Description
Delight in these gooey and delicious Carmelitas, a perfect blend of chewy oats, rich caramel, and melty chocolate chips baked into irresistible bars. Easy to make and ideal for sharing, these Carmelitas offer a wonderful combination of buttery, sweet, and chocolatey flavors baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
Mix-Ins
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup caramel bits or soft caramel candies, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring an overhang to help you lift the bars out easily later.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Incorporate the eggs and vanilla extract into the butter-sugar mix, stirring thoroughly until fully blended.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to ensure even distribution, then gradually add this to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined.
- Fold in Oats and Mix-Ins: Gently fold in the rolled oats, followed by the semi-sweet chocolate chips and caramel bits. Reserve a small handful of chocolate chips and caramel bits to sprinkle on top.
- Layer Batter in Pan: Press half of the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips and caramel bits over this base layer for a tasty topping.
- Create Second Layer: Crumble the remaining batter over the top, forming a second textured layer of batter.
- Bake: Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the bars turn golden brown and you see the caramel bubbling, indicating they’re perfectly cooked.
- Cool and Slice: Allow the Carmelitas to cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the slab out and slice into 12 bars for serving.
Notes
- For easy removal, lining the pan with parchment paper is highly recommended.
- Use soft caramel candies if caramel bits are unavailable; chopping them finely helps distribute the caramel better.
- Ensure the Carmelitas cool completely before cutting to prevent them from falling apart.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.
