These Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Bars are a variation of the magic cookie bars that everyone loves. They're an oatmeal cookie bar with a caramel sauce, peanut butter spread, chocolate chips, and a wonderful oatmeal cookie bar topping.
How to Melt Caramel Sauce for Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
There are few ways you can make a caramel sauce for cookies and/or ice cream topping.
You can make a simple caramel recipe and cook it just under the softball stage, you can purchase pre-made caramel sauce, (Mrs. Richardson's caramel sauce is the best for this recipe. It's smooth, creamy and has a perfect consistency) or you can melt down some wrapped caramel candy.
For this recipe, I melted down some caramel candy. It was easy, it only took a few minutes, and turned out perfect for this cookie bar recipe.
The first thing you will want to do is unwrap the caramels. Add them to a microwave safe bowl, add 1 teaspoon of evaporated milk and melt the caramels on 50% heat for 1 minute. Stir the caramels.
Be sure to stir the caramels every time you melt them in the microwave. Some caramels retain their shape even though they are melted. You also want to incorporate the evaporated milk in with the caramel.
Cook for 30 seconds on 50% heat and stir, repeat 4-6 times or until the caramel is smooth and all melted.
How to Make Layered Cookie Bars
This cookie bar recipe has a few steps but each one of the steps is easy and only takes a few minutes. The result is these incredible Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Bars. One of the best cookie bar recipes of all time!
- Oatmeal cookie bar recipe: This cookie bar recipe has oatmeal, flour, butter, and sugar... the perfect combo! You are only going to use about 3/4 of the recipe on the bottom of the cookie sheet. You will save the last 1/4 oatmeal cookie bar recipe for the crumble topping after you've added all the other ingredients. Bake for 13 minutes.
- Peanut butter mixture: This is a simple mixture, only 2 ingredients. Add the white chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl, melt on 50% power, stir, and repeat for 4-6 cycles or until the white chocolate chips are melted. (You can also substitute the white chocolate chips for regular milk chocolate chips in this cookie bar recipe. Add the peanut butter to the melted chocolate chips and stir until smooth.
- Caramel Sauce: I added the instructions to the caramel sauce recipe above, or you can use the Mrs. Richardsons caramel sauce which turns out amazing every time.
- Add the chocolate chips. I like to use Guittard Chocolate chips because they are BIG. For whatever reason, it's really fun to have huge chocolate chips in this Peanut Butter Caramel Cookie Bar Recipe.
- Add the remaining oatmeal cookie bar recipe to the top of the cookie bars and bake for an additional 15 minutes. It makes a delicious crumble topping!
- Bake for another 8-10 minutes or until it is just golden on the edges.
If you love cookie bars, here are some of the Best Cookie Bar Recipes:
White Chocolate and Raspberry Cookie Bars
Coconut Lime Sugar Cookie Bars
Reeses Peanut Butter Cereal Bars
Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Oatmeal Cookie Bar Recipe
- 2 cups Butter
- 2 1/4 cups Brown Sugar
- 3 cups Oatmeal regular rolled oats
- 3 cups Flour all-purpose
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp salt
Caramel Sauce Recipe
- 1 pound Caramels you can purchase pre-made caramel sauce, (Mrs. Richardson's caramel sauce is the best for this recipe.
- 1 tsp Evaporated milk
Peanut Butter Sauce Recipe
- 1 pkg White chocolate chips
- 1 cup Peanut butter Smooth
Other Ingredients
- 1 package Chocolate chips real, milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Oatmeal Cookie Bar Recipe--Crust
- In a large electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the oatmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. The mixture will be a bit crumbly.
- Press the cookie bar mixture into a large baking sheet, covering the bottom of the pan. Bake in a preheated oven on 350 for 8 minutes.
Peanut Butter Sauce Recipe
- While the cookie crust is baking, add the white chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl, melt on 50% power for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat for 4-6 cycles or until the white chocolate chips are melted. (You can also substitute the white chocolate chips for regular milk chocolate chips in this cookie bar recipe.
- Add the peanut butter to the melted chocolate chips and stir until smooth.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto the cookie bar crust. Spread with a knife to cover the entire cookie bar crust.
Caramel Sauce Recipe
- The first thing you do is unwrap the caramels. Add them to a microwave safe bowl, add 1 teaspoon of evaporated milk and melt the caramels on 50% heat for 1 minute. Stir the caramels.Be sure to stir the caramels every time you melt them in the microwave. Some caramels retain their shape even though they are melted. You also want to incorporate the evaporated milk in with the caramel. Cook for 30 seconds on 50% heat and stir, repeat 4-6 times or until the caramel is smooth and all melted.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce onto the peanut butter mixture.
Finishing Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
- Sprinkle the milk chocolate chips on the caramel sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cookie crumb mixture on the cookie bars. Bake at 350 for another 8-10 minutes or until it is just golden on the edges. Cool for about an hour before cutting. Cut into 24 squares.
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These Caramel Peanut Butter Cookie Bars are a variation of the magic cookie bars that everyone loves. They're an oatmeal cookie bar with a caramel sauce, peanut butter spread, chocolate chips, and a wonderful oatmeal cookie bar topping.
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