Description
Deliciously chewy and rich Carmelitas featuring a buttery oat crust layered with gooey caramel and semisweet chocolate chips, topped with a golden oat crumble and a hint of flaky sea salt.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust and Topping
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (320 g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Carmel Layer
- 1 (11-oz) bag soft caramels
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- Pinch of flaky sea salt
Topping
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Other
- Cooking spray for greasing pan
- Parchment paper for lining pan
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 13″ x 9″ baking pan with cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper to ensure easy removal of the Carmelitas.
- Mix crust and topping base: In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, old-fashioned oats, softened unsalted butter, packed light brown sugar, pure vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Mix until the ingredients become crumbly and well combined.
- Press crust: Press half of the oat mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to create the crust layer. Set aside the remaining oat crumble for the topping.
- Bake crust: Bake the crust in the preheated oven until it just begins to turn golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool for 10 minutes to set.
- Prepare caramel layer: While the crust is baking, place the soft caramels and whole milk in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally until the caramels are fully melted and smooth, approximately 12 minutes. Stir in a pinch of flaky sea salt to enhance the caramel flavor.
- Assemble layers: Once the crust has cooled, evenly scatter the semisweet chocolate chips over the baked crust. Pour the warm caramel mixture over the chocolate chips, gently spreading it to cover them completely. Then, sprinkle the reserved oat crumble over the caramel layer, pressing gently to flatten it evenly.
- Final bake: Return the pan to the oven and bake until the oat crumble topping is golden and the caramel is bubbling around the edges, about 25 minutes.
- Cool and serve: Allow the Carmelitas to cool completely in the pan before slicing into 12 squares and serving. Cooling ensures they set properly for clean slices.
Notes
- Ensure the caramel is melted slowly on low heat to avoid burning.
- Using parchment paper makes removing the bars easier and helps with clean edges.
- Let the Carmelitas cool fully before slicing for the best texture.
- Flaky sea salt enhances the caramel flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Storage: keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (approx. 80g)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
