Oatmeal Caramel Bars

What do you get when you combine chocolate, caramel, and oatmeal in a sweet treat?

Caramel Oatmeal Bars, delicious portable treats that your family will love!

These easy to make oatmeal squares are hard to resist with all their chocolate, caramel, gooey goodness.

They are quick and easy too!

And very similar to Oatmeal Carmelitas, a 1967 Pillsbury Bake-Off contender.

Enlist the kids to help with making these oatmeal cookie bars—Have them unwrap the caramel candies while you gather the rest of the ingredients!

Everyone who tries these sweet Oatmeal Caramel Bars loves them. I think you will too.

Easy Oatmeal Caramel Bars Recipe

Nonstick Cooking Spray
32 soft caramel candies, unwrapped
1/4 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter, melted
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Coat a 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. For easy removal and cleanup, line pan with an 8-by-16-inch sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides to act as handles.
In a small saucepan, combine caramels and cream.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
In a large bowl stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and melted butter until well blended.
Press half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the lined pan.
Bake until just set and starting to color around edges, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle crust with chocolate chips and pecans (if using).
Drizzle caramel mixture over the chocolate chips.
Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.
Bake until pale golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely in pan before cutting into desired size bars/squares.

This cookie bar recipe makes one 8-inch square pan of Oatmeal Caramel Bars.

Easy Oatmeal Caramel Chocolate Chip Squares
The best part about these delicious cookie bars is that the recipe begins with a package of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough - so they're super-easy to make!

Oatmeal Caramel Chocolate Chip Squares

Oatmeal Caramel Chocolate Chip Squares Recipe

1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1 cup quick-cooking oats
Dash salt
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup caramel ice cream topping
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 (6 ounce) package (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
In a large bowl, break up chocolate chip cookie dough with wooden spoon. Add oats and salt and mix until well blended.
Reserve 1/2 cup cookie dough mixture.
Press remaining mixture into ungreased 9-inch square baking pan.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie dough puffs and appears dry.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, caramel topping and vanilla and blend well.
Sprinkle walnuts and chocolate chips evenly over partiall baked crust.
Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture.
Crumble reserved 1/2 cup cookie dough mixture over caramel.
Bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes.
Run knife around sides of pan to loosen.
Cool in pan on wire rack 1 1/2 hours or until completely cooled.
Cut squares into desired size and shape.