Gooey Salted Caramel Pecan Cookie Bars
Rich, chewy cookie bars loaded with toasted pecans and gooey salted caramel. They’re easy to make and best served slightly warm.
Ingredients
For the cookie bars
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170 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, melted
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150 g (¾ cup) brown sugar
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75 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
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1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
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2 tsp vanilla extract
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220 g (1¾ cups) all-purpose flour
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½ tsp baking soda
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½ tsp salt
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120 g (1 cup) chopped pecans
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100 g (½ cup) chocolate chips, optional
For the caramel
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150 g soft caramel candies
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60 ml (¼ cup) heavy cream
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½ tsp flaky sea salt
Instructions
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Prepare the pan: Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan with parchment paper.
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Make the dough: Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
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Add dry ingredients: Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt just until combined. Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips if using.
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Make the caramel: Gently heat the caramel candies with the cream, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and mix in the flaky salt.
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Layer: Press about two-thirds of the cookie dough into the prepared pan. Spread the caramel over it, leaving a small border around the edges. Drop pieces of the remaining dough over the caramel.
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Bake: Bake for approximately 25–30 minutes, until the edges are golden but the center still looks slightly soft.
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Cool: Let the bars cool completely in the pan before cutting. For an especially gooey texture, warm individual pieces for about 10–15 seconds before serving.
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Finish: Sprinkle with a little extra flaky sea salt and chopped toasted pecans.
The key to gooey bars
Don’t overbake them. The center should look slightly underdone when you take the pan out of the oven. It will continue cooking as it cools, leaving you with a soft, chewy center and caramel pockets.
