Salted Caramel Butter Bars are our new favorite dessert!!
These bars are inspired by one of our favorite desserts at Walt Disney World and have a soft shortbread style crust, a gooey caramel center, and a buttery crumble topping that bakes up lightly golden. They are so fantastic that we’ve made them every month since we first tested them (the whole family is obsessed).
We love these for holidays, cookie trays, parties, and gifting because they slice beautifully once cooled and a little piece goes a long way. The coarse sea salt is optional, but it makes the caramel flavor pop and balances the sweetness in the best way.
For more favorites, check out our Magic Bars, Millionaire Bars and Carmelitas.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Buttery Goodness: Rich, buttery dessert bars with a gooey caramel center.
- A Favorite to Share: Great for holidays, cookie trays, parties, and neighbor gifts.
- One Dough Does Double Duty: The buttery dough becomes both the crust and crumbly topping.
- Thick Caramel Center. We made sure the caramel center was extra thick and gooey!
Salted Caramel Butter Bars Ingredients:
- Salted butter, softened (2 cups, 4 sticks): Creates the rich, buttery base for both the crust and crumble topping.
- Granulated sugar (1 cup): Sweetens the dough and helps the crust bake up tender.
- Powdered sugar (1 ½ cups): Adds sweetness and gives the dough a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Vanilla extract (2 tablespoons): Adds warm flavor to the buttery dough.
- All-purpose flour (4 cups): Gives the crust and topping structure.
- Soft KRAFT caramels, unwrapped (2 bags, 11 ounces each, about 72 individual caramels): Melts into the gooey caramel layer.
- Heavy cream or milk (⅓ cup): Helps melt the caramels into a smooth, pourable filling.
- Vanilla extract (½ teaspoon): Adds extra flavor to the caramel layer.
- Coarse sea salt, optional (1 tablespoon): Balances the sweetness and gives the bars that salted caramel flavor.
How to Make Salted Caramel Butter Bars
PREP. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
CRUST. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until light and creamy. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
Turn the mixer to low and add the flour, mixing just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix. Press 2/3 of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
CHILL: Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill while the bottom crust bakes.
BAKE. Bake the crust for about 22-26 minutes, or until the edges are just turning a light golden color. Let the crust cool for about 15 minutes.
CARAMEL. While the crust is cooling, place the unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl, and add the cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then stir well. If the caramels are not completely melted, continue microwaving in 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla until combined.
Pour the warm caramel evenly over the slightly cooled crust and spread with a spatula, if needed. (If you are using sea salt, sprinkle it lightly over the caramel layer now.)
Remove the remaining dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the top of the caramel. Leave a few small gaps so you can see it peeking through.
BAKE. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 26–28 minutes, or until the caramel is bubbly around the edges and the top is set and lightly golden.
Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
Use the parchment to lift the bars out of the pan and place them on a cutting board to cut and serve.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Line the pan with parchment so you can lift the cooled bars out easily.
- Do not overmix the dough after adding flour, this keeps the crust tender.
- Chill the reserved dough while the crust bakes so it crumbles better over the caramel.
- Let the bottom crust cool slightly before adding caramel so the layers stay defined.
- Make-ahead tip: bake these a day ahead and let them cool completely before slicing for the cleanest bars.
Salted Caramel Butter Bars Recipe
Equipment
- 9 x 13 metal baking pan
- parchment paper
Video
Ingredients
Crust and Topping
- 2 cups (4 sticks) salted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Caramel Layer
- 2 (11-ounce) bags soft KRAFT caramels, about 72 individual caramels, unwrapped
- ⅓ cup heavy cream, or milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt, for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until light and creamy. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the flour, mixing just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix. Press 2/3 of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill while the bottom crust bakes.
- Bake the crust for about 22-26 minutes, or until the edges are just turning a light golden color. Let the crust cool for about 15 minutes.
- While the crust is cooling, place the unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl, and add the cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then stir well. If the caramels are not completely melted, continue microwaving in 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla until combined.
- Pour the warm caramel evenly over the slightly cooled crust and spread with a spatula, if needed. (If you are using sea salt, sprinkle it lightly over the caramel layer now.)
- Remove the remaining dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the top of the caramel. Leave a few small gaps so you can see it peeking through.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 26–28 minutes, or until the caramel is bubbly around the edges and the top is set and lightly golden.
- Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- Use the parchment to lift the bars out of the pan and place them on a cutting board to cut and serve.
Notes
- Line the pan with parchment so you can lift the cooled bars out easily.
- Do not overmix the dough after adding flour, this keeps the crust tender.
- Chill the reserved dough while the crust bakes so it crumbles better over the caramel.
- Let the bottom crust cool slightly before adding caramel so the layers stay defined.
- Make-ahead tip: bake these a day ahead and let them cool completely before slicing for the cleanest bars.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Keep bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Freeze cut bars in a freezer-safe container with parchment between layers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving. These are delicious at room temperature, or slightly warmed for a softer caramel center.
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This recipe was first shared September, 2026.
