Irresistible Salted Caramel Oatmeal Bars: A Modern Twist on Classic Carmelitas
There are some dessert recipes that hold a special place in our hearts, evoking fond memories with every bite. “Carmelitas” are undoubtedly one of those timeless classics – beloved oatmeal bar cookies with a luscious caramel filling that have graced countless potlucks and family gatherings. While the traditional recipe has delighted generations, our culinary landscape is constantly evolving, and sometimes, even the most cherished recipes can benefit from a thoughtful update. This article presents a refreshed take on the classic Carmelitas, elevating them with modern ingredients and techniques to create an even more decadent and satisfying treat.
The original Carmelitas recipe, while delicious, often called for caramel syrup mixed with a bit of flour to achieve a thicker consistency. While this method worked, it sometimes resulted in a caramel layer that was either too thin, overly sweet, or prone to becoming unpleasantly hard when chilled. My goal for this new version was to address these common issues, making the baking process simpler and the final product superior. The solution came in the form of a game-changing ingredient: a naturally thicker, less-sweet caramel sauce that required no additional flour, allowing the caramel’s true flavor to shine without artificial binders.
This enhanced recipe embraces a premium, thick, and less-sweet caramel sauce, specifically Smucker’s Simple Delights Salted Caramel. Its inherent richness and a delicate hint of salt perfectly balance the sweetness of the overall bar, eliminating the need for extra flour and simplifying the preparation. The subtle saltiness also opened up an exciting opportunity to incorporate sweet white chocolate chips into the filling. This addition creates a beautiful contrast and complexity of flavor, ensuring that the bars are intensely flavorful without becoming cloyingly sweet. The combination of chewy oatmeal crust, gooey salted caramel, and melty chocolate chips creates a symphony of textures and tastes that will impress even the most discerning dessert connoisseurs.
Crafting the Perfect Caramel Oatmeal Bars: Tips for Success
Achieving bakery-quality bar cookies at home is all about precision and a few clever tricks. In the photograph above, you’ll notice the bars are cut quite generously. However, these caramel oatmeal bars are incredibly rich and buttery, so in reality, I typically cut them into much smaller portions – often about a third of the size shown. The beauty of baking these at home is that you have complete control over the portion size, so feel free to cut them as big or as small as you desire. For the cleanest cuts and a truly professional presentation, it is absolutely essential to cut these bars when they are thoroughly chilled. Patience is key here; allowing them to cool completely at room temperature and then chilling them in the refrigerator will ensure the caramel filling sets perfectly, preventing any messy crumbling or sticking.
One of the most remarkable advantages of this updated recipe is the texture of the caramel filling. Unlike some traditional recipes where the caramel can become rock hard and challenging to eat when cold, this new version guarantees a filling that remains delightfully soft and yielding, even after being chilled. This attribute makes these salted caramel oatmeal bars an ideal make-ahead dessert, perfect for picnics, parties, or simply enjoying throughout the week straight from the fridge. The soft, chewy crust, the luscious caramel, and the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chips combine to create a truly unforgettable dessert experience that stands out from other bar cookies.
The Evolution of a Classic: Why This Recipe Stands Out
The journey from the old “Carmelitas” to these Simple Delights Sea Salt Caramel & Oat Bars represents a thoughtful evolution in home baking. The traditional method often relied on readily available caramel ice cream syrup, which, while convenient, lacked the body and nuanced flavor desired for a truly stellar bar cookie. The original approach necessitated mixing flour into the syrup, a technique meant to thicken it but often at the cost of the caramel’s pure taste and smooth texture. This sometimes led to a thinner, less stable filling that could seep into the crust or become overly sweet due to the additional sugar in the syrup.
Our updated recipe, however, takes a different path, focusing on ingredient quality for superior results. By opting for Smucker’s Simple Delights Salted Caramel, we bypass the need for flour, allowing the natural thickness and rich flavor of the caramel to be the star. This particular sauce offers a less-sweet profile and a delightful touch of sea salt, which perfectly balances the richness of the other ingredients. This balance is crucial; it permits the inclusion of both bittersweet and white chocolate chips without overwhelming the palate with excessive sweetness. The bittersweet chips provide a lovely counterpoint, while the white chips add a creamy, sweet note that complements the salted caramel beautifully. This careful selection of ingredients transforms a simple bar cookie into a gourmet experience, offering complex flavors and a satisfying mouthfeel that distinguishes it from its predecessors.
Ingredient Spotlight: What Makes These Bars So Special
The Crust: A Foundation of Flavor and Texture
The base of these delightful caramel oatmeal bars is a robust, chewy crust made from a blend of all-purpose flour, quick-cooking oats, firmly packed brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. The quick-cooking oats are essential here, providing that characteristic chewy texture and wholesome flavor that defines a great oatmeal bar. Brown sugar, packed firmly, contributes not only sweetness but also a moistness and a depth of molasses flavor that white sugar simply can’t replicate. Baking soda helps the crust achieve a tender crumb, while a touch of salt (adjusted based on whether you use salted or unsalted butter) balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors. The butter, softened but not melted, is crucial for creating that perfect crumbly yet cohesive crust mixture that presses easily into the pan and bakes up golden brown.
