Oatmeal Carmelitas Recipe (2024)

This oatmeal carmelitas recipe is a delicious cookie bar with layers of buttery rolled oats, chocolate, and gooey caramel. This recipe makes a full 9-by-13-inch pan using mainly pantry ingredients and assembled in just 20 minutes.

These carmelitas are an easy cookie bar recipe with layers of oats, chocolate, and gooey caramel that are a total crowd-pleasing dessert. The best part is almost all of the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen.

I made these oatmeal caramel bars growing up and there was just nothing better. So, when I was an editor at Martha Stewart Living magazine, I shared my recipe in her Kids magazine. I called them Oatmeal Bars, they are the perfect beginner baker recipe.

One of the things that makes my recipe the best, is it makes a full 9-by-13-inch pan and is prepped in less than 20 minutes. Most recipe you find are just an 8-by-8-inch pan, and I never find that's enough.

Try some of my other cookie bar recipes like pistachio cherry bars, or one pan sugar cookie bars. You'll also love dulce de leche bars and coconut key lime bars.

What are Carmelitas?

Carmelitas are oatmeal cookie bars with chocolate chips and melted caramel baked in the middle.

Oatmeal Carmelitas were a Pillsbury Bake-Off recipe from the 1960s and versions have been printed in magazines and served at restaurants like Potbelly for many years.

You won't find a better carmelita bars recipe anywhere! This one has the perfect oatmeal cookie base and the right amount of caramel and chocolate filling. My recipe isn't too crumbly, and it's tender and buttery.

Oatmeal Carmelitas ingredients

My oatmeal carmelitas are super simple. You'll only need a few ingredients. You probably already have most of them in your pantry.

• Caramels: Caramels are the gooey, sweet center of carmelitas. When baked, they melt into a luscious, caramel layer. Use wrapped caramel candies.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream is used to melt and combine the caramels, creating that irresistible, velvety caramel filling.
• All-Purpose Flour: Flour is the backbone of the crust and crumbly topping, providing structure and texture to the bars.
• Light Brown Sugar: Brown sugar adds sweetness and a subtle molasses flavor to the oat-based crust and crumb topping.
• Baking Soda: A small amount of baking soda helps the bars rise slightly and become tender.
• Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: These oats give the bars their distinctive texture and a hearty, nutty flavor. Do not use quick-cooking or Instant Oats.
• Salt: A touch of salt enhances the overall flavor, balancing the sweetness of the caramel and brown sugar.
• Butter: Butter is the key to creating a buttery, crumbly crust and topping. It's the binder that holds everything together.
• Chocolate Chips: These delectable morsels add a layer of indulgence, sandwiched between the oat crust and the gooey caramel. They're a delightful contrast to the sweet caramel.

How to make this Carmelitas recipe

This is the perfect foolproof cookie bar recipe for someone learning how to bake. It's that simple and works every time.

See the recipe card below for all the detailed steps.

1. Prep a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray, line with parchment.
2. Heat oven to 350ºF.
3. Melt caramels with cream, set aside.
4. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, and oats.
5. Add butter, mix into crumbly dough.
6. Transfer half to pan, pat into bottom. Bake 18 to 20 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, pour caramel, crumble remaining dough.
8. Bake 18 to 20 minutes more, until golden.
9. Cool, release edges, lift using parchment.
10. Trim edges if desired, cut into 16 squares.

What caramel to use

There are two brands of soft caramel candies that are readily available and work well for Carmelitas.

Kraft square caramels are easy to find. In the last few years their packages have become smaller! I use about 50 Kraft Caramels for the recipe.

Werther's soft or chewy caramels are available at most stores as well. They are smaller than the Kraft brand, so i use about 58 in a recipe.

Both brands are great to use, but the caramels are different sizes.

Pro Tip: I use 14 ounces of caramels. That's about 50 Kraft Caramels and 58 Werther's Caramels.

Tips

Storage

If you have any leftovers, you can store these cookie bars in an airtight container on the counter for a few days.

These bars also store well in the freezer wrapped in plastic wrap. Just defrost at room temperature before serving.

FAQs

Cookie Classics To Try:

• Stovetop Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Award Winning Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Coconut Macaroons with Condensed Milk
• Graham Crackers and Frosting
• Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
• Iced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Let me know how it went!

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About Tara Teaspoon

I’ve been in the food publishing business for over 20 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television & advertising. Order my new cookbook & stick around for amazing things to eat.

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Updated 10/23.