Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

This Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars recipe is best served with ice cream and more caramel sauce on top. If you’re looking for indulgent bar cookies recipes, this is the one for you. You’ll love that this recipe is dairy-free and vegan, too.

A stack of vegan caramel chocolate chip cookie bars with vanilla ice cream on top and melted caramel drizzling over the sides.

These cookie bars are the best way to make any celebration better. If bar desserts are your thing and you’d love to see some more vegan options, be sure to check out my Vegan Neapolitan Bars. They’re colorfully delicious! Or then there’s my Vegan Magic Brownie Bars. They disappear… like magic!

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Vegan butter — I recommend using Earth Balance buttery sticks, Miyoko’s, or Homemade Vegan Butter.
  • Peanut butter — I prefer using creamy peanut butter for this recipe.
  • Light brown sugar — You can use either light, dark, or Homemade Brown Sugar.
  • All-purpose flour — Use either all-purpose flour, Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, or gluten-free flour.
  • Chocolate chips — Use this Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips Guide to help select the best chocolate chips for you.
  1. Cream together the vegan butter, peanut butter, and sugars with a mixer until fluffy.
    Looking down on a stand mixer full of creamed butter and sugar.
  2. Mix in vanilla, ground flax seeds, cornstarch, water, and 3 tablespoons of plant-based milk. Push to one side of the bowl.
  3. Stir together the dry ingredients.
    Dry ingredients, like flour, in a glass bowl.
  4. Pour the peanut butter mixture in with the flour mixture and stir until you achieve a cookie-dough like consistency. Then stir in the chocolate chips.
    chocolate chip cookie dough in a stainless steel mixing bowl
  5. Spread batter into a prepared baking pan and sprinkle the top with sea salt.
  6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden on top.
  7. When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing.
  8. Make the Vegan Caramel Sauce by adding brown sugar and plant-based milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
  9. Bring to a boil while stirring then reduce heat to medium and stir occasionally until the desired thickness is achieved, usually around 5 minutes.
    Looking down on a saucepan full of brown sugar and vegan butter that has come to a low boil.
  10. Remove from heat, add the tablespoon of vegan butter, stir to incorporate.
  11. Serve individual slices with vegan ice cream and drizzles of caramel sauce.

Storage Tips

Store the bars in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 10 days. They can be frozen for up to 2 months.

A salted caramel chocolate chip dessert bar has caramel drizzling down the sides. There are chocolate chips around the dessert.

I recommend serving these bars with a cup of Tea-Infused Hot Cocoa or even a cup of almond milk.

More Bar Desserts

A stack of vegan caramel chocolate chip cookie bars with melted caramel drizzled over the top.
A stack of vegan caramel chocolate chip cookie bars with vanilla ice cream on top and melted caramel drizzling over the sides.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These ooey-gooey salted caramel chocolate chip cookie bars boast a dense, flavorful base topped with a delightfully creamy vegan caramel sauce.
5 from 1 vote
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 12 bars
Calories: 316kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup vegan butter , softened
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • 3 to 6 tablespoons plant-based milk
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground sea salt

Vegan Caramel Sauce

  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup plant-based milk
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter

Instructions

  • Heat your oven to 375°F/190°C. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with vegetable spray.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the vegan butter, peanut butter, and sugars with a mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla, ground flax seeds, cornstarch, water, and 3 tablespoons of plant-based milk. Stir to combine. 
  • Push the wet ingredients to one side of the bowl. On the other side, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir the dry ingredients together. Then incorporate the wet ingredients. If the batter is too crumbly, add additional plant-based milk until you achieve a cookie-dough-like consistency. 
  • Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the top with sea salt.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden on top.
  • When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing.
  • Make the Vegan Caramel Sauce by adding brown sugar and plant-based milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil while stirring. Then reduce heat to medium and stir occasionally until the desired thickness is achieved, usually around 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the tablespoon of vegan butter, stir to incorporate.

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Notes

You can use half whole wheat flour
The Vegan Caramel Sauce will thicken as it cools. Just reheat in the microwave before serving to get a more pourable consistency.
Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1.5mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Guess what? My national food day food blog friends and I plotted to help you celebrate National Caramel Day. That means today I’m sharing with you lots of fun caramel recipes! Now, I realize some of these recipes may not be vegan or even vegetarian. Feel free to reach out to me if you’d like ideas for veganizing them.

Celebrate National Carmel Day with these 21 awesome caramel recipes!

Are you a caramel lover? Then I have a feeling you are going to love this National Caramel Day celebration with over 21 caramelized recipes:

5 Responses to Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyRoosa Reply

    Your recipe makes me drool! What size is the square baking pan you are using there? Greetings from Finland!

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Thanks, Roosa! I used a 9″ square baking pan, but an 8″ square pan would work too. Hope you love this as much as we do!

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyLeona McMillen Reply

    5 stars
    Oh I just love this recipe! Leave it to my beautiful daughter to come up with something so tasty.

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMelanie @ Gather for Bread Reply

    Help! I’m craving cookie bars now. Delish!

  4. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyAshlee Marie Reply

    mmmmm chocolate chip cookies and caramel together! amazing!

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