I created the world’s gooey-est and stickiest bars when I made these. Or at the very least, the gooey-est bars I’ve ever made, and I’m not complaining. That’s what soap and water is for.
There are only good things that can come from melting butter, brown sugar, caramels, and cream.
Add lots of vanilla extract and chocolate for good measure.
When I received these caramel squares from Oh! Nuts, I had a few ideas for bars that would incorporate melted caramels.
I prefer making bars to cookies because bars are much faster and less fussy to make.
And I prefer these bars to anything I’ve eaten so far in 2012.
To say these are rich is an understatement. The melted caramels and cream, the butter, the chocolate seeping through each bite. Call Ina Garten and let the woman who cooks with a pound of butter like it’s a tablespoon know that these bars will give her a run for her butter money.
I really can’t convey how dense they are. Each one is like holding a little lead weight.
When I gave Scott the small 8-by-8-inch pan to hold, he thought I had lined it with heavy metal objects. I assured him that it wasn’t a stunt pan; just all the good stuff which is that heavy.
He also thought I put alcohol in them because they have so much depth of flavor. He thought it was another rum cake special, but no. I attribute the depth of flavor to the caramels.
I also added a copious amount of vanilla extract to them, allowing the vanilla flavor to not only stand up to, but really complement, the caramels. Too often vanilla gets lost, but not in these.
I assure you that you will want to get lost with one of these.
Make sure your gym membership is active or your running shoes are laced. You may want to get a little exercise after these.
Be forewarned: these are sticky and gooey and you should probably store them in refrigerator or freezer. You may also want to eat them with a fork.
Yes these are sweet, but they’re not as sweet as they are fatty dense, rich, thick, heavy.
You will be able to feel the butter on your lips after you get done taking a bite and every once in awhile, that’s a-okay. Knowing that the high butter content of your latest dessert does double-duty for chapped lips is always a winning feeling.
If you’ve had a bad day, a PMS day, want to butter up (literally) your spouse before you ask them to take you to Bora Bora or impress friends ‘n fam at parties, make these.
Guests may need to use forks unless you pet names like Aunt Susie Sticky Fingers and Uncle Bobby Butter Fingers are acceptable among party-goers.
The oozing chocolate.
The drippy caramel cream sauce.
These will make you close your eyes, savor each bite, and the world will just.stop.while.you.chew.
Ahhh….
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Caramel and Chocolate Gooey Bars (Gluten-Free with Vegan option)
Ingredients
- ¾ cups butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups whole rolled oats
- ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, optional*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 35 caramel squares, or 2 cups caramel sauce
- ⅔ cup half-and-half or cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing for overhang (do not make this recipe unless you line your pan with foil) and spray the foil down very well with cooking spray.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter.
- To the melted butter add the oats, brown sugar, baking soda, flour*, one teaspoon vanilla, and stir to combine.
- Pour just over half the oat-butter mixture (about 60%, eyeball it) into the bottom of the prepared baking pan, spread it evenly with a spatula, and bake for 9-10 minutes. The mixture will bubble up and foam considerably while baking. Watch it closely and the sides will show a bit of browning at about 9-10 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and let it rest and cool for 3 minutes, and then sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top in an even layer.
- While the mixture is baking, unwrap the caramels and place them in a medium-sized saucepan that’s been sprayed with cooking spray.
- Add the cream to the caramels and melt over medium-high heat, stirring nearly continuously to prevent scorching or boiling. It may take 5 minutes for caramels to completely melt.
- After mixture has melted, is smooth and combined, turn off the heat and add one teaspoon of vanilla, using caution because the vanilla will likely bubble up a bit, and stir to incorporate.
- Pour the melted creamy caramel mixture over the top of the oat mixture that has been topped with chocolate chips. It will be very soupy, this is fine.
- Take the remaining half (40%) of the oat-butter mixture and sprinkle it as evenly as possible over the top, using a spatula to gently spread the oats within the “caramel soup”.
- Place pan on top of a cookie sheet as a precaution for spill-over and bake for 14-16 minutes more, or until sides of the mixture are beginning to brown (Look closely in order to discern “browning edges” from the overall brown color of the caramel mixture when it’s baking; they’re very similar but distinct enough to differentiate). The mixture will be bubbling quite intensely while baking and watch it for signs of spilling over.
- Remove pan from the oven and allow it to rest and completely cool on the countertop before attempting to slice the bars (at least two hours) or you can expedite the process by placing the pan in the freezer or refrigerator until sufficiently cool enough to slice (but not frozen).
- Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or freezer, and freeze extras for up to 3 months. I stored these bars in the freezer because they were so gooey and they never froze solid (all that butter).
Notes
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Related Recipes
If you’re a fan of caramel, I recommend:
Caramel Apple Bars (GF with Vegan adaptation)
Caramel Maple Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Raw Vegan GF Caramels (sandwich style with peanut butter in the middle)
Caramel Peanut Butter and Apricot Jelly Bars (GF with Vegan adaptation)
Happy unwrapping.
Do you like caramels?
I love them and all things caramel-flavored.
What’s one of the last really rich and dense desserts or other foods you’ve had?
Sometimes I want something airy and light like popcorn or angel food cake. Sometimes I want a lead balloon. Today was the later.
Thanks for the Babycakes Cupcake Maker and Cookbook Giveaway entries.
Those look amazing. Interesting that he thought there might be alcohol in them. Sounds like they are rich and decadent!
VERY rich & decadent :)
You had me at gooey. But then again, chocolate and caramel combined with gooey can be nothing but out of this world. These look amazing!
This is my kind of dessert hands down. Dense, rich, not tooooo sweet, heavy, decadent… LOVE it!
Oh, but I would love to have these stuck in between each and every one of my teeth. And under my nails. And possibly on my shirt.
You make me laugh :)
These look amazing – like the naughtiest version of a flapjack I’ve ever seen! And definitely very gooey. Chocolate and caramel is a killer combination – love this recipe. Your photos are gorgeous too btw :-)
Glad you like the recipe and photos!
What a darling name: Gooey Bars. It makes me smile.
These babies could be heaven and hell in a pan for me; heaven because I have an unrelenting sweet tooth and it doesn’t matter if it’s gooey or shaped like a lump, if there’s sugar, I want to be on it – and it could be hell because my boyfriend does NOT have the same passion for sweets and I’d likely eat the whole pan (eventually) myself. But, oh well, like you said, lace up your running shoes, right ;)
And it’s a small pan, 8 x 8. I try to keep batches small for that reason :)
This look so incredibly dangerous to have around!
Oooh these bars look incredible! So gooey! I bet they’d be great with pecans in them, too. Then they’d be like German chocolate cake!
Oh yeah, if you like pecans or nuts, they would be great in here…it could almost me like the bar for of a Turtle candy!
Is it wrong I just kind of envisioned myself doing a 2 finger poi method by dipping my fingers in there and not worrying about cutting them?
Caramel(s) rock!
If it wasn’t for pictures, I would have done exactly as you describe :)
I love all things caramel and salted caramel has to be my very favorite.
The last set of pics on your blog has got to be some of my fave images you’ve ever done! You just keep growing and it’s beautiful to watch!
“There are only good things that can come from melting butter, brown sugar, caramels, and cream.” AMEN SISTER! That is the truth if I’ve ever heard it. And it’s at this part of recipes that I usually ‘sample’ so much of the melting goodness that it throws my whole recipe off.
You know, it’s not fair that you posted this when it is so early in the morning my time. Now instead of a nice sensible breakfast I’m going to go make and eat a batch of these!
And I love that you read this right before breakfast. I plow thru my google reader in the mornings and usually wake up to at least 33 posts about cookies, pies, fudge, etc that hit while I was sleeping :)
And I saw your brisket yesterday….you have come full circle and that’s awesome for you that you have embraced it.
xo
I am at a loss for words…these look incredibly decadent and delicious!
I love anything with chocolate and caramel. Put some oats in there=perfection!
loss for words…LOL and seriously they are that kind of rich dessert when you eat one, too. You won’t be able to talk.
Those look like they would have multiple textures (like biting through the soft caramel and oats into a piece of firm chocolate), which is just how I like desserts. They look fabulous, and I could see these being a big hit as a dinner party dessert.
The vanilla flavour sounds great too – I love vanilla.
The vanilla is strong enough to really notice it, too. And textures, I am huge on them…I hate mushy stuff and this has so much going on, which is the way I like things.
Ok, wow. These look and sound incredible. Sometimes you just need something that is too heavy, too sweet, too sticky, and totally, completely perfect.
My teeth hurt just looking at the bars but I’d endure it for a bite or twelve. :)
I love the caramels in the little clear wrappers! Reminds me of grocery store bulk bins that my grandma and her sisters used to sample from, haha.
The crazy thing is they’re not even that sweet. Yes, they’re sweet…but they’re more like lead weights, i.e. fatty :)