Salted Caramel Gooey Butter Bars Recipe
Indulge in these decadent Salted Caramel Gooey Butter Bars featuring a buttery crumb crust topped with a rich, gooey filling and luscious salted caramel drizzle. Perfect for dessert lovers craving a sweet and buttery treat with the perfect balance of salty caramel goodness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Salted Caramel
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
Gooey Butter Filling
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup evaporated milk
Instructions
- Make the Salted Caramel: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook without stirring until the mixture turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and carefully stir in the butter and room temperature heavy cream until smooth. Add salt and set aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat and Prepare the Crust: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup flour and 3 tablespoons sugar. Cut in the cold butter pieces using a pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture is crumbly. Press this crumb mixture evenly into a greased 9×13 inch baking pan to form the crust.
- Prepare the Gooey Butter Filling: In a separate bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and 3/4 cup sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the corn syrup and egg, mixing until combined. Gradually add 1 cup flour and evaporated milk, mixing to form a smooth batter.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the gooey butter batter evenly over the pressed crust in the pan. Drizzle half of the salted caramel sauce on top in a swirl pattern. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 50 minutes, until the center is slightly jiggly but set at the edges.
- Cool and Finish: Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, drizzle the remaining salted caramel over the bars. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for best mixing results.
- Be careful when handling hot caramel as it can cause burns.
- Allow bars to cool fully before cutting to ensure clean slices.
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
- For extra texture, sprinkle with flaky sea salt before serving.
Keywords: Salted caramel bars, gooey butter bars, caramel dessert, American dessert, sweet bars
