Description
Carmelitas are rich, chewy dessert bars made with a buttery oat crust, gooey caramel center, and layers of melty chocolate chips. They’re the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and crunchy—and super easy to make with pantry staples.
Ingredients
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1 cup unsalted butter, melted
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1 cup brown sugar, packed
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1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
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1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
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1/2 tsp baking soda
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1/4 tsp salt
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1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
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3/4 cup caramel sauce (or about 25 unwrapped soft caramels melted with 2 tbsp heavy cream)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease it well.
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In a large bowl, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, baking soda, and salt until combined.
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Press half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan to form the base.
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Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the crust.
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Pour the caramel sauce over the chocolate chips, spreading it evenly.
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Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the caramel layer.
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Return to the oven and bake for another 15–20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the caramel is bubbling.
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Let cool completely (for cleaner cuts, chill in the fridge before slicing). Cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
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You can use store-bought caramel sauce or melt soft caramels with a splash of cream.
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Chill the bars before slicing for the cleanest cuts.
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Swap chocolate chips with dark chocolate or chopped nuts for a twist.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 115mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg