Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars

Peel the label off of your can of sweetened condensed milk. Place in a large pot and fill with water until it completely covers the entire can. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat down to a simmer and leave for 2 hours, adding more water as needed to always keep the can fully submerged in water. It’s important that it’s always submerged in water, or it could be a safety issue.

Alternate method: You can also do this in a crockpot. Just put the can in, fill crock with water and set it to medium heat for 10 hours or high heat for 7 hours.

After the time is up, remove the can from the water and allow it to cool to room temperature. Pour it into a bowl and stir to remove any lumps that might have formed. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line an 8×8 square pan with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl combine melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine. Press half of this mixture into the prepared pan to cover the bottom (just eyeball it). Bake for 15 minutes then remove from oven. The crust should be barely set and light brown in color.

Sprinkle half of the chocolate chunks on top of the warm oatmeal crust. Some will melt and that’s okay! Then pour your homemade caramel sauce on top of the chocolate. Spread it out as evenly as you can. If you find that your caramel is too thick, zap it in the microwave for a few seconds. If you want, sprinkle some sea salt on top for that salted-caramel taste. Top with the remaining chocolate chunks.

Next, add the remaining oatmeal cookie dough. I find it works best to kind of sprinkle the dough on top. As it bakes it will come together more evenly.

Bake at 350 F for another 15-20 minutes or until the cookie topping is cooked and has turned a golden brown. Remove from oven.

Allow to cool completely before cutting into bite-sized pieces. Store at room temperature until ready to eat.