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–+ servings
close up view of caramelitas on plate.
Print Recipe

Easy Oatmeal Caramelita Bars

The perfect blend of buttery brown sugar oats, layered with melted chocolate and gooey caramel. Everyone's favorite thing to find in their lunchbox.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: caramelitas, oatmeal caramel bars, oatmeal caramelita bars
Servings: 24 bbar
Calories: 202kcal
Author: Katie

Equipment

  • Aluminum foil
  • 9 x 13 baking dish

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups quick oats (not instant oatmeal!)
  • 1 ½ cups brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
  • 1 (12 ounce) bag chocolate chips
  • 1 ½ (11 ounce) package of caramels (about 16 ounces total of caramels)
  • ½ cup cream or half and half

Instructions

  • Preheat oven and prepare pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with the rack in the center position. Then, line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with aluminum foil, allowing it to overhang by a few inches to create handles for easy removal later. Don't forget to spray the foil generously with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Make the oatmeal layer. Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a big bowl. Then, melt the butter and add it to the dry ingredients. Stir everything together until it becomes crumbly. After that, put away 3 cups of the mixture and press the rest firmly into the bottom of the baking dish you prepared.
    foil in pan with crust pressed on top.
  • Add the chocolate and caramel layers. Unwrap the caramels and put them in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour the cream or half and half over the caramels. Microwave on medium power for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the caramels are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour the melted caramel evenly over the oatmeal layer in the baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the caramel layer.
    caramel melting and chocolate chips on top.
  • Top and Bake. Evenly prinkle the remaining oatmeal mixture evenly over the chocolate chips. Put it in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top turns golden brown. Take it out of the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
    foil sling filled with bars before and after baking.
  • Serve. When the bars are fully cooled, grab the foil handles to take them out of the baking dish. Move them to a cutting board and cut them into 24 bars.

Notes

Choose good chocolate chips and real butter to make the bars tastier and smoother.
When you press down the oat mixture in the pan, make sure it's even to avoid any parts being too thick or too thin. Use the flat bottom of your measuring cup to press the oatmeal mixture into the baking dish
You can halve this recipe and bake it in an 8-inch square pan. Just bake it for 20 minutes.
Don't use jarred caramel sauce as a substitute; it won't set properly and will be too messy when cutting the bars.

Nutrition

Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 310IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg