Right now, for this moment, this is my favorite dessert in the world!
These succulent caramel, chewy, chocolate chip, oatmeal crumble coated bars easily get me weak in the knees. So much so that I had to share them with you! Here’s the recipe for Carmelita Bars.
Carmelita Bars
1 cup caramel
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 X 12 inch metal pan with cooking spray.
Combine caramel and heavy cream in a saucepan, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel has melted, let cool.
In a food processor add the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt together and pulse on low-speed. Slowly adding in the butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal.
Begin layering the bottom of the pan with your oats crumb mixture, reserve 1/2 cup for final layer. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and add the next layer of chocolate chips and pecans then drizzle with caramel. To finish add the last layer of the remaining oat crumb mixture.
Bake in the oven until a golden in color, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely prior to cutting into desired squares.
These are absolutely scrumptious and my most beloved dessert, that is, until something else comes along and rocks my world!
GeorgieCakes 
I am with you. That is one of my favorite things too. I always make it at Christmas. Your picture is fantastic.
Holy Moly – these are in my near future!! 😉
I am so glad I found you via Twitter. Your recipes are exactly what I love. I saw these carmelita bars and nearly cried I wanted them so bad! Gorgeous photos too! Looking forward to making a ton of your recipes – the heck with a bikini body!
OK – this is probably a dumb question and will reveal my lack of baking experience, but when you say a cup of caramel, what product are you using? Is there another form that caramel comes in other than individually wrapped caramel squares? How do you measure a cup of caramel?
Thanks for not laughing at me loudly enough that I can hear you…
No question is silly, trust me it’s been trial an error for me as well. My first attempt at making caramel sauce I ruined my pan and the sauce. It was intimidating to say the least, a lesson learned.
I buy caramel sauce from the grocery store ready made and sold in a jar, any brand is fine – it’s what you prefer. Wholefoods sells their own caramel sauce they use for this recipe, it’s located in the in the bakery refrigerated section, though this item can get pricey a local store bought brand should do just fine. Caramel sauce is traditionally found in the baking or ice cream isle, and are often sold in 7 to 8 ounce jars.
Here’s how to break down the measurements:
8 ounces equals 1 cup
4 ounces equals 1/2 cup
1 ounces equals 2 tablespoons
You will need to use 8 ounces for this recipe, so pour the entire jar in there, adding a tablespoon (1 or 2 ounces) more won’t change the recipe. It will make it gooier, which is not a bad thing. I’ll admit more is better in this case, yes please, more! I’m guilty of saving the last spoonful straight from the jar for me 😉
As for the individually wrapped caramel candies, some “oat caramel bars” recipes found on other food blogs use them. If your feeling adventures try it with this recipe, since your melting them down into a sauce. You will have to calculate the candies weight into fluid ounces. Easy enough to find those numbers by asking Google.
I hope this helped and I let me know how they turn out! Enjoy!
Yum yum yum! Those look de-lish! I couldn’t help but giggle when I saw the title on Tasty Kitchen, Carmelita was my piano teacher’s name when I was little. 🙂
just wondering how did you get this recipe?? i have called so many whole foods trying to convince them to give me the recipe but they never have. I am so excited I found this!! They are my absolute favorite!
Thank you!
At one point the WFM Carmelita recipe was online. I made the recipe and when I finally posted it, I circled back to link and credit the original site and it was no longer up. Guess I got lucky. It’s funny, every WFM I go too the recipe taste different. I think they use King’s Cupboard Organic Cream Caramel Sauce, the secret ingredient. It makes the Carmelita Bars so freaking addictive good.
The Carmelita bars look sinfully delicious! I have not gotten an email notification of your recipes in a while. It say’s that I follow you and subscribe to emails. I have missed so much. I have to back track now and check out your other posts.
Hi, Actually I posted this recipe last year, time fly’s… it feels longer.
I have taken a short summer sabbatical. I’m working full time and needed some balance, as well as a solid footing within my new role. I’ll be back I promise. So you really haven’t missed any recent post. I’m enjoying all the yummy goodies you’ve been whipping up in the kitchen. Drool worthy for sure!
Oh so glad I haven’t missed anything. Have a relaxing sabbatical, enjoy what’s left of the summer and look forward to more posts when you start again.
My husband requested I make some Carmelita bars, but I had no clue what they were. I showed him picture after picture online and he kept telling me that those were not true Carmelita bars, until we got to your picture on Pinterest. He got all excited and told me that these are the kind of bars he remembers from childhood. I can’t wait to try your recipe. I am going to make it today with a salted caramel sauce, hope that works too! They sure look tasty.
Hooray! These Carmelita bars remind me of Christmas holidays growing up. I think you’ll love them too. They will probably taste better with salted carmel. Let me know how they turn out. Enjoy!