Salted Caramel Crumb Bars
Buttery, crumbly layers with a thick ribbon of caramel and a sprinkle of flaky salt on top. Rich, chewy, and impossible to stop at one square.
Ingredients
For the crust & crumble
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the caramel layer
- 1 cup soft caramel candies (unwrapped) or thick caramel sauce
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Topping
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 20×20 cm (8×8 inch) pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the cold butter and rub it into the dry mix with your fingers until you get coarse crumbs.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Mix just until the dough starts to come together. It should stay crumbly.
- Press two-thirds of the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan to form the crust.
- Bake the crust for 12 minutes until lightly golden.
- Meanwhile, melt the caramels with the cream over low heat, stirring until smooth and thick.
- Pour the caramel evenly over the warm crust.
- Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the caramel.
- Return to the oven and bake 18–22 minutes until the top is golden.
- Remove and immediately sprinkle flaky sea salt on top.
- Let cool completely before lifting out and slicing into bars.
Tips
- Chill before cutting for clean squares.
- Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.
- These taste even better the next day as the caramel sets perfectly.