Irresistible Cinnamon Sugar Caramelitas: Your Ultimate White Chocolate & Oatmeal Cookie Bar Recipe
Prepare to fall in love with these extraordinary Cinnamon Sugar Caramelitas! Imagine a dream dessert where a rich, buttery oatmeal cookie base meets luscious white chocolate chips and a generous layer of gooey caramel sauce. All of this irresistible goodness is then crowned with a sweet, aromatic cinnamon sugar topping, reminiscent of your favorite snickerdoodle cookies. The result is a truly magical square that delivers an explosion of flavor and texture in every single bite, making it an absolute must-try for any dessert enthusiast.
While my heart often beats for rich chocolate desserts – and it’s no secret I’m a huge fan – there’s something truly special about the warm, comforting embrace of cinnamon. Crafting a delightful cinnamon-infused treat, much like my beloved Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake, indulgent Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake, or a batch of chewy Cinnamon Roll Cookies, always brings a smile to my face. These Caramelitas, with their prominent cinnamon notes, quickly became a new favorite, proving that a little spice can be just as satisfying as a lot of chocolate.
Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Sugar Caramelitas Recipe
This Cinnamon Sugar Caramelitas recipe isn’t just another dessert; it’s a carefully crafted experience designed to deliver maximum flavor and satisfaction. Here’s why these oatmeal cookie bars will quickly become a cherished favorite:
- Perfectly Chewy Oatmeal Bars: Forget dry, crumbly bars! These caramelitas are exceptionally soft and moist, offering a delightful chewiness in every single bite. The quick oats, combined with the right amount of butter and brown sugar, create a base that’s both tender and satisfyingly chewy, holding up beautifully to the rich filling. It’s the ideal texture for a comforting bar cookie.
- Irresistible White Chocolate and Caramel Filling: The heart of these bars lies in their luxurious filling. Generous white chocolate chips and velvety caramel sauce are lovingly sandwiched between the two layers of oatmeal cookie dough. When warmed, the white chocolate softens into creamy pockets, while the caramel sauce gently seeps into the dough, creating a truly decadent, ooey-gooey center that’s utterly divine. This combination offers a sweet, buttery, and incredibly rich contrast to the spiced oatmeal.
- The Ultimate Cinnamon Dessert (Happiness in Every Bite): Are you a devoted fan of classic snickerdoodles? If so, then this cinnamon sugar caramelitas recipe is your dream come true! It captures all the beloved flavors of a snickerdoodle – the warm cinnamon and sweet sugar – but elevates them with the added layers of white chocolate and caramel. Even those who aren’t typically keen on snickerdoodles, like my sister, have found themselves utterly smitten with these bars. The addition of creamy white chocolate and rich caramel truly makes these a dessert that appeals to everyone, transforming cinnamon sugar into an unforgettable indulgence.
Essential Ingredients for Your Caramelita Bars
Crafting the perfect Cinnamon Sugar Caramelitas starts with understanding the role of each ingredient. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why specific choices make all the difference for these delicious oatmeal bars:
- All-Purpose Flour: This forms the foundational structure of our chewy oatmeal cookie base. While this recipe hasn’t been specifically tested with gluten-free flour, you should be able to achieve similar results by substituting a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Remember to use a certified gluten-free brand of oats if you’re aiming for truly gluten-free caramelitas.
- Quick Cook Oats: This is a non-negotiable ingredient. Quick cook oats are essential for achieving the correct texture in these caramelita bars. Their smaller, finer texture integrates seamlessly into the dough, creating a soft and chewy crumb. Old-fashioned (rolled) oats are too large and will result in a drier, tougher bar with a less cohesive dough.
- Light Brown Sugar: Beyond just sweetness, light brown sugar plays a crucial role in the texture of these bars. Its natural molasses content provides a rich, caramel-like flavor and contributes significantly to the moistness and chewiness of the oatmeal cookie layers. Always make sure to pack your brown sugar for accurate measurement!
