They’re like the softest oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, with a streusel-crumble topping, and more melted caramel than you have napkins for, and that’s beautiful. I’ve been wanting to (re)make these bars for years, and I’m so glad I did. They’re a no-mixer, layered bar and are an adaptation of my early 2012 Caramel and Chocolate Gooey Bars.

In this version I tinkered with the flour and oat ratio, increasing the flour and decreasing the oats slightly, so the bars hold together better.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups (210 grams) Gold Medal Flour® all-purpose flour
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats (if using rolled oats, pulse them for few seconds in the food processor)
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) Imperial Sugar® brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 14 ounces vanilla caramels , unwrapped
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate pieces
• 1 cup (6 ounces) unsweetened baking chocolate , chopped
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Optional

• 5-6 caramels
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

Heat the oven to 350F. Line a 13×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper , leaving about 1 inch of paper hanging on the sides. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, soda, and salt. Stir in the melted butter and mix until crumbly.
Press 2/3 of the mixture on the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans and chocolate (both the chips and chopped one) over the crust.
In a small saucepan, combine caramels and heavy cream. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until melted and smooth.
Pour the caramel in the pan, over the chocolate and pecans.
Crumble the reserved oatmeal cookie dough over the caramel layer.
Bake for 23 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
Once cooled cut into bars.
Optional, melt both the remaining caramels and chocolate chips and drizzle over the bars.