Chocolate Caramel Bars made with just 4 simple ingredients! Easy buttery crust topped with a quick caramel then swirled with melted chocolate. You may even already have the ingredients on hand, meaning there’s no time to waste if you’re in the mood for fast and easy homemade sweets.
I love chocolate caramel candy bars and when I found this winning recipe to make my own at home I just knew that I had to share it with all of you. This chocolate caramel bars recipe is borderline addictive with its buttery flavored caramel and chocolate swirls. It really reminds me a lot of a chocolate toffee candy bar, but this is so much better. Soft, chewy and easy enough to make that you’ll be looking for excuses to bring it to your next gathering or function.
Making these chocolate caramel bars
When you make these caramel bars, it’s important to remember to keep an eye on the caramel as you make it on the stove. You’re bringing the sugar and butter to a boil to create your own homemade caramel and then it gets baked again in the oven, so if you overcook it on the stove, the oven will make it brittle.
Keeping a close eye on the timer and the way your caramel is coming along is vital for ensuring success with this delicious candy. We want the end results to be a soft and chewy caramel, not a hard brittle toffee.
What is the difference between toffee and caramel?
Caramel and toffee are pretty similar. They use almost the same ingredients, look like a shade of brown and are both delicious. The major difference is that toffee gets cooked to a higher internal temperature, and becomes hard and crunchy whereas caramel is more soft and chewy.
How long can you keep homemade caramel?
Homemade caramel can last up to 2 weeks if stored properly inside an airtight container. You can keep it at room temperature during that time as well although keeping it in the fridge will not do it any harm.
Caramel chocolate bar ingredients
-1 cup flour
-½ cup + ¼ cup brown sugar
-¼ cup+ ⅓ cup salted butter
-½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
How to make chocolate caramel bars
Heat your oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8×8 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, ½ cup of brown sugar, and ¼ cup of butter with two forks or a pastry cutter. Press this mixture onto the bottom of the glass pan.
In a small saucepot over medium heat, melt the remaining ⅓ cup of butter and then add in the ¼ cup of brown sugar and stir. Bring the mix to a boil and let it boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour over the crust.
Bake for 15 minutes, being careful not to overbake.
Remove from the oven and then sprinkle your chocolate chips over the top. Gently swirl the melted chocolate together with the caramel using a thin knife.
Let the candy cool completely and then cut it into bars. Serve and enjoy!
CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BARS
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup + 1/3 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 glass pan with non-stick spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter. Use 2 forks or a pastry cutter to combine, until mixture is crumbly. Press into bottom of 8x8 pan.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining 1/3 cup butter. Add in 1/4 cup brown sugar and stir. Bring to a boil, then boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour over crust.
- Bake for 15 minutes. (Do not over bake or you will have toffee bars! 😉
- Remove from oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of caramel and swirl gently with a knife. Let cool completely. Cut into bars and ENJOY!!
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Are toffee and caramel the same thing?
While toffee and caramel both contain the same primary ingredients, the two are not the same. Toffee is more often used for brittles whereas caramel can be used for a wide variety of different candies and sauces.
Does caramel need to be refrigerated?
Caramel does not need to be kept in the fridge, but keeping it nice and cool doesn’t hurt. Keeping your chocolate caramel bars in the fridge inside an airtight container may extend the shelf life by a few more days if you don’t eat it beforehand.
Does caramel freeze well?
Surprisingly, caramel can freeze very well and knowing that it can help to lift your holiday spirit. Making thee delicious chocolate caramel bars weeks in advance and keeping them in the freezer before a major holiday means that you can have delicious homemade sweets that just need to be thawed and eaten.
To freeze the chocolate caramel bars, make sure that you have them already cut into serving-sized bars. Place them in an airtight container and add a layer of parchment or wax paper in between if you have to stack layers. Let them come to room temp for about an hour before eating.
If you enjoyed these Chocolate Caramel Bars, you’ve got to check out these other caramel treats:
- Caramel Apple Bread
- Homemade Snickers Bars
- Caramel Krispie Treats
- Microwave Pumpkin Spice Caramels
- Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Homemade Caramels
- Chocolate Caramel Apples
- Caramel Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Marshmallow Caramel Popcorn
- Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Caramel Turtle Pie
Chocolate Caramel Bars made with just 4 simple ingredients! Easy buttery crust topped with a quick caramel then swirled with melted chocolate.
Susie says
I made these last night as an Easter Basket treat. I have to admit, a small portion of the left side of the bars were eaten while still warm in the dish-YUMMY!!!! The rest had to be hidden in the laundry room so that my husband wouldn’t finish them off before they were cool. They are quick and easy and the crust is to die for. Thanks for the recipe.
Jessica says
You’re so welcome Susie! I’m so glad you (and your husband!) enjoyed them!
Plmurphy says
Has anyone tried these using a gluten free flour?
Janet L Grand says
If you would please NOT put an emoji in the printable recipe, that would be great. It scales really large when I try to print and wastes my ink and paper. I scaled down the entire print just to get it on one page, but it’s barely readable and still wastes the ink. Thanks! I appreciate it….. 😀
Jessica says
Good to know- thank you! i’ll make sure to not do that in the future!