- Ground Cinnamon: A key player in the “snickerdoodle” profile of these caramelitas! Ground cinnamon is incorporated directly into the dough for a warm, fragrant base, and it also forms part of the delightful cinnamon sugar topping, adding an extra layer of spice and sweetness. Choose a good quality cinnamon for the best flavor.
- Unsalted Butter: As this is an eggless dessert recipe, softened unsalted butter is vital for binding the dough ingredients together and creating that rich, tender crumb. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the exact amount of salt in the recipe. Ensure your butter is truly softened to room temperature – not melted – for easy incorporation and the best dough consistency.
- White Chocolate Chips: These creamy chips are generously layered in the middle, offering a sweet, mellow counterpoint to the caramel and cinnamon. When the caramelitas are warm, the white chocolate chips soften beautifully, creating pockets of melted deliciousness that elevate the indulgence factor.
- Caramel Sauce: The gooey, buttery core of our caramelitas! I typically use a 14 oz jar of store-bought caramel sauce, which is roughly 1 cup, for convenience. However, if you’re feeling ambitious and want to take these bars to the next level, a homemade caramel sauce would be an absolutely fantastic addition. Just ensure it’s a pourable consistency for easy drizzling.
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Caramelitas: Easy Step-by-Step Guide
Ready to bake a batch of these incredible Cinnamon Sugar Caramelitas? Follow these simple steps for a truly delicious result. The process is straightforward, ensuring you’ll have warm, gooey bars in no time!
- Prepare Your Dry Ingredients: Begin by preheating your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line a 9×9-inch (or 8×8-inch for thicker bars) square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out later. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/8 cups quick cook oats, 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk these dry ingredients together thoroughly until well combined.
- Incorporate the Softened Butter: Add 1 1/4 cups of softened unsalted butter to the dry mixture. Using the paddle attachment on low speed, mix until the butter is fully incorporated into the dry ingredients. Don’t be surprised if the mixture doesn’t resemble traditional cookie dough; it will be delightfully crumbly at this stage, which is exactly what we want for these bar cookies.
- Press the First Dough Layer: Take approximately three-quarters (3/4) of the prepared caramelita dough mixture. Press this portion evenly and firmly into the bottom of your parchment-lined baking dish. This creates the sturdy and chewy base for our bars.
- Initial Bake: Place the pan with the pressed dough into your preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes. This initial bake helps set the bottom layer before we add the delicious fillings.
- Prepare the Cinnamon Sugar Topping: While the base is baking, combine 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir them together until fully blended. Set this aromatic mixture aside for later.
- Add the White Chocolate and Caramel Layers: After 10 minutes, carefully remove the baking dish from the oven. Evenly sprinkle 2 1/2 cups of white chocolate chips over the partially baked crust. Then, generously drizzle 1 cup of caramel sauce over the white chocolate chips, ensuring good coverage.
- Layer with Remaining Dough & Topping: Take the remaining one-quarter (1/4) of the oat mixture. You can either gently crumble it over the caramel and white chocolate layers for a rustic look, or lightly press it down to create a more even top. The key is to ensure the filling is mostly covered. Finally, sprinkle the reserved cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the top layer of dough.
- Final Bake and Cool: Return the oatmeal caramelitas to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are set. Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and, crucial for perfect bars, let them cool completely on a wire rack before attempting to slice and serve. This allows the caramel and white chocolate to set properly. Enjoy your homemade Caramelitas!
Expert Tips for Perfect Caramelita Bars
Achieving bakery-quality Caramelitas is easy with a few key tips. Pay attention to these details, and your cinnamon sugar oatmeal bars will turn out perfectly every time:
- Choosing the Right Pan Size: This recipe calls for a 9×9-inch square baking pan, which yields bars of a standard thickness. If you opt for an 8×8-inch pan, your caramelita bars will naturally be a bit thicker and even more substantial. The good news is, you won’t need to adjust the baking times significantly for the thicker bars – the recipe accounts for a bit of flexibility. Just keep an eye on them during the final bake to ensure they’re golden brown and set.
