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Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

3.10 from 108 votes
These chocolate chip cookie bars are taken to the next level with a layer of homemade caramel.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 16 bars
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the caramel:
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick / 56 g) vegan butter*, at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) nondairy creamer, at room temperature we prefer soy or oat
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp salt
For the cookie bars:
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks; 170 g) vegan butter*
  • 3/4 cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp (45 ml) nondairy milk we prefer soy or oat
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cups (281 g) all-purpose flour measured correctly**
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 3/4 cup (126 g) vegan chocolate chips

Method
 

Make the caramel:
  1. Place the sugar into a saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir often, until the sugar begins to clump and melt. Continue to stir until the sugar melts completely.***
  2. Remove from heat and add in the butter, whisking until combined. Add the creamer and whisk until combined.****
  3. Place back onto low-medium heat, continuously stirring, until it gets bubbly. Stir for another minute or so.
  4. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt.
  5. Strain the caramel into a heat-safe bowl. Set aside for later.
Make the cookie dough:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large, heat-safe bowl, melt the vegan butter sticks ~1/3 - 1/2 of the way (this takes about 30-45 seconds in our microwave) and then mix it together until it's all one consistency (see pictures above for example).
  3. Add the sugars, milk, and vanilla to the butter. Beat until combined.
  4. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch to the wet mixture. Mix until combined.
  5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Make the bars:
  1. Press ~1/2 the cookie dough into your prepared baking sheet.
  2. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven.
  3. Stir the caramel. If it has thickened too much so that it won't pour smoothly, heat it up in the microwave for ~15 seconds or place back on the stove over low-medium heat until it thins out.
  4. Pour the caramel over the partially cooked dough and spread it around evenly.
  5. Take small pieces of the remaining dough and flatten them with your hands, then place them evenly over the caramel. Continue until all of the dough is used up.
  6. Place back into the preheated oven for another 20-25 minutes, until golden-brown.
  7. Let the bars cool completely and then slice into 16 bars.

Notes

*You should use vegan buttery sticks (like Earth Balance) in this recipe rather than butter out of a tub.
**Measure your flour using this method or your bars may turn out dry and crumbly.
***You’ll need some patience for this. Continuously stir the sugar and don’t increase the heat past medium if it’s not melting, it’ll take a few minutes before it begins to melt at all!
****If your sugar seizes when adding one of these ingredients, place it back over low-medium heat and continuously whisk until the ingredients combine, then continue with the next step.