Salty Caramel Oatmeal Bars

This dessert will not disappoint.  It is delicious on so many levels.  I love oatmeal cookies and this dessert takes the wonderful oatmeal cookie and pumps it up by adding nuts, caramel, chocolate and salt, by form of pretzels.  Really, what’s not to like?  (Well, I will say we did omit the nuts in case of allergies for others.  So maybe the nuts aren’t so lovable to some.  But other than that what’s not to love;)

I found the recipe on Pinterest, originally at this site: http://cookiesandcups.com/salty-caramel-oat-bars/

Here are the directions:

makes approx 60 bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cups finely crushed pretzels
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk, minus 1/2 cup)
• 1 (11oz) bag of caramels, unwrapped
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped cashews
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt

How to Make

1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. Line a 15x10x1 inch pan with foil
3. With your electric mixer beat butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla until incorporated.
4. On low speed add in your pretzels and flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly mix in your oats.
5. Set aside 1 cup of your batter.
6. Press remaining batter into prepared pan.
7. In medium saucepan combine your caramels and sweetened condensed milk over medium heat until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth.
8. Pour caramel on oat batter. Sprinkle the cashews, chocolate chips and remaining oat batter on top.
9. Sprinkle your coarse sea salt evenly over top.
10. Bake for 20-2 minutes until top starts to golden.
11. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
12. When cool lift bars from pan with foil and cut.

As cooler weather approaches, take a break, stay inside and bake these cookies.  Then curl up with a tall glass of milk and a couple of these delicious bars and a great book, movie, or football game!  (Trust me eating one isn’t an option, so you might as well start with two and safe yourself a trip to the kitchen.)

Enjoy!