Dulce de leche is translated as candy of milk or milk candy.
These (candy) bars are translated as one of the richest things I’ve made in 2013, and one of the best.
If you’re the type of person who complains about desserts being too sweet or too rich, stop reading now because these bars are both.
Dulce de leche is similar in texture and thickness to thick homemade caramel sauce, but rather than being made from butter, brown sugar, and cream like caramel sauce, it’s made by cooking sweetened condensed milk. It’s caramely, sweet, rich, and smooth.
I’ve always loved Seven Layer Bars (Hello Dolly Bars) and these bars are a riff on those. They’re a five layer bar made with shredded coconut, chocolate and white chocolate chips, and rather than sweetened condensed milk, I used dulce de leche.
I’m at my home in Aruba where I spend every December and August, and being only 10 miles from the equator, dulce de leche fits right in.
But coming up with these felt like an episode of Chopped. Here’s what went down in my head.
You must use: At least 1 of the 3 bags of shredded coconut that you’ve somehow accumulated. You must use an almost expired can of dulce de leche. You cannot use cocoa powder because there’s not enough left to do anything with. You cannot bake cookies or muffins because your oven sucks. You must use some of at least two of the partially-used bags of white/chocolate/peanut butter/butterscotch chips. You cannot make a no-bake bar because you make too many of those already.
Only one bowl is dirtied, no mixer used, and they take 5 minutes to get from cupboard to oven.
The base layer is a stick of melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and flour that’s stirred together and pressed into a pan. It’s not quick as thick as cookie dough, but nearly.
The brown sugar and butter caramelize while baking, intensifying and adding to the overall deep caramel flavor in the bars.
Then sprinkle on white chocolate chips, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, and top with half of one can of dulce de leche. You can buy dulce de leche in many grocery stores, including Eagle or Nestle brands, Williams-Sonoma makes one, or try La Salamandra online.
Make your own by submerging 1 unopened can of sweetened condensed milk into a boiling pot of water for 3 to 4 hours. Voila, dulce de leche.
If you absolutely don’t want to be bothered, you can substitute with sweetened condensed milk, but you’ll miss out on the lovely caramel flavor and thick, rich texture. Or you could try using half caramel sauce, half sweetened condensed milk.
Biting into the bars is a texture and flavor lovers’ dream.
The dulce de leche bubbles and caramelizes in the oven, turns thicker, and becomes bronzed.
The white chocolate chips underneath are creamy, melty, and complement the dulce de leche and the coconut. The coconut toasts slightly while baking, but doesn’t get crispy because it’s covered by the golden dulce de leche layer.
The brown sugar cookie dough base firms up and add some heft, firmness, chewiness, and structure to the softer, gooier topping layer.
I’m grateful for forcing Chopped onto myself because otherwise I never would have come up with these.
And I’m really glad I did. They’re worth running in the heat for.
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Dulce de Leche Coconut Chocolate Chip Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- ½ cup white chocolate chips, butterscotch or peanut butter chips may be substituted
- 1 cup loosely packed sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- half of one 14-ounce can dulce de leche (make your own
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside. Lining your pan is mandatory so bars don’t stick and for cleanup ease.
- In a medium microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
- Add the brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the flour, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Turn mixture out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula and spreading mixture into corners.
- Evenly sprinkle with white chocolate chips.
- Evenly sprinkle with coconut.
- Evenly sprinkle with chocolate chips.
- Pour or scoop out about half the can of dulce de leche and evenly spread it with a knife or spatula over the chocolate chips. Take your time and use a light hand as to not disturb the underneath layers. It doesn’t have to cover all crevices because it spreads some as it bakes.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until dulce de leche is golden, bubbly, and bars show signs of being set around the edges. The coconut will look crispy at the edges. Because ovens, ingredients, and climates vary, use your judgment when your bars are done. Watch your bars, not the number on the clock. If at any time your dulce de leche layer seems to be browning too fast, turn your oven down to 325F and/or cover the pan with a sheet of foil.
- Allow bars to set up for at least 2 hours, or overnight (strongly recommended), before slicing and serving. The butter in the base, the natural coconut oil, and the milkfat in the dulce de leche all seep out while baking, but reabsorb as the bars cool over time. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Have you tried dulce de leche?
Too rich or sweet? Never!!! Just have a smaller piece. These bars look fantastic!
Awesome bars! I am drooling!
I always complain that desserts are too sweet or rich, but damn these look goid. Maybe I can manage a small square often.
You had me at “flooded with dulce de leche” – you can’t go wrong with that!
I love dulce de leche and start to panic when I’m down to my last can/jar at home. These bars look luscious!
Your killing me here! I don’t think it can get much better than this! <3
If someone really did find this too sweet or too rich I suppose they could just eat the dulce de leche. Which is the perfect balance of sweet and rich. GREG
You always crack me up – love it :)
I was literally day dreaming yesterday about being on one of those cooking shows, like chopped, where you are given such random ingredients to work with. I thought how I would never succeed on one of those shows, how fun to force yourself to do it! I might have to try this at home! The dulce de leche looks amazing baked on top of these bars!! Wowzers, defo worth running in the heat!!
Do it! Force some chopped on yourself – it’s a great way to clean out your pantry and make something you never would have anyway!
I’ve only used Dulce de Leche once in baking and I was in love, it’s so much better than caramel especially if you can find the stuff imported from Argentina. These bars look amazing, and I’m very envious that you have heat to run in!! :)
I am too rich and too sweet for my own good. These bars seem perfect for me. I cannot wait to try them.
Averie. These are the best bars ever. And hello, where was my invitation to Aruba? (Kidding. :))
I tried dulce de leche over the summer and fell madly in love. It is so good! The bars look incredible. Kind of like a 7-layer bar, but so much better! I love the cookies base and all the coconut! Pinned of course!
Thanks for pinning & knowing what you like in your desserts, and all the texture/flavor combos you use, I bet you’d love these! And yes 7-layer ish, but with dulce de leche!
Love sweet, rich desserts like this! My mom always gets full when we’re eating a heavy dessert, so I’ve started cutting her piece smaller and mine bigger :). Do you think caramel sauce would work in these instead of dulce de leche?
It would/could work but it won’t lend quite the same creamy factor. If you don’t have dulce de leche, I’d use half caramel sauce and half sweetened condensed milk, that way you’ll kind of get the best of both worlds. And I like your piece-cutting strategy :)
I’ve never tried dulce de leche but its easy to find here. I can imagine how yummy it is and what it does to magic 8 bars….these look rich, gooey and caramel-y. I’m staring out the window at our first few inches of snow and am thinking how much I’d rather be someplace warm where I can throw on shorts to go for a run rather than bundle up to go to the gym!!! I bought about 15# of kabocha yesterday and 2 football sized spag. squash. The browned butter was so good but I also loved the cinnamon-stevia sweet variety too. Enjoy Aruba!
Oh glad to hear you tried both the browned butter and the cinn/sugar/stevia squash combo. Im going thru squash withdrawals here. Been doing sweet potatoes and it’s not really the same but my choices are nothing or butternet that are like $5 per pound. So a normal little b-nut is $15. No thanks :) I need pina colada money. LOL
And yes with the dulce de leche about everything you said on Magic 8 bars!
So pretty and tasty looking! These look great!
I still haven’t gotten round to making dulce de leche! Must do.
I think you’re going to love it!