Caramel Gingerbread Cookie Bars!
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White chocolate chip salted caramel stuffed gingerbread cookie bars – the easiest delicious festive cookie bar recipe!
I love cookies
As we all know, I am an absolute cookie maniac and I am obsessed. I always want to bake them, I always want to explore new flavour ideas, just like these caramel gingerbread cookie bars, and I basically just cannot stop. I would borderline say they are my favourite type of bake these days!
The other day I posted my Christmas pudding cookie recipe and you guys went absolutely mad for them – and I can totally understand why. They are delicious, easy, but also so festive and fun for the winter season.
Cookie bars
One of the other most popular cookies I have done is my gingerbread NYC cookies, and I have had SO MANY REQUESTS since last year to make a cookie bar version… so here it is… but with a delicious caramel twist – caramel gingerbread cookie bars!
My cookie bars are probably amongst the most popular things I have ever posted – my kinder bueno cookie bars are so popular I’ve made them on national live tv now, and they continue to be baked by you guys every single day.
Base
The idea of doing an alternative festive cookie bar to my Christmas cookie bars was just a little bit too exciting – but I wanted to take it up a notch and stuff them with caramel. This, is another request I have had for far too long so here they are!
The base cookie dough for these is just like my other cookie bar base recipes – but with the spices from my gingerbread NYC cookies. Even though they are being stuffed, I wanted to use the same ratios of cookie dough so I wasn’t going too over board with ingredients.
Chocolate
For this my caramel gingerbread cookie bars recipe, I thought white chocolate chips would go the best as they always do – but you can use milk chocolate, or dark chocolate if you prefer… or even a mix!
I just love the sweetness of the white chocolate in contrast to the ground ginger, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. I also find that white chocolate paired with caramel isn’t overpoweringly sweet and the chocolate doesn’t hide the caramel taste too.
Caramel
For the stuffing of the caramel, it’s actually so easy! You have to use half of the cookie dough on the base of the 9×9” square tin – and spread it evenly. I use a very lightly floured spatula as the dough can be a smidge sticky and you want an even layer of the cookie dough.
You then add in the caramel – I used pre-made caramel to make this far easier. Caramel out of a tin is quite thick, and that makes this much easier! Spread the caramel onto the cookie base, trying not to go to the edge.
However, you can also use a homemade caramel sauce, which when I have the time I LOVE to make myself. It’s much easier to make than you think and has an overly less sweet taste.
Salt
I then sprinkle over some chunky sea salt because I adore it – but this is optional. The sea salt chunks cut through the sweetness perfectly though – so definitely consider it!
However, you can use salted caramel spread, or even a chocolate spread if you prefer! This bake works with them all. I am a lover of salted caramel so I put it in anything I can!
Finish and bake
After you have added the ‘stuffing’ to the base – you can add the topping. It wont work just trying to spread the cookie dough on top like you did the base, so I add the topping on in small little chunks and it then covers it the same way. You may see little bits of caramel poking through, but you want the caramel as covered as possible.
This is obviously the part where you bake the caramel gingerbread cookie bars – and it is worth the wait. Oh my daaaaays these caramel gingerbread cookie bars are INSANE. It honestly is best to let these cool fully in the tin, because when you portion them up you will see the sticky delicious caramel in the middle! Let me know if you try these beauties out in the comments – or tag me in a photo on social media!! I hope you love them! Jane x
Caramel Gingerbread Cookie Bars!
Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 190 g dark brown soft sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 275 g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (plus extra for the caramel)
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1.5 tsp ground ginger
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg
- 300 g white chocolate chips
- 200 g caramel
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190ºC/170ºC fan, and line a 9x9inch square tin with parchment paper, and leave to the side for now.
- Melt the unsalted butter, and add to a bowl.
- Add in the dark brown soft sugar and whisk the mixture together for two minutes.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract and whisk again until combined.
- Add the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, sea salt, cornflour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg together to the bowl.
- Mix together until a thick cookie dough is combined.
- Add in the white chocolate chips and mix.
- Push half of the mixture into the 9x9inch tin - I find it easier to use a lightly floured spatula to spread this evenly.
- Spread the caramel over the base cookie, leaving a small gap around the edge with no caramel. If you want it salty, sprinkle over the extra sea salt chunks now.
- Add the second half of the cookie dough to the tin - I find it easier to place it on in small lumps until its covered the caramel - as pushing it around the tin will ruin the caramel.