The Filling: A Symphony of Sweet and Salty
The heart of these bars is undeniably the filling. The star, as mentioned, is the 11.5 oz jar of Simple Delights Salted Caramel topping. Its pre-thickened nature and balanced salted sweetness are the secret to a hassle-free and delicious caramel layer. It spreads smoothly and sets beautifully without becoming rigid. Complementing the caramel are two types of chocolate chips: bittersweet and white. The bittersweet chips introduce a sophisticated depth and a slight bitterness that cuts through the sweetness, providing a more complex flavor profile. The white chips, on the other hand, add a creamy, vanilla-like sweetness that enhances the overall richness. Finally, toasted and chopped pecans are folded in, adding a delightful crunch and a nutty aroma that elevates the entire bar, offering a wonderful textural contrast to the soft caramel and chewy crust.
Recipe
Simple Delights Sea Salt Caramel & Oat
Cookie Madness
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 9 oz
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt or 1 teaspoon if using unsalted butter
- 10 oz butter salted or unsalted, very soft (but not melted)
Filling
- 1 11.5 oz jar Simple Delights Salted caramel topping, softened or at room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups bittersweet chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup white chips
- ⅔ cup toasted and chopped pecans
Instructions
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To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9×13 inch metal baking pan by lining it completely with aluminum foil. Ensure the foil extends over the edges to create “handles” for easy lifting later. Generously grease the foil – a non-stick spray or butter works well – to prevent sticking. This crucial first step ensures your bars won’t stick and can be easily removed and cut.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, quick-cooking oats, firmly packed brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients together until they are well distributed. Next, add the very soft (but not melted) butter to the dry mixture. Using your hands or a pastry blender, work the butter into the dry ingredients until a crumbly mixture forms and is thoroughly blended. This creates the foundational oatmeal crust. Reserve approximately half of this crumb mixture (about 3 cups or 504 grams) for the topping. Press the remaining half evenly and firmly into the bottom of the prepared 9×13 inch pan. Bake this crust for 10 minutes, allowing it to slightly set and become fragrant.
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Once the crust has had its initial bake, carefully remove the pan from the oven. Evenly sprinkle the bittersweet chocolate chips, white chips, and toasted chopped pecans over the warm, partially baked crust. This layer will create the irresistible gooey filling. Next, take your softened or room temperature Simple Delights Salted Caramel topping and drizzle it evenly over the chips and nuts. Ensure good coverage across the entire surface. Finally, take the reserved crumb topping and crumble it evenly over the top of the caramel layer. This final crumb layer provides a delightful textural contrast.
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Return the pan to the preheated oven and bake for an additional 18 to 22 minutes, or until the top crumb layer is golden brown and the caramel appears bubbly and set around the edges. Keep an eye on it to prevent over-browning. Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature for at least 1 hour. This initial cooling allows the bars to firm up. For the best results and clean cuts, transfer the cooled pan to the refrigerator and chill for a minimum of 2 hours, or until the filling is fully set and firm. This chilling step is crucial for easy handling and perfect slices.
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Once thoroughly chilled, use the foil “handles” to carefully lift the entire slab of bars from the pan and place it on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife that has been run under hot water and wiped dry (repeat as needed), cut the bars into your desired size and shape. Remember, these are rich, so smaller squares or rectangles are often preferred. Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions and Storage Tips
These salted caramel oatmeal bars are incredibly versatile and perfect for a variety of occasions. They are a fantastic addition to any dessert table, a comforting snack with a cup of coffee or tea, or a delightful treat for school lunches or office breaks. Since they keep well, they are also an excellent option for meal prepping your weekly desserts. To truly elevate the experience, consider serving a square or two slightly warmed, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, allowing the caramel and chocolate to become even gooier. A light sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top before serving can further enhance the salted caramel flavor, adding a gourmet touch.
For storage, these bars are best kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will maintain their freshness and soft, chewy texture for up to a week. If you’ve made a large batch and wish to enjoy them over a longer period, they freeze beautifully. Simply cut the bars into individual portions, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, and then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can be frozen for up to two to three months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply thaw them in the refrigerator or at room temperature for a quick and easy indulgence. The quality remains excellent, making them a perfect make-ahead option for busy schedules.
Customizing Your Carmelitas: Endless Variations
While this updated recipe for salted caramel oatmeal bars is a triumph on its own, one of the joys of home baking is the ability to customize and experiment. The foundation of this recipe is robust enough to handle various delicious modifications. For the chocolate chips, feel free to swap the bittersweet and white chips for milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even a mix of butterscotch chips for a different flavor profile. If you’re not a fan of pecans, walnuts or almonds would make excellent substitutes, or you could omit nuts altogether if there are allergies or preferences. For an extra layer of decadence, try adding a tablespoon of your favorite liqueur, like a coffee or hazelnut liqueur, to the caramel sauce before drizzling it over the chips (ensure it’s compatible with the caramel’s consistency). A sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg in the crust mixture can also add a warm, cozy spice note that pairs wonderfully with the oats and caramel. Don’t hesitate to make this recipe truly your own!
A Sweet Conclusion: Your New Go-To Dessert Bar
In conclusion, this updated version of the classic “Carmelitas” offers a significantly improved baking experience and an even more delicious outcome. By thoughtfully selecting a superior salted caramel sauce and incorporating complementary chocolate chips, we’ve created a dessert bar that is rich, perfectly balanced in sweetness, and boasts an incredibly satisfying chewiness. Gone are the days of thin, rock-hard caramel or overly sweet bars. This recipe is designed for ease, flavor, and a consistently soft, gooey filling that makes every bite a moment of pure bliss. Whether you’re a long-time fan of Carmelitas or discovering them for the first time, these Irresistible Salted Caramel Oatmeal Bars are sure to become a cherished addition to your recipe collection, delivering joy with every perfectly cut square. Bake a batch today and experience the difference a modern twist can make!