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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Cooling2

Total Time2 35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: caramel oatmeal bars, carmelitas, oatmeal carmelitas

Servings: bars

Calories: 207kcal

Author: Rachael

Equipment

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