- Don’t Worry About Crumbly Dough: It’s important to note that the dough for these caramelitas won’t come together like a traditional chocolate chip cookie dough. Because this is an eggless dessert, the softened butter is the primary binder. This results in a deliciously crumbly mixture, which is exactly how it should be! This unique texture is what gives the finished bars their signature chewiness and rustic appeal.
- Gently Pressing the Top Layer: When adding the remaining dough over the caramel and white chocolate, you have a couple of options. You can simply crumble it evenly for a more textured, streusel-like topping. Alternatively, you can very gently press it down with the palm of your hand, just enough to create a slightly more even surface without compressing the filling too much. Avoid heavy pressing, as you don’t want to squeeze out all that delicious caramel!
- Patience is Key for Cooling: This is perhaps the most crucial tip for perfectly structured caramelita bars. The bars absolutely need to cool and set completely before you attempt to cut into them. If you cut them while warm, the white chocolate and gooey caramel will still be very soft and will seep out, making for a messy (though still tasty!) experience. I recommend letting the bars sit at room temperature for at least 45 minutes, then transferring them to the fridge for another 2 hours. This ensures the caramel and white chocolate firm up just enough to create clean slices while still maintaining a soft, delightful interior.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing Your Caramelitas
These Cinnamon Sugar Caramelitas are fantastic for making ahead, storing, and even freezing, making them a perfect treat to have on hand or to share! Here’s how to ensure they stay fresh and delicious:
Storing: To keep these delectable bars at their best, place them in an airtight container. They will maintain their deliciousness at room temperature for 5-6 days. For even better results, especially if your kitchen is warm, storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator will extend their freshness and keep the caramel and white chocolate perfectly firm. When you’re ready for a treat, I highly recommend popping a bar into the microwave for just 8-10 seconds (adjust based on size) to warm it up slightly. This makes the caramel incredibly gooey and the white chocolate chips perfectly soft and melty – it’s an absolute game-changer!
Freezing: While these caramelitas are usually devoured too quickly to have any left for freezing, it’s definitely an option if you want to save some for later! Once the bars have cooled completely and are fully set, tightly wrap individual squares or the entire slab in plastic wrap. Then, place them in a freezer-safe ziplock bag or airtight container. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply remove them from the freezer and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight. As mentioned for storage, a quick warm-up in the microwave after thawing will bring them back to life, giving you that freshly baked experience.
Cinnamon Sugar Caramelitas: Your Questions Answered
Here are some of the most common questions about making and enjoying these delightful Cinnamon Sugar Caramelitas:
Absolutely! Caramelitas freeze beautifully, just like most other bar cookies or brownies. To freeze them, first ensure they are completely cooled and set. Then, wrap individual bars tightly in plastic wrap, or wrap the entire cooled slab. Place the wrapped bars in an airtight container or a heavy-duty ziplock freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to indulge, simply remove them from the freezer and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. For an extra special treat, warm them briefly in the microwave after thawing!
Yes, definitely! While I’ve opted for store-bought caramel sauce in this recipe for its convenience and consistent results, using your favorite homemade caramel sauce will undoubtedly elevate these caramelitas to an even more gourmet level. Just ensure your homemade caramel is of a pourable consistency – similar to store-bought jarred sauce – so it can be easily drizzled over the white chocolate chips.
You can certainly adapt the recipe to use soft caramel candies, but you’ll need to melt them into a sauce first. For this recipe, you would typically use about 30-35 standard caramel candy squares (like Kraft Caramels) combined with approximately 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Place them in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the caramels are fully melted and the mixture is smooth and pourable. Be very careful not to let it burn! Once melted, proceed with drizzling as instructed.
It’s crucial to use quick cook oats for this recipe, not old-fashioned (rolled) oats. Old-fashioned oats are larger and thicker, which means they won’t absorb moisture in the same way or integrate as smoothly into the dough. This would result in a dough that is less cohesive and a finished bar that is drier and tougher. The smaller size and thinner flakes of quick oats are essential for creating the soft, chewy, and perfectly consistent texture of these caramelita bars.
