Chocolate Caramel Bars are made with a combination of a chocolate cake mix and melted caramels, these bars are both easy and indulgent and are sure to impress your friends and family. With a crispy crust and a sweet, gooey caramel filling, these bars are sure to be a hit with anyone who loves rich, decadent desserts.
Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Blend the cake mix. In a mixing bowl combine the cake mix, oil, and 2/3 cup evaporated milk. The mix will be thick. Place half of it into the baking pan. Using your hands press it evenly into the pan.
1 box gluten-free chocolate cake mix, 1 cup evaporated milk, divided, 3/4 cup vegetable oil
⭐️Bake. Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Set aside once baked.
⭐️Melt the caramels. Add the caramels and 1/3 cup of evaporated milk to a saucepan. Cook over low heat stirring until the caramels melt.
14 ounces caramels, 1 cup evaporated milk, divided
⭐️Add the toppings to the crust. Add the chocolate chips to the baked crust. Pour the caramel sauce on top of the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the rest of the cake mix on top of the caramel sauce.
1 cup chocolate chips
⭐️Bake. Bake the caramel bars for 20-25 minutes or until the bars are set. Let cool then slice.
Notes
Purchase a premade caramel sauce instead of making from scratch.
Add sea salt to turn these into salted caramel bars by sprinkling on the top of the caramel layer or mixing into the caramel sauce.
Add a layer of crushed nuts on top of the caramel sauce. Pecans, peanuts or walnuts are all delicious options that add a crunch.
If you find these bars too rich for your preference, cut into smaller squares and enjoy as mini caramel bars.
Use semi-sweet, milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips or switch to white chocolate, mint or butterscotch chips.
Pair with coffee, tea or a cold glass of milk.
Mix sprinkles, shredded coconut or M&Ms into the top layer of cake.
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you're new to eating gluten-free we understand it's overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don't. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn't require a helper.