Salted Caramel Butter Bars

These salted caramel butter bars are made with a buttery shortbread crust filled with a rich and creamy salted caramel layer! Soft, chewy and melt-in-your mouth delicious.

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 49

Total Time: 1 20

Servings:

Ingredients

Crust

1 ½ cups salted butter , at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
1 ½ Tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

14 ounces caramel candies , unwrapped (about 50 pieces)
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Flake sea salt

Instructions

Crust

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the 1 1/2 cups butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes. Mix in the 1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla until combined. Turn the mixer to low and mix in the flour, until a soft dough forms.
Press 1/2 of the dough evenly into the bottom of the baking dish. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator.
Bake the pressed dough for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool 15 minutes.

Filling

In a microwave-safe bowl, add unwrapped 50 caramel candies and 1/3 cup heavy cream. Microwave on high 1 minute. Remove and stir until smooth. If not completely melted, microwave on high for 30 seconds, stirring between each, until smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Pour the caramel evenly over the crust, and sprinkle with flake sea salt.
Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble evenly over the top of the caramel.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the topping is lightly golden brown.
Let cool completely before cutting into 24 squares.

Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freezing: The bars can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition