These salted caramel butter bars are layers of shortbread cookie dough mixed with caramel and 4 sticks of butter. Bring these to a bake sale or any kind of gathering and people will be asking for the recipe.
These Salted Caramel Butter bars are a little naughty if you're currently trying to watch your waistline. They contain 4 sticks of butter! Yep, you read that right, 4 sticks. Can you feel your arteries clogging now? j/k lol Salted caramel is my favorite and should try Salted Caramel Cold Brew (Starbucks Copy Cat) next.
Don't let the amount of butter scare you though. You can still enjoy a little piece after supper or for an afternoon snack. Everything in moderation is what I believe in!
If you like bar recipes try Chewy No Bake Granola Bars with Coconut Oil, M&M Cookie Bars, or No Bake Peanut Butter Cornflake Bars.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Incredible texture: Buttery, crumbly shortbread + gooey caramel = pure heaven.
- Sweet and salty balance: The flakey sea salt on top takes them over the top.
- Easy ingredients: Pantry staples you likely already have.
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted butter is the most commonly used type of butter in baking, as it allows for more control over the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Sugar - Or regular granulated sugar, I do not use sugar substitutes in any of my recipes but if you know the conversions, feel free to do so
- Powdered sugar - Also known as confectioner's sugar or icing sugar, it is a finely ground sugar that is commonly used in baking and dessert making.
- Vanilla - It is made by macerating and soaking vanilla beans in a mixture of water and Vodka. Use a good pure vanilla instead of the imitation vanilla extract.
- All purpose flour - is a type of wheat flour that is commonly used in cooking and baking. It is versatile and can be used for a variety of recipes, including bread, cakes, cookies, and pastries.
- For the Filling:
- Caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped
- Milk - Dairy does not like me at all so I go for a lactose-free milk such as Fairlife. It also has more protein in it.
- Coarse sea salt (optional)
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitution Tips
Short on time? Use store-bought caramel sauce (the thicker kind) instead of melting caramels.
Prefer salted butter? Use it, but skip adding extra salt to the dough.
Want to add a twist? Stir in a handful of chopped pecans or chocolate chips with the caramel layer for a fun variation.
Gluten-free option? Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend designed for baking.
How to make Salted Caramel Butter Bars
Step 1 Preheat oven to 325°
Step 2 In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Using a mixer on medium speed, beat together until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and beat on low speed until a smooth, soft dough forms.
Step 3 Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.
Step 4 Bake crust until firm and the edges are a pale golden brown approx 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes.
Step 5: While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling. Place the unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.
Once the caramel is melted add in your ½ teaspoon vanilla and stir until combined.
Step 6 Pour the caramel filling over the crust. If you are going to salt the caramel, sprinkle it on the caramel layer now.
Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel.
Step 7 Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 – 30 minutes.
Let cool before cutting into squares.
Serving Suggestions
- Holiday dessert platters: These bars steal the show next to cookies and brownies!
- Gift boxes: Package a few bars in parchment and a festive ribbon — they travel beautifully.
- Coffee pairing: A buttery bar + a cup of black coffee = dreamy afternoon treat.
- Special occasions: Birthdays, bake sales, showers — anytime you want to impress!
- Make some Ninja Creami Caramel Ice Cream to go on the side.
Recipe FAQS
They actually get even better after a day — the caramel sets up beautifully.
Wrap the bars tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 2 months.
Double all the ingredients and bake in a 9x13-inch pan. You may need to add 5–10 extra minutes to the bake time.
Other Recipes To Try
If you tried this Salted Caramel Butter Bars orany other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
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Salted Caramel Butter Bars
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 40 min
- Yield: 24 1x
- Category: Easy
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These salted caramel butter bars are layers of shortbread cookie dough mixed with caramel and 4 sticks of butter. Bring these to a bake sale or any kind of gathering and people will be asking for the recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. salted butter room temp
- 1 cup sugar
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbs vanilla
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- For the Filling:
- 1 bag (14 oz.) caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped
- ⅓ cup milk or cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- *1 T. coarse sea salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°
- In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Using mixer on medium speed, beat together until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and beat on low speed until a smooth soft dough forms.
- Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator.
- Bake crust until firm and the edges are a pale golden brown approx 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes.
- While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling. Place the unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.
- Once the caramel is melted add in your ½ teaspoon vanilla and stir until combined.
- Pour the caramel filling over the crust. If you are going to salt the caramel sprinkle it on caramel layer now.
- Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 - 30 minutes.
- Let cool before cutting into squares.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cookies and Cups
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 538
- Sugar: 42
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 16
- Unsaturated Fat: 7
- Trans Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 68
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
Jenna says
lol yes that is shocking!
Courtney says
I love to bake and I tried these one year and it’s become my staple for a bar base- I’ve used the base recipe to do all kinds of different flavors other than just salted caramel depending on the event/season. You are correct the amount of butter is shocking, but oh sooooo good. Great simple recipes, one of my favorites!
Jenna says
no
Tara says
Do these need to be refrigerated?