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Perfectly chewy chocolate chip cookie bars with an ooey gooey peanut butter caramel center. These will be one of the best treats that you make!
You guys. Peanut Butter Caramel. It’s a thing. And oh my goodness. It is a game changer.
I love anything that is filled with gooey caramel. There is nothing more delicious than taking a bite into a dessert bar and having a caramel center. So when I saw that peanut butter caramel was a thing, I couldn’t wait to try it out!
The original recipe is called “knock you naked” bars. So these had to be pretty dang good to knock you naked! I made them the night before to let the caramel completely cool and set. I couldn’t wait to have one for breakfast. 🙂
My first bite was incredible. Seriously my mind was blown. I used my favorite chocolate chip cookie bar base and it was so chewy and perfect. And then the peanut butter caramel center was amazing. A peanut butter flavored caramel… you guys are going to love it!
The problem is that I cut these into little 2 inch squares. So slowly the squares started to disappear. The entire family couldn’t get enough! They are so addicting. We finally went had to give them away because we would have eaten them all. These are one of the best cookie bars that I have ever had!! You are going to love them just as much as we did!
Recipe adapted from Julies Eats
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Peanut Butter Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Cookie
- ¾ cup melted unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, or milk chocolate
Peanut Butter Caramel
- 14 ounces soft caramels
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhand on either side, and spray with nonstick cooking spray for easy removal.
- Add the butter, brown sugar, and sugar to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add flour, salt, and baking soda and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
- Spread half of the cookie dough into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 8-9 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the peanut butter caramel by adding the caramels and cream to a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each increment until smooth and combined.
- Add the peanut butter and vanilla to the caramel mixture and stir until combined.
- Pour the peanut butter caramel on top of the baked cookie and spread evenly. Crumble the remaining cookie dough on top of the caramel. Bake for an additional 18-20 minutes or until lightly brown. Let the cookie bars cool completely before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are wonderful. I like using large size chocolate chips to concentrate the chocolate flavor and use a 9×9″ dish to create thicker bars with more substance.
What could I substitute for the peanut butter?
These look addictive, can’t wait to make some! I’ll have to make sure I invite friends over before I do or my pants might not fit the next day!