Carmelitas are my all-time favorite dessert bar—gooey caramel, melty chocolate, and chewy oatmeal cookie in every bite.

Carmelitas stacked on top of each other.
chelsea

Author’s Notes

My Favorite Dessert, Hands Down.

Carmelitas are my ride-or-die dessert. If oatmeal jam bars and cookie bars had a baby, this would be it. I’m all for chocolate cake and brownies, but if I had to pick just one dessert forever—it’s these.

They’re not just delicious—they’re one of my favorite memories with my mom. Every Christmas, we’d bake them together for neighbor gifts, and I’ve loved them ever since.

I’ve tweaked her recipe over the years to get everything just right: a thick, even crust, layers of rich milk chocolate, and the gooiest caramel. Once they cool? You’re biting into dessert bar perfection.

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All the ingredients in this recipe prepped out for easy assembly.

What’s In Carmelitas

Full recipe is below, but here are a few ingredient notes:

  • Butter: Use softened butter so it mixes easily.
  • Brown Sugar: Use soft, fresh brown sugar to keep the bars chewy and rich.
  • Oats: Old-fashioned/rolled oats give the best texture—don’t swap for quick oats here.
  • Vanilla & Salt: Vanilla adds depth, and a pinch of salt brings all the flavors to life.
  • Chocolate Chips: I love milk chocolate here, but semi-sweet or dark work great too.

What Caramels To Use

The caramel makes the bars! Use soft, high-quality caramels—Werther’s Original are my favorite. Unwrapping takes a little time, but it’s so worth it for the flavor and texture.

Drop unwrapped caramels straight into the pot so they don’t stick to your counter.

Skip the caramel sauce—it won’t set the same.

The caramels prepped into measuring cups for these carmelitas.

How To Make Carmelitas (Tips)

  • Use Parchment: Makes it easier to remove and slice the bars.
  • Don’t Pack Flour: Scoop and level—too much flour = dry bars.
  • Even Crust: Press half of the mixture firmly and evenly for the base of these bars.
  • Don’t overbake—they’ll firm up as they cool into soft and chewy bars.
  • Let bars cool completely before cutting so they hold their shape.

Quick Tip

Use a high-quality square pan—9-inch for thinner bars or 8-inch for thicker bars (like the ones shown in these photos).

The oat base being mixed together and spread into a pan.

Variations

Switch Things Up!

  • Mix the Chips: Try white, dark, semi-sweet, or butterscotch chips.
  • Add Nuts: Stir in chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch.
  • Swirl in Peanut Butter: Drizzle peanut butter or cookie butter over the caramel.
  • Make It Salted Caramel: Sprinkle sea salt on the caramel—just a little!

The chocolate chips and caramel being added into the par baked oatmeal base for this carmelita recipe.

Storage

Leftovers and Freezing

  • Cooling: Let Carmelitas cool completely before cutting. They’re great chilled too!
  • Room Temp: Store covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for 4–5 days.
  • Freezer: Stack bars with parchment between layers in an airtight container or freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.

More Caramel Dessert Recipes

4.85 from 13 votes

Carmelitas

Carmelitas hit every craving—rich chocolate, creamy caramel, and soft oatmeal cookie layers all in one bite. Shop the recipe here.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Setting Up: 36 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 21 minutes
Servings: 12 bars

Ingredients

  • 9 ounces soft caramels see note 1
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1-1/4 cups flour
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/4 cups milk chocolate chips see note 2

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 8×8-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal later.
  • In a pot over medium-low heat, combine the unwrapped caramels and heavy cream. Stir with a wooden spoon until completely smooth, then set aside to slightly cool and thicken.
  • In a large bowl, mix together the room temperature butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, baking soda, vanilla extract, and salt using a hand mixer until a thick dough forms. Divide the mixture in half and press half of it into the prepared pan.
  • Bake the base for 8 minutes, then remove from the oven. Gently sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the crust. Pour the melted and slightly cooled caramel over the chocolate chips, gently smoothing it into an even layer.
  • Crumble the remaining oatmeal mixture over the caramel layer but don’t press it down. Bake for another 13–18 minutes until the edges are lightly browned and the top is set.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars. These bars are best enjoyed within 2–4 days; store in an airtight container.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Use soft, high-quality caramels (like Werther’s Original Soft) for the best caramel layer. I measure 3 cups (wrapped) then unwrap them and add directly into the pot.
Note 2: I love milk chocolate chips in this recipe, but if you prefer less sweetness or like dark chocolate more, go for semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips instead.
Storage: Keep bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days. Stack bars with parchment paper between each layer in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 30.1g | Protein: 2.3g | Fat: 12.6g | Cholesterol: 29.5mg | Sodium: 208.1mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 15.7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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4.85 from 13 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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37 Comments

  1. Bonnie Swendener says:

    Could I use kraft caramels?
    They are no soft.

    1. Chelsea says:

      Unfortunately I haven’t tested it with those caramel so I can’t say for sure! Let me know if you give it a try!

  2. Patti says:

    Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try them they look amazing. Thank you for the recipe and for the speedy reply!

    1. Chelsea says:

      Yay! Enjoy Patti! ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Patti says:

    Question regarding the method to mix: the photos show solid (softened) butter in the bowl and directions state to use an electric mixer. However the video shows melted butter and is mixed by hand. Which is the best way? Would love to try these

    1. Chelsea says:

      Hey Patti, it should be room temperature softened butter added, just like in the photos. I recently updated the recipe, and I’ll upload the new video today. Thanks for catching that! Let me know if you have any other questions.

  4. Deb Jaeger says:

    5 stars
    I did double your recipe, with Werther’s soft caramels, put in parchment paper lined glass 9 x13 pan. So, so good, a definite keeper.

    1. Chelsea says:

      I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Deb! ๐Ÿ™‚