Salted Caramel Butter Bars
If you’re looking to impress your mother-in-law, or that friend who thinks she makes the best desserts, OR if you’re just looking for an amazingly easy and delicious new recipe….here it is!
The goodness comes from butter, sugar, powdered sugar, vanilla, and caramel mixed with cream. (Not Weight Watchers approved, but worth every calorie!)
Weigh out your caramel. You can use either the caramel candies that you unwrap, or use these super convenient caramel balls. If you don’t have a scale, you can certainly guesstimate!
Cream the butter and sugars together, add the vanilla, then slowly add the flour mixing just until a soft dough forms. Spray your pan (over the sink so there’s not non-stick all over your counter or floor), then pat 2/3 of the dough into the pan. (Wrap and store the rest in the fridge while baking crust.) Bake for 20 min or until edges are a light golden brown, then cool for 15 minutes.
While the base is baking, you’ll need to melt the caramel with the cream using a whisk to gently mix. This breaks up the lumps easily. Then add the vanilla and mix.
Pour the caramel yumminess over the cooked crust, sprinkle with sea salt, then crumble pieces of leftover dough and sprinkle on top.
Bake for 25 more minutes. Let cool completely before cutting. It is delicious warm, but make sure the caramel is not too hot to burn your tongue!
I know you’ll enjoy this! It freezes well too! (And it tastes good just out of the freezer!)
Janet
Salted Caramel Butter Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 C butter, room temp.
- 1 C granulated sugar
- 1½ C powdered sugar
- 2 T vanilla extract use real vanilla extract not imitation
- 4 C flour
Filling
- 14 oz caramel candies unwrapped, or caramel balls as pictured
- ⅓ C heavy cream
- ½ t vanilla extract
- 1 T sea salt – as desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly spray the bottom of a 9" X 13" baking pan with nonstick spray.
Making the Crust
- Mix the butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar together in a bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed for 2 minutes until creamy. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the flour, mixing until a soft dough forms. Don't overmix.
- Press ⅔ of dough into prepared pan smoothing evenly over the bottom of the pan and coming up just a bit on the sides. This prevents the caramel from oozing over.
- Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and chill in fridge while crust is cooking.
- Bake for 20 minutes or just until edges are pale golden brown. Remove from over and place on a wire cooking rack for about 15 minutes.
Making the Caramel Filling
- While the crust is baking, place the caramels in a microwave-safe bowl and add the cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir with a whisk until smooth. If caramel is not completely melted, microwave on high for 30 second intervals stirring until smooth.
- After the caramel is melted, add the ½ t of vanilla and stir until combined.
- Pour the caramel over the crust. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt, if desired.
- Crumble and sprinkle the remaining chilled dough evenly over the caramel.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread in firm and light golden brown.
- Let cool completely before cutting into squares. Or eat warm but not hot!
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