Better Than Anything Bars
Sweet, gooey, and bursting with irresistible layers of caramel, chocolate, and cookie goodness, these bars are a staple in my family, perfect for potlucks and celebrations.
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- 9x13 Baking Pan
- Microwave-safe Bowl
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter, softened
- 1 cup Brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup White sugar
- 2 medium Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 14 ounces Caramels, unwrapped (or caramel bits)
- 5 ounces Canned evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup Peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 9'x13' baking pan with no-stick cooking spray for easy removal later.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is fully combined before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Mix until just combined—avoid overmixing for the best texture.
- Gently fold in the milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips with a spatula or mix lightly with your mixer.
- Scoop half of the cookie dough into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly across the bottom. Place the remaining dough aside.
- Bake the base layer for 8-10 minutes. You want it set but not fully baked through—it will continue cooking later.
- While the base is baking, combine the unwrapped caramels and evaporated milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on power level 5 for 1-2 minutes, pausing to stir every 30 seconds, until the caramel is smooth and fully melted.
- Stir the peanut butter into the hot caramel mixture until well blended and creamy.
- As soon as the bottom cookie layer comes out of the oven, pour the warm caramel-peanut butter mixture evenly across the baked dough, using a spatula to reach the edges.
- Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the caramel layer. Don’t worry about covering every inch—the mixture will spread as it bakes.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 17-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cookie dough is cooked through.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool fully before slicing. This helps the caramel set and makes clean cuts easier.
Notes
For extra gooey bars, slightly underbake and let them cool to set. Experiment with toppings like nuts or different types of chocolate chips.