Better Than Anything Bars
A delightful combination of chocolate, caramel, and cookie dough, these bars are perfect for sharing at gatherings and family events.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 1 cup Butter, softened Make sure your butter is softened for easier mixing.
- 1 cup Brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup White sugar
- 2 medium Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups All-purpose flour Avoid overmixing for the best texture.
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 cups Milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips Customize with different chocolate types if desired.
For the Caramel Layer
- 14 ounces Caramels, unwrapped (or caramel bits)
- 5 ounces Canned evaporated milk
- ½ cup Peanut butter Can substitute with almond butter or sunflower seed butter.
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 9'x13′ baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until 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 flour, baking soda, and salt to the bowl and mix until just combined.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scoop half of the cookie dough into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake the base layer for 8-10 minutes, until set but not fully baked.
Caramel Layer
- Combine caramels and evaporated milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on power level 5 for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
- Stir in peanut butter until well blended.
- Pour the caramel-peanut butter mixture evenly across the baked dough as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cookie dough over the caramel layer and spread lightly.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 17-20 minutes until golden brown.
Cooling
- Remove from oven and allow to cool fully before slicing.
Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days or refrigerate for a week for longer storage. Let come to room temperature before serving.