Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramelitas
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
Caramelitas are an upgraded cookie bar that no one will be able to resist because they hit every craving: sweet, chocolatey, salty, and a soft oatmeal layer.
I could eat these dark chocolate sea salt caramelitas almost every day but I’d probably need an entirely new wardrobe filled with elastic waist pants. They are the perfect combination of rich, dark chocolate, caramel, and a buttery oatmeal crust. No one can ever resist them!
So, typically, a caramelita is a combination of chocolate, caramel and oats. I like my chocolate dark and my caramel salty so I decided to combine them in this recipe. The result is to die for.
Ingredients for Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramelitas
- Butter – Go with a high quality salted version for the best results.
- Brown Sugar – I usually use light brown sugar because it is what I typically have on hand. Dark brown sugar will work but it will result in a darker caramel.
- Vanilla Extract – Pure vanilla extract works best.
- Flour
- Old Fashioned Oats – Be sure not to grab quick oats!
- Baking Soda
- Salt – You’ll want plain iodized table salt and sea salt for this recipe.
- Soft Caramels
- Heavy Cream
- Dark Chocolate Chips – Semi-sweet or milk chocolate will work fine in the recipe but the flavor will be slightly different.
Essential Items for This Recipe
- 8×8 Square Baking Pan – A nonstick one works great but isn’t necessary since I recommend lining it with nonstick foil. I make this often to take for parties or to friends and use a disposable one so they don’t have to worry about returning it.
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Saucepan – Go with a heavier bottomed one if you have it.
Caramelitas Recipe Tips and Storage
- Line the baking pan with nonstick foil for easy removal. The bars are much easier to cut when removed from the pan.
- Get all of your ingredients close to room temperature before beginning. It makes everything work much better in the recipe.
- You can make these in a larger 9×9 pan but the bars will be thinner and you will need to adjust the cooking time.
- Once cooled, you can store the dark chocolate sea salt caramelitas covered, at room temperature, for up to 1 week.
This recipe is so easy to make but it does take a little bit of time because you’ll want the bars to cool completely before trying to cut them! The waiting is the absolute hardest part!
More Dark Chocolate Recipes
- Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Fig Bars
- Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Bites
- Dark Chocolate Chunk Granola
- Mini Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
I am totally in love with goat’s milk caramels I found on our last trip to New York so I will be trying those in this recipe next.
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 1 Tbsp salted butter melted
- 1 cup + 1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 11 oz bag of soft caramels
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp sea salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick foil and, then, lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Combine melted butter, brown sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. {I use my mixing bowl for my mixer but whisk this step by hand.}1 cup + 1 Tbsp salted butter, 1 cup + 1 Tbsp packed brown sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir to combine. Working in batches, mix into butter mixture. Stir in oats.1 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Spread 1/2 of mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat caramels and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stirring frequently, heat until caramels are thoroughly melted and smooth.11 oz bag of soft caramels, 1/2 cup heavy cream
- After the crust has finished baking, sprinkle it with chocolate chips. Pour caramel sauce over top of the chocolate. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sea salt. Crumble remaining oat mixture on top of caramel.1 cup dark chocolate chips, 1 Tbsp sea salt
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are brown and center is set. Let cool completely before serving.
Nutrition
Oh wowsers…you’re definitely speaking my language with these yummy carmelitas!! Dark chocolate AND salted caramel?? I’m in love!! 🙂
What a fantastic combo! This looks really good. My sweet tooth thanks you! Thank you for joining us at the Oh My Heartsie Girl Wordless Wednesday! I look forward to seeing you again next week!
Mary
Jingle Jangle Jungle
I wanna sink my teeth into this sticky goodness asap! Thank you for linking up with Thursday Favorite Things!
Hi Shannah, These look dangerous ( I mean delicious)! You had me at Dark Chocolate and Carmelitas, especially goat milk ones, they are so creamy! Can’t wait to try these! Pinning this to make later! Thank you for sharing at #OMHGWW! Come back soon! Enjoy your weekend! xo Christine@ CherishingaSweetLife
These look terrific Shauna and wish I could be your taste tester! Pinned and shared!
This looks so good! I’m drooling right now. Pinned and tweeted. We appreciate you being a part of our party. Please stop by on Monday at 7 pm. Happy Sunday! Lou Lou Girls
drooling…hope you can’t see me. 😉 These look incredible and I love dark chocolate too! Visiting from Inspire Me Monday and pinning for sure! Thanks for sharing..
O Boy! Those melting caramels with the dark chocolate looks so good!
Thanks so much for sharing this post with us at #PureBlogLove link Party! the party starts every Thursday Evening at 8 p.m. EST. I’m hosting over at http://www.homemadefoodjunkie.com. Can’t wait to see what you bring next week!
I’m pinning these right now! They sound amazing! I love salted caramel and dark chocolate. The combination looks like pure decadence!
These sound absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing with us on Weekend Bites! Find your recipe on this week’s features.
Just wanted to stop by and let you know that we loved this link so much from last week’s #HomeMattersParty that we chose it as one of our features THIS week! We’d love for you to come check it out – the door is open! http://theroadtodomestication.com/2015/04/17/home-matters-linky-party-33/
Hi there! Visiting from the Pin Me Link party. These look so yummy! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! Pinned!
Uh sign me up!
All of my favorites in one dessert! Thanks for linking up at The Handmade Hangout!
These look amazing! I am pretty sure they would be disappear in a matter of minutes here! I’d have to hide some for myself! Pinning and sharing! Thanks for sharing them at #FoodieFriDIY!
I could take a big bite of this now! Looks so delicious!!! Thanks for sharing with us at Home Matters Linky. Hope you would join us again.
Thanks for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop! Stopping in to let you know your wonderful Carmelitas will be featured on Tuesday Treasures. Stop by and take a look!