Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Position oven rack in the middle and heat to 325°F (163°C), then line a 9×9 inch (23×23cm) light-colored aluminum pan with parchment paper leaving 2 inches (5cm) of overhang on all four sides.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the melted cooled butter, packed light brown sugar, and granulated sugar with a silicone spatula for approximately 30 strokes until smooth, glossy, and no sugar streaks remain.
- Add the room-temperature egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture and stir for approximately 20 strokes until fully combined with no egg streaks visible.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt directly to the wet mixture and fold with slow bottom-to-top strokes — counting 15 to 18 strokes — until no dry flour remains, then fold in 1 cup (170g) of the chocolate chips with 8 to 10 strokes, reserving the remaining ¼ cup (43g) for the top.
- Press approximately 60% of the dough (roughly 340g) into an even ½ inch (1.3cm) layer across the base of the prepared pan, pressing firmly into the corners, then bake for exactly 10 minutes until the edges are just set and pale gold.
- While the base bakes, combine the unwrapped caramel candies and heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until completely melted, smooth, and flowing — approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven, pour the melted caramel evenly over the base layer spreading to within ¼ inch (6mm) of the edges, then drop the remaining dough in tablespoon-sized pieces evenly across the caramel surface and gently flatten each piece until they just touch.
- Scatter the reserved ¼ cup (43g) chocolate chips over the top dough layer and press in lightly, then return the pan to the oven and bake at 325°F (163°C) for 22 to 25 minutes until the top looks matte golden-brown and the edges have pulled slightly from the parchment.
- Remove from the oven, immediately scatter the flaked sea salt evenly across the top surface, and cool in the pan on a wire rack for a minimum of 2 hours at room temperature before lifting and cutting.
- Lift the slab from the pan using the parchment overhang, place on a cutting board, and cut into 9 bars using a sharp chef's knife in one clean downward press per cut, wiping the blade clean between cuts.
Notes
- Butter: melt and cool 10 minutes minimum — hot butter partially cooks the egg and produces a tough, dry bar.
- Caramel candies: use soft caramel candies only — caramel sauce or caramel syrup will not set into a distinct layer and will make the bars structurally unstable.
- Heavy cream: full-fat (36%+ fat) only — lower fat substitutes cause the caramel layer to turn grainy and waxy as it cools.
- Chocolate chips: standard size semi-sweet — chunks will sink through the caramel layer during baking; mini chips will over-distribute and lose definition.
- Flaked sea salt: do not substitute fine salt — the large crystals provide flavor contrast; fine salt dissolves immediately and seasons rather than contrasts.
- Cooling: cool a minimum of 2 hours at room temperature before cutting — the caramel is molten at pull and must firm fully before slicing.
- Storage: airtight hard-sided container at room temperature up to 4 days, refrigerator up to 7 days, freezer up to 2 months.
- Freeze: freeze cut bars in a single layer for 1 hour before stacking with parchment between layers — skipping the initial freeze causes caramel surfaces to bond permanently.
- Make ahead: bake and cool fully, store at room temperature up to 2 days before serving, or refrigerate up to 5 days ahead.
- Scaling: for a 9×13 pan, scale by 1.5x — use ¾ tsp baking soda only; leavening does not scale linearly.
- Altitude: above 3,500 feet (1,067m), reduce baking soda to ¼ tsp and increase oven temperature to 335°F (168°C).
- Allergens: contains gluten, dairy, and eggs. Check caramel candy labels — some brands contain soy.
- Tip: press top dough pieces gently — pressing hard pushes caramel through the top layer and eliminates the visible caramel band.