- Bake the caramel gingerbread cookie bars in the oven for 18-22 minutes. I usually do 19 minutes so they stay reasonably gooey.
- Once baked, leave in the tin to cool, and then enjoy!
Notes
- These will last for 4-5 days at room temperature.
- I used this white chocolate in my baking!
- I use this 9x9" square tin.
- These are based on my gingerbread NYC cookies, and my kinder bueno cookie bars.
- These freeze for 3+ months.
ENJOY!
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J x
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These were so easy to make! I can recommend warming them enough so that the caramel oozes out a bit and serving with a dollop of ice cream 😀
So glad you love them! Enjoy! x
Absolutely delicious just like all your recipes, I have rekindled my passion for baking with all your recipes.
All are easy to make and have had lots of compliments and requests from my family
Keep the recipes coming and THANK YOU Jane
Awwww so happy you love them! Thank you, enjoy!! x
Made these today my first bake for a while as I’m finally able to walk without my crutches after my hip operation! Omg delicious! I now have to input this into my fitness pal 😂 can still eat treats if I track.
These taste great, albeit a little too sweet for me. However they completely fell apart. Baked for 22 minutes and the bases are very much cooked. But the top later completely collapsed. Perhaps I put a little too much mixture on the top layer. Will definitely try again
Hiya! Yes – try reducing the top layer, and perhaps put them in the fridge overnight to help them set better! Hope this helps x
I made these today using the homemade caramel recipe from here for the filling. They were so good! I discovered this page during lockdown last year and the gingerbread cookies have become my absolute favourite. Thank you for sharing ✨
Ooooh yummy! So happy to hear that, thank you! x
I made these last night and it’s fair to say there aren’t many left now. They’re absolutely gorgeous and definitely taste like Christmas. My question is do you think we could do this with the Kinder cookie bar, put half the dough in then put some Kinder spread on and then the other half of the dough on top? Thanks in advance Jane, I absolutely adore all of your recipes and you’re book is the only one I use xxx
I made these yesterday and they were AMAZING !! Everyone loved them at work x
Yaaaaay i’m so happy to hear that! Enjoy!! x
Can I use light brown sugar x
Yes you can! Hope this helps x
Can these be made without caramel, or could I use rolos like your rolo cookie bar recipe?
Hiya! Yes you can bake these without the caramel, but you may need to decrease the amount of white chocolate chips if you’re using Rolos instead! Hope this helps x
Hey, I absolutely love your recipes! And excited to make these however just wondering what caramel you use?
Hiya! I used Carnation Caramel, or you can use my Homemade Caramel Sauce! Hope this helps! x
Oh my goodness- they look amazing! Your ginger and white chocolate are a massive favourite in our house and I definitely think these will be too! Thank you so much!!!
Can you swap the flour out for GF ? Would you need to add anything else if making it GF
Ooo, this sounds fab, might have to make this tomorrow. Could I possibly use “mars” spread instead of caramel, save me having to nip to the shops 😀
Hiya! Yes you can! Enjoy x
Hi,
I love your gingerbread NYC cookie recipe and I am wanting to give these a go but what do you mean by caramel? Do I need to make it with condensed milk or is it shop bought?
Thanks
Hiya! I used Carnation Caramel, or you can use my Homemade Caramel Sauce! Hope this helps! x
Is the caramel homemade or Carnation?
Hiya! I used Carnation Caramel, or you can use my Homemade Caramel Sauce! Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane, I’m not a huge fan of ginger, what could I use instead to keep a Christmassy flavour. Could I use more cinnamon and less ginger? These look insane by the way. I really want to make them with a twist if possible?
Hiya! Yes you can, and thank you so much! Enjoy & hope this helps! x
Want to make these in the next couple of days but my supermarket delivery has subbed dark brown sugar for light brown – do you think it will it make much difference, or should I buy some dark?
Hiya! This should work absolutely fine – its just a slightly lighter colour and flavour. Enjoy! x
This might sound silly, but what caramel, do you make it?
Hiya! I used Carnation Caramel, or you can use my Homemade Caramel Sauce! Hope this helps! x
Can I make these in NYC cookie style somehow?! If so can you give me a run down or how! Thanks so much x
Hiya! No sadly not – follow my Gingerbread NYC Cookie recipe, but sadly you cant stuff them with caramel – but you could always drizzle some on top! Hope this helps! x