The combination of chocolate, caramel, and nuts is irresistible. I don’t know of anyone who is not tempted and enticed by these yummy bars.
I am sorry to be doing this to you. Being that summer is just a couple of days away and most of us are trying to get ready for swimsuit season. But sweet treats here and there are still allowed in my house. Plus, there’s oatmeal in these. Does that count as a semi-healthy dessert? I think yes.
Carmelitas have always been one of my favorite bars. How funny is it that I had never made my own before? As I sat eating my bowl of oatmeal the other morning, I looked down and was instantly reminded of those scrumptious bars. I am not surprised my mind wanders from breakfast to dessert. The sweet wheel never stops spinning :).
These bars are so worth it. I gladly make an exception for caramel and chocolate packed into and topped with a yummy oatmeal crust. This would be the perfect thing to make on a “cheat day”. Do you have a day on which you throw out every rule and indulge in anything you want? I have always been a believer in enjoying everything in moderation. But moderation is tricky – how many Carmelita bars can you consume and still call it moderate?!
I honestly wouldn’t like to know. Not knowing is bliss when it comes to dessert, ha. Let’s just say the stack of bars you see here didn’t last very long. There is only so much I can do when it comes to warm caramel, melty chocolate and crunchy pecans.
See what I mean? You know the drill – whipping up a pan of perfect bars on a Monday makes for a fabulous week ahead.
XoXo
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- half a jar (7 ounces) caramel sauce
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-x-8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside
- 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a rubber spatula, add softened butter and mix until crust forms. Reserve one cup of the dough for the final layer. Press into prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
- 3. Meanwhile, mix together caramel sauce and flour until thoroughly combined. Spread over crust and top with chocolate chips and pecans. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over the top and bake for another 20 minutes or until top crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars. Enjoy!
- Bars will keep up to 1 week stored in an airtight container or up to 2 months in the freezer.
These look delicious! Oh yes, definitely anything that has oatmeal is healthy in my book-LOL. Thanks for the recipe 🙂 Have a happy Monday!!
These looks so yummy!! Just want to dive in and grab a few 😀
These look so fantastic! I have had a similar bar, but without the chocolate. I bet the chocolate just takes this over the top!
What a great sweet and salty combination, love these!
Yes yes yes! Carmelitas are the best! These look delicious!
Yum, these look delicious! I love oatmeal, drippy caramel and chocolate 😀 I need some of these. Pinning!
Oh man, carmelitas – can I tell you how much I love them??? These look amazing – want to send me a few to snack on?? : )
The sweet and salty is right up my alley. So decadent too. 🙂
you are crushing it with these!!! and the oatmeal makes them healthy, right? right 😉
these look addicting!
I love these carmelitas – they look mouthwatering Kathi! I think I would have a hard time not polishing off the entire batch 🙂
Kathi, you are a mind reader! I’ve seen Carmelitas all over Pinterest, but have never made them myself. (Can you believe it?!) We’re partying with friends all weekend, and I think *cough* our FRIENDS *cough* might be interested in tasting these. Yes…for my friends… 😉
This looks really yummy too:) pinning as well. Have a nice day…
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I’ve never had a carmelita bar, but these look amazing! And since it is oatmeal, we can absolutely eat as many as we want 🙂 Pinned!
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wow it looks amazing thanx for sharing it with us
my only question is why do we need to mix the caramel with flour?i mean what does the flour adds to the caramel?