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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I love these made them several times last your but I have recently had to go gluten free do you think I can swap to gluten free flour and add xanthan gum? Thank you
Hiya! Yes, this should work well1 Hope this helps! x
Hi I’m in the same situation did you try gluten free , and if it worked how much xantham gum did you add? Thank you 😊
Just made caramel gingerbread cookie bars, felt there was too much white chocolate chips, but gone with recipe,so see what their like when I taste them later
Hiya! What did you think? If the chocolate chips are too much – just leave some out! Hope this helps x
Hi could this be made gluten free
Hiya! I personally have not tried this – but it is definitely worth a go! Hope this helps! x
These look wonderful but I need to know a bit more of what to use for caramel. Thank you.
Hiya! I used tinned carnation caramel – but any tinned would work! Hope this helps! x
Just made these for first time – very easy recipe. I didn’t want the gingerbread flavour so left out all spices and added 1 tsp caramel flavouring. Also, I put the second half of cookie dough on greaseproof paper and made it approx the size of the other half, then “rolled” it on top and sealed the edges, like a pie! Much easier and seems to have worked. Still waiting for it to cool (drumming fingers…)
Made these yesterday and my dad said they’re the best things I’ve baked. And I bake a lot hahah! Perfect ratio of ginger and spices, loved them.
Thanks 🙂 love your recipes! Always my go to.
Just wondering when these would’ve need to be frozen-pre or post bake? Want to make some for my wedding party coming up soon
Hiya! Either is fine – though if freezing raw, add on 1-2 minutes baking time! Hope this helps! x
Please do a recipe for raisin oatmeal cookie bars , those would be amazing
How much caramel is needed? Ingredient list does not mention caramel at all.
Yes it does, last on the list!
I’ve made these 3 times now and they are to die for! Bake perfectly and taste incredible 🙂
Do you have any suggestions for adapting cookie base to be vegan? Planning the sub the caramel for biscoff
Hiya! Take a look at my vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe! Hope this helps! x
Hi I love these!! Do you think it would be possible to use this on the bottom of the brookie recipe with the caramel between layers? Obviously changing the measurements
Hiya! I haven’t tried this myself, but it is definitely worth a go!! Enjoy! x
I made this for my work…
Lasted no more than half an hour.
Everyone was in raptures.
Thankyou for an amazing and simple
Receipe.
Francesca
WOW, I will be making these all year round I think. Used light brown sugar, didn’t use nutmeg as couldn’t find it in the cupboard so added a tiny bit more cinnamon, and on top of the salted caramel I added a sprinkle of Christmas pudding flavour mini fudge cubes, just because I didn’t know what else to do with them! 19 minutes, came out perfect. I’ll be looking at more of your cookie bar recipes, great alternative to a traybake or brownies.
So glad you love them! Thank you so much, enjoy! x
Hello, can I make these into actual cookies? If so what would be the timings? X
Hiya! As per the blog post, please take a look at my Gingerbread NYC Cookies! Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane, absolutely love these. Both times I’ve made they’ve sunk in the middle a bit leaving almost a crust around the edges? I haven’t opened the oven door during cooking, is this normal or is there something that could be causing this?xx
Hiya! The butter could be too soft, or they could simply be under baked! Hope this helps! x
Hi Jane, absolutely loved this recipe! Made for my colleagues and they went down a treat.
Would you say these are suitable for batch cooking? Like making a few in one bowl and would the batter have to be cooked straight away? I’m wanting to make them for Xmas presents for the family x
Hiya! You can mix multiple trays worth in one bowl yes, and you can always freeze the raw dough aswell! Hope this helps! x
Thanks Jane, that’s a great idea! Would you cook from frozen and add on maybe 5 mins?xx
I would add on 2-3 minutes if cooking from frozen! Enjoy! x