A few nights ago when it was cold and miserable in New York, I made the most delicious chocolate chip dulce de leche cookie bars in the world. That was very nice of me. I first tasted them as part of a bloggers cookie swap and I’ve been dreaming of them since (thanks Stacciatella Bella).
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars with Salted Dulce De Leche
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 pan 1x
Description
Indulge in these decadent chocolate chip cookie bars layered with rich salted dulce de leche, perfect for a cozy treat.
Ingredients
- 2⅓ cups (640 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 12 tbsp (170 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (480 ml) chocolate chips
- 10 oz (285 g) of dulce de leche (this is my favorite, but you can also melt 10 oz caramel candy squares, unwrapped, with 3 tbsp heavy cream)
- Fleur de sel (or other sea salt), for sprinkling over caramel and bars
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips using a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Spread half of the cookie dough evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Drizzle the dulce de leche over the cookie dough layer, spreading it gently with a spatula.
- Drop the remaining cookie dough in spoonfuls over the dulce de leche layer and gently spread to cover.
- Sprinkle the flaky sea salt evenly over the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares and serving.
Notes
- Store the cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- For a gooey texture, warm the bars slightly before serving.
- You can substitute semisweet chocolate chips with dark chocolate chips for a richer flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Chocolate
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 28
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 55
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
- Gluten Free: Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten Free: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Peanut Butter Brookie Bars
- Chocolate Dipped Chili and Lime Shortbread Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dulce de leche, and is there a substitute if I can’t find it?
Dulce de leche is a thick, caramel-like spread made from slowly cooked sweetened milk. The recipe calls for 10 oz of it as the middle layer. If you cannot find it, the ingredient list offers an explicit substitute: melt 10 oz of unwrapped caramel candy squares with 3 tablespoons of heavy cream until smooth.
Why does the recipe use both an egg and an egg yolk?
Using one whole egg plus one extra yolk adds extra fat and richness from the yolk without the additional structure that a second whole egg would bring. Combined with the 12 tablespoons of melted and cooled butter and the two sugars, this ratio produces a fudgy, dense bar rather than a cakey one. 
What does the fleur de sel on top actually do?
The recipe calls for sprinkling fleur de sel (or any sea salt) over the dulce de leche layer and again over the final bars before baking. The salt contrasts with the sweetness of the caramel and chocolate chips, and the flaky texture adds a slight crunch to each bite.
Dear Kim,
Looking forward to trying your recipe, but my wife was Kim Hamill from pa. she was as beautiful as you she passed 3/3/2013, so cool to see another Kim Hamill. Good luck with everything you do….
Yours truly, Gerry Hamill from phila..
2 & 1/8 cups of flour.
How many cups of flour? The data appears to have been corrupted.