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Better Than Anything Bars

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Better Than Anything Bars are rich, chewy bars with a buttery cookie base, a creamy homemade caramel and peanut butter layer, and a generous sprinkle of chocolate chips, delivering a perfect balance of flavors and textures.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

2 medium eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips

14 ounces caramels, unwrapped (or caramel bits)

5 ounces canned evaporated milk

1/2 cup peanut butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Prepare a 9"x13" baking pan with non-stick spray.
  2. Cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each until blended; mix in vanilla extract.
  4. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to wet mixture until combined.
  5. Stir in chocolate chips gently.
  6. Press half the cookie dough evenly into the pan bottom; bake 8-10 minutes until partially set.
  7. Prepare caramel sauce: microwave caramels and evaporated milk on medium power for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth; stir in peanut butter.
  8. Spread caramel evenly over baked cookie layer.
  9. Drop remaining cookie dough by teaspoonfuls over caramel, spacing evenly.
  10. Bake an additional 17-20 minutes until top dough is golden and cooked through.
  11. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Notes

  • Swap peanut butter with almond butter or Nutella for flavor variations.
  • Use dark or white chocolate chips instead of milk chocolate.
  • Add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts for crunch.
  • Sprinkle flaky sea salt over caramel for a salty contrast.
  • Use gluten-free flour to make the bars gluten-free.
  • Store bars airtight at room temperature up to 3 days; refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.
  • Let bars cool and chill before cutting to prevent gooey caramel mess.
  • Reheat bars briefly in microwave or oven to soften caramel and chocolate.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://recipesbyjanet.com/better-than-anything-bars/