Salted Caramel Cookie Bars with Shortbread

5 from 12 votes

Salted Caramel Cookie Bars with Shortbread

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!

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Chill time2

Total Time3 10

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: pieces

Calories: 274kcal

Author: Callan Wenner

Equipment

Candy thermometer or digital thermometer
Rubber spatula
8x8 inch pan
Parchment paper
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

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.

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 if you want extra gooey caramel centers, otherwise, enjoy directly from the fridge.

Nutrition