Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These gooey, chewy cookie bars combine a buttery cake mix base with melty chocolate chips and a luscious caramel layer, finished with flaky sea salt. Quick to make and totally crowd-pleasing, they’re perfect for bake sales, parties, or a sweet treat anytime.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 32 minutes
- Total Time: 47 minutes
- Yield: 24 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box yellow cake mix (about 15.25 oz)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
- 1 (11 oz) bag soft caramels, unwrapped
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt
- Optional: 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
- Optional: White or butterscotch chips (swap up to half the chocolate chips)
- Optional: Gluten-free cake mix
- Optional: Dairy-free butter and coconut cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the sides. Lightly spray with nonstick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, melted butter, and eggs. Stir until a thick, slightly sticky dough forms. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips (reserve 1/4 cup for topping).
- Press about two-thirds of the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
- While the base bakes, melt caramels and heavy cream together in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second bursts (or in a saucepan over low heat), stirring until smooth.
- Pour melted caramel evenly over the par-baked crust and spread to the edges.
- Drop spoonfuls of the remaining dough over the caramel layer. Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top.
- Return pan to oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, until bars are golden brown and edges are set.
- Immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt over hot bars. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (2-3 hours).
- Lift bars from pan using parchment overhang. Slice into squares or rectangles with a sharp knife, wiping blade between cuts.
Notes
Don’t overmix the dough for best texture. Let bars cool fully before slicing for clean edges. For gluten-free or dairy-free versions, use appropriate cake mix and substitutes. Bars freeze well for up to 2 months. Sprinkle salt while bars are hot for best flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar (1/24th of pan)
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: cookie bars, salted caramel, chocolate chip, cake mix dessert, easy baking, potluck, bake sale, chewy bars, caramel dessert, quick dessert