Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars

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Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars are seriously addicting! All the things you love about snickerdoodles plus soft caramel in the middle!

Snickerdoodle Bars

Guys, I’m going to change my addicting ways and fill up on all the non-sugary things… just as soon as these Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars have left my house. Soft caramel + soft cookie bars + cinnamon + sugar = heaven. In the meantime, these are RIDICULOUS and SIMPLE and DELICIOUS!!!! Like for reals. Go make them immediately.

If you love cinnamon-spiced cookies give these a try: Snickerdoodle Waffle Cookies, Snickerdoodle Cookies, Cinnamon Roll Cookies, and Cinnamon Butterscotch Cookies.

Main Ingredients Needed + Substitutes

This snickerdoodle bars recipe uses my recipe for Perfect Snickerdoodles and warm soft caramel. Here’s what you need to make this sweet treat:

• Butter + Butter Flavored Shortening – the trick to a good snickerdoodle is to have to be puffy but not too puffy. You can use all butter if preferred.
• Granulated Sugar – to sweeten the cookies.
• Eggs – for structure. If you can’t have eggs, replace two eggs with two tablespoons of ground flax seeds plus 6 tablespoons of water (mix ground flax seeds with water. Allow the mixture to rest until it becomes gelatinous, then add to the dough).
• Vanilla – for flavor.
• All-Purpose Flour – to fill out the cookies and make the dough.
• Cream of Tartar – this is a common ingredient found in almost all snickerdoodle recipes. It gives the cookie its signature slightly tangy taste.
• Baking Soda – our leavening agent.
• Salt – to balance out the sweet.
• Cinnamon + Sugar – these two are mixed together to create the perfect cinnamon sugar blend.
• Kraft Caramels + Heavy Cream – I’m talking about the cube-shaped caramels that can be found at your local grocery store. The heavy cream makes the caramel pourable and soft. If you have your own caramel filling/sauce recipe you’d like to use, go for it!

Snickerdoodle Bars Variations

This snickerdoodle bars recipe is perfect on its own, but consider these variations if you’re feeling adventurous:

• Salted Caramel – add some salt flaked atop the caramel filling to create a salted caramel taste!
• Chocolate Chips – add chocolate chips atop the caramel filling to create snickerdoodle-caramelita cookie bars.
• No Caramel – if you’re looking for an even easier recipe just leave out the caramel element! What you’re left with is basically snickerdoodles!

How to Make Snickerdoodle Bars

For full details on how to make Snickerdoodle Bars, see the recipe card down below 🙂

1. Preheat + Prep

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 9×13 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.

2. Make Cookie Dough + Cinnamon Sugar

In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening, and sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add in all dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Scrape edges and mix again briefly.

In a small bowl, stir sugar and cinnamon together.

3. Line Pan

Pour half the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the baking dish and spread around to coat the bottom.

Take 2/3 of the cookie dough and press into the bottom of the pan and up the sides about 1 inch. Sprinkle the top of the cookie dough with 1 tablespoon of the remaining cinnamon sugar.

4. Melt + Pour Caramel

In a medium-size bowl, add caramels and cream. Microwave for 20-second intervals, stirring in between each until completely melted and smooth.

Pour caramel over cookie dough and spread to smooth.

5. Top with Cookie Dough + Cinnamon Sugar

Take small pieces of remaining cookie dough, flatten slightly in between your hands and place over top the caramel until no more cookie dough remains. Sprinkle the cookie dough on top of the caramel with the last of the cinnamon and sugar.

6. Bake + Cool

Bake snickerdoodle bars for 25 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.

Once baked, everything will be puffed and a little bit larger than before. All totally normal! Let the snickerdoodle bars simmer down and cool, then cut into bars!

At room temperature, the caramel and cookie bars will be soft and barely runny. Warm bars fresh out of the oven means hot caramel lava. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, buuuuut don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Do you see what I mean about the room temperature caramel? It’s at a sweet spot…right where you want it!

More Cookie Bars to Try!

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Sugar Cookie Bars
• Carmelitas
• Double Chocolate Cookie Bars
• Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars
• S’mores Bars
• Magic Bars

Totally sweet and delicious 🙂

Everyone will beg you for this Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars recipe. These are perfect treats to bring to holiday parties or Christmas cookie exchanges! Honestly, they’ll be the talk of the town.

Printable recipe below. Have a great day, friends!!

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5 from 6 votes

Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars

Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars are seriously addicting! All the things you love about snickerdoodles plus soft caramel in the middle!

servings 18 bars

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 cup butter softened
• ▢ 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening or more butter
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 eggs or 2 Tbsp flax seeds + 6 Tbsp water*
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ▢ 3 cups all purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt

cinnamon sugar topping

• ▢ 1/4 cup sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cinnamon

caramel filling

• ▢ 13 oz kraft caramels unwrapped
• ▢ 1/4 cup heavy cream

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening, and sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add in all dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Scrape edges and mix again briefly.
• In a small bowl, stir sugar and cinnamon together.
• Lightly spray 9×13 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour half the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the baking dish and spread around to coat the bottom.
• Take 2/3 of the cookie dough and press into the bottom of the pan and up the sides about 1 inch. Sprinkle the top of the cookie dough with 1 tablespoon of the remaining cinnamon sugar.
• In a medium-size bowl, add caramels and cream. Microwave for 20-second intervals, stirring in between each until completely melted and smooth.
• Pour caramel over cookie dough and spread to smooth. Take small pieces of remaining cookie dough, flatten slightly in between your hands and place over top the caramel until no more cookie dough remains. Sprinkle the cookie dough on top of the caramel with the last of the cinnamon and sugar.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
• Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Notes

* for the egg substitution: mix ground flax seeds with water. Allow the mixture to rest until it becomes gelatinous, then add to the dough.

Nutrition

Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 229mg | Potassium: 130mg | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1.1mg

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: snickerdoodle bars, snickerdoodle bars recipe, snickerdoodle cookie bars