Carla says
Hi, I made these & everyone loves them. However, when I made the caramel mixture in the saucepan, the butter would not incorporate into the brown sugar. I poured off some of the butter & then it worked. It is 1/3 cup butter in the saucepan, right? I am making them now again but still the butter will not incorporate into the brown sugar. What am I doing wrong? Again, I had to pour off some of the butter…..thanks.
Jessica says
Did you whisk it vigorously? How hot did you have the pan? You want medium heat and whisk it until it comes to a boil– it should all incorporate by that point.
Teresa says
Made this for a family dinner. Very easy to make. I did have to put it back in the oven when I sprinkled the chocolate chips on top as they would not melt. I doubled the recipe and a little over 3/4 of the 9 x 13 dish was eaten. It did seem just a little on the sweet side for my taste so next time I will reduce the sugar…just personal taste given that almost the whole dish was eaten!!
Jessica says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Ruth says
These look delicious very quick and easy to make I’m hoping to try them out this week! Would you know what the recipe will take in gram weights? I’m from the Uk and we don’t use cups as measurements 🙁
Jessica says
Hi Ruth- I don’t have a lot of experience converting recipes to weight– I did find this conversion chart though- http://dish.allrecipes.com/cup-to-gram-conversions/
Cindy says
Hello
Planning on making this. Is it ok to use dark 8×8 baking pan? May need to adjust cooking time.
Jessica says
If you use a dark pan I’d reduce the baking time by 3-4 minutes and just watch them closely!
Cindy says
Thank you Jessica:) These came out delicious!!
Cheri says
I made caramel from condensed sweeten milk. Do you think I can use this on top of the crust?
Jessica says
It’ worth a shot! I imagine it’d be just fine. 🙂
Courtney says
Is the crust supposed to be soft when it comes out of the oven? I doubled the recipe. I’m wondering if I did something wrong. The caramel sauce didn’t cover the whole thing either and I doubled it too. Looks good though!
Jessica says
It’s fairly soft when it comes out of the oven. Let it cool and it’ll firm up!
Courtney says
It turned up thankfully. It’s kind of got a grainy texture to it, like a graham cracker crust. Still tastes good! My kids will love it (if there’s any left when they get home).
I will try again.
lrgjsboston says
I quadruped the recipe for a school event & added sea salt & they were gobbled up to rave reviews- even though I made the crust w 1/4 whole wheat flour and added some flax seed! (my healthy attempts that no one noticed!) Helpful hints I found to avoid cracked crust- cook on parchment paper, then lift with a partner, cut (while hot) with a long knife- i.e. French pastry chef, and gently spread a bit with the knife while cutting.
Jessica says
I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
Meagen Brosius says
These are so incredible! They have fast become a fan favorite around here and now I think I’ll be making them constantly! Seems to be happening to everyone. It doesn’t hurt that that they’re SO gorgeous looking. Perfect for parties and events. Thanks for such a delicious recipe!
Jessica says
So glad you liked them Meagen!
Marlene Zimmerman says
In the ingredient list you call for 1/4 cup brown sugar by in the Directions you call for 1/2 cup brown sugar. Which is it? Thanks.
Jessica says
Take another look Marlene- I use brown sugar 2 different times in the recipe. So the ingredients lists 1/2 cup brown sugar + 1/4 cup brown sugar. 🙂 It makes sense if you read it through, I promise!
Ali says
Love this recipe! I just made it and it turned out wonderful. Quick question regarding the chocolate chips, will they set? Or will it remain somewhat soft?
Jessica says
The chocolate chips set Ali! Hope you like them!
Charlotte says
Mine did not turn out well. For the caramel, the butter and sugar did not mix even though I tried whisking it. It still tastes good but it didn’t get the caramel layer like it was supposed to.
Maj says
Hi, I don’t have brown sugar. Can I make this with regular white sugar?
Jessica says
You really need brown sugar for this recipe!
Judy says
Quick and easy to make. The only change I made was to add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans. Very nice slice.
Jessica says
Great idea Judy!
Maggie says
Can I make them the night before or should they be eaten right away.
karlijne says
Good concept but I really can’t get it right.
if I make it with dark brown sugar, it doesn’t work with the caramel… it basically turns out to be buttery sugar, you really feel the grains in the ‘sauce’ even though hard stirring and a lot of patience; any longer on the stove and it wouldve burned.
With light brown sugar the caramel blends very nicely, but shifts completely in the over…
With light brown sugar the dough also doesn’t work out at all.
Jessica says
I think you might be missing a step- the sugar is still grainy because it finishes cooking in the oven. So yes, the grains will still be there on the stove!
mark appel says
Hi ….was just wondering if you can use Margarine for this Recipe ?
Nellie says
Margarine should work just fine!
The Barefoot Gardener says
Made. Loved. Shared. These are so easy to make, visually appealing and just the perfect amount of sweetness! They turned out spot-on with my first attempt at baking them, and I passed the recipe along on my Facebook page to encourage others to try it. Definitely going to be a staple recipe in our family from now on!