The crumbly texture of this particular dough is completely normal and expected! These caramelitas are an eggless dessert, meaning there’s no egg to act as a primary binder. Instead, the softened butter is what helps hold the mixture together. This unique consistency is actually a key characteristic of the recipe, contributing to the ultimate chewy texture of the finished bars. This is also why it’s so important to firmly press three-quarters of the dough into the bottom of the baking dish – it helps create a stable base that won’t fall apart once baked and sliced.
While you technically can, it’s important to consider the flavor profile. This recipe is designed to be a “snickerdoodle” caramelita, which means cinnamon is a dominant flavor. White chocolate pairs beautifully with cinnamon and caramel. If you prefer to use regular chocolate chips (like semi-sweet or milk chocolate), I would suggest a few adjustments: consider removing the cinnamon from the cookie dough itself, using regular chocolate chips, and then skipping the cinnamon sugar topping. This way, the chocolate flavor can shine without competing with or being overpowered by the cinnamon, creating a different but equally delicious chocolate caramel bar.
Caramelitas are unique because they typically feature a buttery oatmeal cookie base, a rich caramel filling, and often a contrasting chocolate element, all baked into a bar form. This specific recipe takes it a step further by infusing the oatmeal cookie with cinnamon and adding a cinnamon-sugar topping, giving it a delightful “snickerdoodle” twist. The combination of chewy oats, gooey caramel, creamy white chocolate, and warm cinnamon sets it apart from simpler bar cookies, offering a more complex and indulgent flavor experience.
More Delicious Cinnamon Recipes to Try
If you love the warm, inviting flavor of cinnamon as much as we do, you’ll definitely want to explore these other fantastic recipes:
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls: The classic comfort food, perfect for breakfast or brunch.
- Apple Cinnamon Scones: Fluffy, tender scones bursting with apple and cinnamon flavor.
- Cinnamon Baked Apples: A simple, wholesome, and incredibly flavorful dessert or side dish.
- Monkey Bread: Pull-apart perfection coated in cinnamon sugar and a sticky glaze.
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Review
Caramelitas
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/8 cups quick cook oats
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar – packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter – softened to room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups white chocolate chips – (about 16 oz)
- 14 oz jar of caramel sauce – (about 1 cup)
Cinnamon Sugar topping
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 9×9 inch square pan (or 8×8 inch for thicker bars) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal. Set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, quick cook oats, light brown sugar, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients to combine thoroughly. Add the softened butter, and using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until the butter is fully incorporated and a crumbly dough forms. The mixture will appear crumbly and won’t come together like a typical cookie dough – this is correct!
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Take approximately ¾ of the prepared dough mixture and firmly press it into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake this base for 10 minutes.
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While the base is baking, prepare the cinnamon sugar topping. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Stir well to combine. Set aside.
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After 10 minutes, carefully remove the pan from the oven. Evenly sprinkle the 2 ½ cups of white chocolate chips over the partially baked crust. Next, generously drizzle the 1 cup of caramel sauce over the white chocolate chips.
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Take the remaining ¼ of the dough mixture and gently crumble it over the caramel and white chocolate layers, ensuring everything is covered as evenly as possible. You can lightly press it down with your palm if desired, but avoid pressing too hard. Finally, sprinkle the prepared cinnamon sugar mixture over the top. Bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and, for best results, let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving. This allows the filling to set properly.
Notes
If you prefer to use caramel candies instead of jarred sauce, you’ll need approximately 30-35 standard soft caramel candies. Combine them with about 1/2 cup of heavy cream in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Be careful to prevent burning!
These Cinnamon Sugar Caramelitas store exceptionally well in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-6 days. For optimal freshness and to keep the filling firm, you can also store them in the refrigerator.
Recipe Source: adapted from How Sweet Eats.
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