Salted Caramel Bars

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5 from 6 votes
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Salted Caramel Bars make a great addition to any holiday dessert buffet.

A layer of rich, buttery salted caramel topping on a light, flaky and oh so delicious shortbread crust – how in the world could THAT be wrong?

Honestly though, I’ve had a little bit of an addiction to making caramel lately – specifically salted caramel – and these bars are the perfect way to share my addiction with others.

These salted caramel bars make a wonderful dessert to take to a friend’s house throughout the holidays or to an office party or even to a church potluck. Just be ready with the recipe, because everytime I’ve taken these bars somewhere, I’ve always been asked multiple times how to make them and have sent email after email with the recipe for these babies.

Luckily, from here on out I can simply reply, “Yes, they are on the blog.”

To keep the salted caramel firm, I store the bars in the refrigerator until about 20 minutes before I plan to serve them. If you have to leave them out longer, it won’t hurt anything, the salted caramel will just be a much softer texture. You can decide how you like them best, but I wouldn’t advise eating them straight out of the refrigerator. The caramel will be a bit too sticky at that point until they’ve warmed a bit.

Of course, if you are really desperate and they’ve been in the refrigerator, I have been known to pop one into the microwave for about 10 seconds.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Also, I’ve found that they are more easily eaten if you cut them into smaller bars, about 2-inches. If you plan to serve larger bars, I recommend serving them with a fork to eat similar to my caramel pie.

Here’s the recipe for my salted caramel bars. I hope you love them as much as we do!

Salted Caramel Bars Recipe

5 from 6 votes
Salted Caramel Shortbread Bars make a great addition to any dessert buffet.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 24

Ingredients

For the Salted Caramel Layer:

  • 1 cup butter, 2 sticks
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • cup packed brown sugar
  • ¾ cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup half and half
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Shortbread Crust
  • Preheat oven to 325º F.
  • Make shortbread crust according to directions for a 9×13-inch baking pan. Set aside to cool as you prepare the caramel.
  • Salted Caramel Layer
  • To prepare the caramel, mix all ingredients through half and half in a heavy bottomed, 3-4 quart saucepan.
  • Cook over low to medium heat until the caramel has reached a warm golden brown color and has reached the 250º F on a candy thermometer, or the hard ball stage.
  • Remove from the heat, add vanilla extract, and beat until creamy with a wooden spoon.
  • Pour onto prepared shortbread crust and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Cover with plastic and place into the refrigerator for 1-3 hours to overnight to allow caramel to firm.
  • Store in the refrigerator to keep the caramel firm, recommended.
  • Remove from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before ready to serve.

Notes

Prep time does not include time for chilling salted caramel shortbread bars in the refrigerator for caramel to firm before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 482IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

5 from 6 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Recipe Review




50 Comments

  1. Fionavar says:

    Umm what’s this about “prepare the shortbread crust”? That is definitely not an instruction on how to do anything….

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Hi Fionavar,
      I’ve updated the recipe to include clearer instructions on the shortbread crust. I hope this helps.

  2. Angela says:

    5 stars
    These are dangerous, but oh so yummy! The kind of yummy treat I can only make once a year! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!

  3. Dru says:

    What is the best way to get these out of the pan without crushing the shortbread?

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Hi Dru,
      I generally just cut them in the pan using a very sharp knife and then lift them out with a small turner. I’ve also made them in a pan lined with a piece of buttered parchment paper that hangs over the edge about two inches for ease in lifting them out to cut into larger bars.

  4. Georgia says:

    Could you use caramel made from sweetened condensed milk for these?

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Hi Georgia,
      I’ve not made them that way, but I’m sure it would work just fine.

  5. 2sisters2cities says:

    Making these this week- they look amazing!

  6. Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles says:

    LOVE!!!!

  7. Morgan says:

    I’m going to make these right now! They look amazing! What temp. do you put the oven on for the crust? I don’t see that- assume 325?

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Thanks Morgan, they are delicious. Yes, 325º.

  8. cindy says:

    when do u salt the top?

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Hi Cindy! I add salt once the bars have cooled.

    2. Dolly says:

      Do you still add the salt while cooking if you are going to salt the tops?

    3. Robyn Stone says:

      You do, Dolly. I’ve updated the recipe to make sure it reads more clearly. Thanks so much!

  9. Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says:

    I don’t think I’d want to share these! Have a fantastic Thanksgiving, Robyn!

  10. Cassie | Bake Your Day says:

    These look amazing Robyn! I adore salted caramel.