Easy Salted Caramel Butter Bars – Buttery and Delicious
These Easy Salted Caramel Butter Bars feature a tender buttery shortbread crust, creamy caramel filling, crumbly topping, and flaky sea salt. They’re an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert for holidays, parties, bake sales, and everyday treats.
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the Caramel Filling
- 11 ounces soft caramel candies unwrapped
- ¼ cup heavy cream
For Finishing
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some parchment hanging over the sides for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar until light and creamy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix until combined. Gradually add the flour and fine sea salt, mixing just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Set aside about one-third of the dough for the crumb topping. Press the remaining dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake the crust for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden.
- While the crust bakes, place the unwrapped caramel candies and heavy cream in a saucepan. Heat over low to medium heat, stirring frequently, until completely melted and smooth.
- Carefully pour the warm caramel over the partially baked crust. Spread it gently into an even layer using a rubber spatula.
- Crumble the reserved shortbread dough evenly over the caramel layer. Keep the dough pieces loose rather than pressing them into the caramel.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly golden and the caramel is bubbling gently around the edges.
- Remove the bars from the oven and immediately sprinkle the flaky sea salt over the top.
- Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. For cleaner slices, refrigerate them until the caramel has set, then lift them out using the parchment paper and cut into 16 squares.
Notes
- For the best texture: Use softened butter rather than melted butter. This helps create the tender, crumbly shortbread texture these bars are known for.
- Don't overmix: Mix the flour into the butter mixture only until the dough comes together. Overmixing can make the shortbread tough.
- Watch the caramel: Melt the caramel slowly over low to medium heat and stir frequently to prevent scorching.
- Cool completely: Allow the bars to cool before slicing so the caramel has time to firm up and the layers hold together.
- For clean cuts: Chill the finished bars before slicing. Wipe your knife between cuts for neat, bakery-style squares.
- Storage: Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Individual bars can be wrapped and frozen for up to 2–3 months.
- Serving: Let refrigerated bars sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving for the best buttery texture.
Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 305 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 42 mg
- Sodium: 190 mg
- Potassium: 65 mg
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 24 g
- Calcium: 35 mg
- Iron: 1 mg