Salted Caramel Buttery Crumb Bars

I love streusel or crumble toppings and the bigger the crumbles, the better. They’re easier to pick off.

Throw in salted caramel, and you’re in for a wonderfully buttery and caramely treat.

Salted Caramel Buttery Crumb Bars - Easy, soft, buttery bars that just melt in your mouth! The salted caramel makes them so irresistible!!!


The bars are easy to make and you probably have everything on hand to make them now. It’s such a simple ingredients list: butter, sugar, flour, dash of vanilla, and caramel sauce.

The crust and topping are the same mixture which is a nice time saver. The crust is firm with some chewiness and the crumbles on top add tons of awesome texture.

Salted Caramel Buttery Crumb Bars
YIELD: ONE 8X8 PAN, 9 TO 12 GENEROUS SQUARES TOTAL TIME: 3+ HOURS, FOR COOLING PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES COOK TIME: ABOUT 50 MINUTES, DIVIDED
I love streusel or crumble toppings and the bigger the crumbles, the better. Throw in salted caramel, and you’re in for a wonderfully buttery and caramely treat. The bars are easy to make and you probably have everything on hand to make them now. The crust and topping are the same mixture, a nice time saver. Use Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce or thick storebought and not thin, runny, ice cream sundae sauce. Regular (non-salted) caramel sauce works too. As the bars bake, the caramel sauce intensifies in flavor, and it tastes richer, more buttery, and has a more intense caramel flavor. Biting through all the layers and getting a taste of the caramel filling is the best. Soft, chewy, and gooey all in one bite.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
heaping 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce (homemade or storebought, or regular caramel sauce) + more for drizzling

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, fluffy, and well combined, about 3 minutes.
Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, about 1 minute.
Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Dough shouldn’t be overly sticky. If yours is sticky (mine was because I baked on a humid day), add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour, or as needed, until dough comes together without feeling sticky, however don’t over-do it or dough could become crumbly.
Turn out one-third of the mixture out into prepared pan (err on the side of going over one-third if you’re eyeballing it and unsure), pressing and hard-packing it with your fingers to form a smooth, even crust layer. Bake for 20 minutes. While crust bakes, refrigerate remaining two-thirds of dough.
After 20 minutes, remove pan from oven, and evenly pour heaping half cup salted caramel over crust.

Evenly crumble reserved dough over the top (it looks like a lot but some sinks down into the caramel layer while baking).
Return pan to oven and bake for about 25 to 32 minutes, or until top is barely golden browned and there’s subtle signs of caramel bubbling.
Remove pan from oven, lightly and evenly drizzle with salted caramel, and place pan on a wire rack to cool for at least two hours before slicing and serving. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.



Recipe adapted from Salted Caramel Buttery Crumb Bars

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