Description
Better Than Anything Bars are a decadent dessert featuring a rich buttery cookie base, gooey caramel sauce, and gooey chocolate chips. These bars combine a soft, chewy cookie layered with creamy caramel and peanut butter, baked to golden perfection for a treat that’s truly better than anything.
Ingredients
Scale
Bars:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Caramel Sauce:
- 14 ounces caramels, unwrapped (or 14 ounces caramel bits)
- 5 ounces canned evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the bars.
- Prepare Pan: Spray a 9″x13″ baking pan with non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat them together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. Then mix in the vanilla extract until combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix until fully combined.
- Stir in Chocolate Chips: Fold in the chocolate chips by hand or mix lightly with the mixer.
- Bake Bottom Layer: Spread half of the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes until slightly set.
- Make Caramel Sauce: While the dough bakes, place the caramels and evaporated milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat on power level 5 for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth. Stir in the peanut butter thoroughly.
- Layer Caramel: Pour and spread the caramel sauce over the baked cookie dough layer.
- Add Remaining Dough: Drop the remaining cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over the caramel layer evenly.
- Bake Final Layer: Bake the assembled bars for 20 minutes or until the top dough is golden brown and cooked through.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bars to cool before cutting into squares and serving.
Notes
- Use a low power setting and stir frequently when melting the caramel to prevent burning.
- Spray the pan well to ensure easy removal of the bars.
- Use semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips based on your preference.
- You can substitute peanut butter with almond butter for a different flavor.
- Ensure the caramel is thoroughly smooth before spreading to get even coverage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
