: 1mg

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