Easy Oatmeal Carmelitas

This recipe was originally created in partnership with Nestle Toll House in 2014. It has since been retested and updated with regular chocolate chips.

These easy oatmeal carmelitas have a buttery brown sugar oat crust, a gooey layer of caramel, and pockets of melty chocolate in every bite. They’re a one-bowl cookie bar made with jarred caramel, so there’s no candy thermometer and no fuss. My kids ask for them every holiday season, and they’re just as good packed in lunchboxes or taken to a bake sale.

What Are Carmelitas?

Carmelitas are cookie bars with a chewy oatmeal crust on the bottom, a layer of caramel and chocolate in the middle, and more oat dough baked on top. They’ve been a potluck and bake sale classic for decades, with roots in the Pillsbury Bake-Off.

Why You’ll Love These Oatmeal Carmelitas

• One bowl. Everything mixes in a stand mixer, with no separate crust and topping.
• Jarred caramel. Store-bought caramel topping keeps it easy and foolproof.
• Quick to make. About 10 minutes of prep and 25 minutes in the oven.
• Kid-approved. Chocolate, caramel, and a cookie. Enough said.

Ingredients for Oatmeal Carmelitas

• Butter: Softened salted butter gives the best flavor. Margarine works too if that’s what you have.
• Brown sugar: Packed brown sugar makes the bars chewy and caramel-y.
• Oat flour: Grind old-fashioned oats in a blender until fine. You can use all-purpose flour instead.
• Old-fashioned oats: They give the bars their chew and texture.
• Chocolate chips: Semisweet or milk chocolate both work. Use whatever your family likes best.
• Caramel topping: Use a thick jarred caramel, like ice cream topping. A thin, pourable sauce will make the bars runny.

See the recipe card below for full amounts and instructions.

How to Make Carmelitas

1. Make the dough. Cream the butter and brown sugar, then mix in the eggs, milk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add the flours and oats. The dough will be thick.
2. Add the chocolate. Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
3. Build the bottom layer. Press half the dough into a parchment-lined 9×13 pan.
4. Add caramel and chocolate. Spread the caramel over the dough, leaving a small border, and sprinkle on the remaining chocolate chips.

5. Top and bake. Drop the rest of the dough over the top in small spoonfuls and bake until golden.
6. Cool completely. This is the hardest part, but it’s what makes them slice cleanly.

Tips for Perfect Caramel Oatmeal Bars

• Let them cool all the way. Warm carmelitas are delicious but gooey. Give them at least 2 hours, or chill for 30 minutes to speed it up.
• Leave a caramel border. Keeping the caramel about 1/2 inch from the edges stops it from burning onto the pan.
• Use a parchment overhang. Lift the whole slab out before cutting for neat squares.
• Wipe your knife. A clean, warm knife between cuts keeps the layers looking sharp.
• Don’t overbake. Pull them when the top is golden and the center is just set. They firm up as they cool.

Variations

• Filled chocolate candies: The original 2014 version used caramel-filled chocolate morsels. Chopped caramel-filled chocolates are a fun swap if you can find them.
• Salted caramel: Sprinkle flaky sea salt over the caramel layer before adding the top dough.
• Add nuts: Toss 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts over the caramel.
• Mix your chips: Try half chocolate chips and half butterscotch or peanut butter chips.

Storing and Freezing Carmelitas

• Room temperature: Keep covered for up to 3 days.
• Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Many people love them cold.
• Freezer: Wrap cut bars individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Oatmeal Carmelitas FAQ

Why are my carmelitas runny?

They were cut too soon or the caramel was too thin. Let the bars cool completely, and use a thick jarred caramel rather than a pourable sauce.

Can I use quick oats instead of old-fashioned oats?

Yes. Quick oats give a softer, more uniform bar, while old-fashioned oats give more chew and texture.

Can I make carmelitas ahead of time?

Yes, they’re a great make-ahead dessert. Bake them a day early, since they cut more cleanly once fully set.

Can you freeze carmelitas?

Yes. Wrap cut bars individually and freeze for up to 3 months.

More Easy Bars and Holiday Desserts

Love a good pan of bars? Try my 7 Layer Bars, Scotcharoos, or Montmorency Tart Cherry Pie Bars. Planning holiday baking? Check out my Christmas menu, my full Thanksgiving menu, or browse all my easy dessert recipes.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

Chewy oatmeal carmelitas with a buttery brown sugar oat crust, a layer of caramel, and pockets of melty chocolate. An easy cookie bar for holidays, bake sales, and lunchbox treats.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: caramel oatmeal bars, carmelitas, oatmeal carmelitas

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cooling: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 bars

Calories: 207kcal

Author: Rachael

Equipment

9x13-inch baking pan

Stand mixer

Parchment paper

Ingredients

• 1 cup Salted butter softened (margarine works too)
• 1 1/4 cups Brown sugar packed
• 2 Large eggs
• 2 Tbs 2% milk
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 cup All-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Oat flour old-fashioned oats ground in a blender, or use all-purpose flour instead
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 1/2 cups Old-fashioned oats
• 1 1/2 cups Semisweet chocolate chips divided, or use milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup Caramel topping thick jarred caramel

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang for lifting the bars out.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer until creamy. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt and mix until smooth.
• Mix in the all-purpose flour, oat flour, and oats on low speed. The dough will be thick.
• Fold in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
• Press half the dough into the pan. Spread the caramel evenly over it, leaving a 1/2-inch border, and sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
• Drop the rest of the dough over the top in small spoonfuls. Gaps are fine; they bake together.
• Bake 25 minutes, until golden on top and the center is just set.
• Cool completely, at least 2 hours, before cutting into 24 bars.

Notes

• Semisweet or milk chocolate chips both work.
• No oat flour? Use all-purpose flour instead.
• Use a thick caramel topping. Thin sauces make the bars runny.
• In a hurry? Chill the bars for 30 minutes instead of cooling 2 hours.
• Store covered at room temperature up to 3 days or in the fridge up to 1 week. Freeze individually wrapped bars up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 86mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 360IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.9mg

Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.

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