These caramel cookie bars are made with a flavorful salted apple cider caramel layer, nestled in between soft and chewy cinnamon shortbread. Enjoyed at room temperature or straight from the fridge, these chewy caramel bars will be your new go-to fall dessert!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Flavor - the caramel cookie bars are made with a homemade caramel sauce that incorporates an apple cider reduction for the ultimate fall flavor. While the caramel can also be made without the apple cider, the extra step during the fall season makes this caramel the most decadent treat.
Texture - these bars can either be enjoyed cold from the fridge, or at room temperature. The cold version lends an ultra-chewy caramel filling, while the room temperature version is quite soft and gooey.
Stores well - because these bars are great straight from the fridge (and are meant to be stored in the fridge), they can last for more than a week (if you can make it that long)!
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Ingredients
- Apple cider. Use the most flavorful apple cider you can find! Typically, the kind you find at fall markets or orchards will be best. Be sure to give it a good shake before pouring it into the pot to reduce it.
- Sugars. Both light brown sugar and granulated sugars are used in the caramel cookie bars.
- Dairy. Unsalted butter for both the caramel and shortbread, and heavy whipping cream for the caramel.
- Dry ingredients. All-purpose flour, kosher salt, and flaky sea salt are used.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Variations
- If you don't have access to apple cider, or would like to make these as a standard salted caramel sauce, simply omit the apple cider!
- Going to the standard caramel route? Melt some chocolate and drizzle it over the tops of the cut bars, then sprinkle with extra flaky sea salt.
- If the caramel process makes you nervous, or if you don't have a thermometer, use the caramel recipe from these chocolate caramel marshmallow bars. It's made with sweetened condensed milk making it a no-fail option.
- Brown the butter for the shortbread and allow it to solidify back to room temperature. This will up the flavor profile considerably!
How to Make This Recipe
Timing tip! Make the shortbread once the apple cider is about halfway reduced, then put the base in the oven right before making the caramel.
One: Add the apple cider to a pot and reduce over medium-high heat until a thick, syrup-like consistency forms.
Two: Add the butter, sugars, and heavy cream and stir in until melted, then return to the heat.
Three: Allow the mixture to bubble, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 230℉. Stir in the salt and cinnamon then allow it to cool and start to thicken.
Four: Cream the butter, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Five: Scrape down the sides, then add the flour and salt and mix until combined.
Six: Press ⅔ of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, getting it into the corners, then bake.
Hot tip! Place the excess dough in the fridge while the base bakes.
Seven: Allow the shortbread to cool for a bit, then pour over the caramel.
Eight: Flatten small pieces of excess dough and place on top of the caramel. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, then cool and transfer to the fridge to set completely.
Expert Tips
- There is a bit of a timing aspect to this recipe. You need to allow both the caramel and shortbread base to cool slightly before assembling, without becoming fully cool.
- Add top pieces of dough to the corners and most of the sides.
- Don't skip lining the pan with parchment paper. This is crucial in the removal of the bars.
- If the bars don't easily remove from the pan, allow them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then pull them out.
- Cut the bars while they're very cold for the cleanest cuts.
- After cutting, allow the bars to sit out for about an hour to get extra gooey caramel centers, Otherwise, enjoy directly from the fridge.
Recipe FAQs
This is because either the caramel or shortbread was too hot. Both the caramel and shortbread need to cool a bit before combining or the caramel will melt through and bake into the cookie base.
Use the parchment paper to pull the bars out of the pan, and add them to a cutting board. Use a large, sharp knife and make as few cuts as possible to get through each section. This should be done while the bars are very cold from the fridge. If the knife becomes sticky, wash it off with hot water and dry it, then continue cutting.
Storage
Store the bars covered in the fridge for one week. Enjoy the bars very chewy directly from the fridge, or allow them to sit at room temperature for an hour or more for a gooier version of the dessert bars.
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📖Recipe
Salted Caramel Cookie Bars with Shortbread
Equipment
- Candy thermometer or digital thermometer
- Rubber spatula
- 8x8 inch pan
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
Ingredients
Caramel Layer
- 2 cups apple cider 480ml
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature, cut into tablespoons (57g)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed (50g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream 60ml
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Shortbread
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (226g)
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed (100g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240g
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Caramel Layer
- Add the apple cider to a saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to a fast simmer and allow the liquid to simmer until it reduces to a syrup-like consistency, yielding about ¼ cup. Just eyeball this.2 cups apple cider
- Note: once the liquid is close to being reduced, make the shortbread layer and get it in the oven.
- Once the apple cider has become a syrup, add the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and heavy cream and mix until combined. Adjust to a medium heat source.¼ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- Allow the mixture to come to a boil, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 230℉/110℃ on a candy thermometer.
- Remove the caramel from the heat and stir in the cinnamon and flaky salt and set aside to begin cooling and allow it to thicken slightly.½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Shortbread layer
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃. Spray an 8x8" pan with cooking spray, then line it with two strips of parchment paper to cover completely.
- Cream the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium high speed for five minutes until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides.1 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
- Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until combined and no flour streaks remain.2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Press ⅔ of the shortbread into the bottom of the pan, getting it the whole way into the corners, then bake for 20 minutes. Add the remaining shortbread to the fridge.
- Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes as you finish the caramel (or let the caramel cool and thicken).
Assembly
- Pour the slightly thickened caramel over the shortbread base.
- Remove quarter sized pieces of the extra shortbread dough and flatten them with your fingers. Disperse the pieces over the caramel, adding some to the corners and sides.
- Bake the bars for an additional 20 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the pan to the fridge to finish cooling, keeping it uncovered until fully set. About 1-2 hours.
- Use the parchment paper to remove the bars from the pan, then slice into 16 pieces (it's best to cut them cold) with a large, sharp knife.
Notes
- There is a bit of a timing aspect to this recipe. You need to allow both the caramel and shortbread base to cool slightly before assembling, without becoming fully cool.
- Add top pieces of dough to the corners and most of the sides.
- Don't skip lining the pan with parchment paper. This is crucial in the removal of the bars.
- If the bars don't easily remove from the pan, allow them to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then pull them out.
- Cut the bars while they're very cold for the cleanest cuts.
- After cutting, allow the bars to sit out for about an hour if you want extra gooey caramel centers, otherwise, enjoy directly from the fridge.
Aubrey
I was a little nervous to try my hand at the caramel layer, but it worked perfectly! The salt in the caramel is key -- such a delightfully sweet/salty/fall flavors combo. Will make again.
Eve Smith
These bars are delicious. Making the caramel with apple cider is what takes it to the next level. These bars have such a lovely taste of fall! Also!! Thank you for including measurements after each step, makes it So Much Easier!! Well done!
Thank you Cozy Plum
Callan Wenner
Yay! I'm so happy to hear this - isn't apple cider caramel the BEST?! Great to hear you found the measurements within the instructions helpful, too!