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    Home » Recipes » Bars & Brownie Recipes

    Published: May 20, 2022 by Paula Montenegro · Income from ads and affiliate links 5 Comments

    Carmelitas (Chocolate Caramel Oat Bars)

    Jump to Recipe
    Front image of stacked chocolate oat bars, brown text overlay.

    These are the most irresistible chewy bars and are insanely easy to make! A layer of buttery oat mixture is topped with chocolate, gooey caramel or dulce de leche, nuts, and a crunchy golden brown crumble topping. They're a crowd-pleaser, keep well, and can be frozen.

    Two oatmeal chocolate bars stacked on wooden surface, white grey background.

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Originally posted in September 2018, it has been fully updated with images and text to serve you better.

    Our carmelita bars recipe is cousins to the popular no-bake chocolate peanut butter oat bars, so you know you're in for a treat.

    They're like oatmeal cookies with chocolate and caramel in bar form. A piece with a cold glass of milk is a kid's heaven.

    I don't know where you live, but people here go crazy for anything sweet made with oats. Add chocolate and you have a winning combination. Add dulce de leche or caramel and well, they start crushing on you.

    These oatmeal carmelitas are an adaptation from a vintage recipe that I had pasted on my recipes binder when I was a teenager. Hence the name Vintage Kitchen. It made it into this century, internet and all, and still holds its place.

    Table of Contents Hide
    About this recipe
    Ingredients
    How to assemble carmelitas
    Baking carmelitas
    Kitchen notes
    Related recipes you might like:
    Easy Carmelitas Recipe

    About this recipe

    • Super easy to make: it takes 15 minutes to put this carmelitas recipe together and 20 minutes in the oven.
    • Keeps very well: they can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for a month, always well covered.
    • A crowd-pleaser: who wouldn't love these ingredients together, right? It's one of our favorite desserts for potlucks, barbecues, picnics, and birthday tables. A small piece goes a long way as they're so rich. It gets rave reviews every single time.
    Top view of chocolate oat squares on parchment and a wooden board, a milk bottle.

    Ingredients

    • Oats: you can use any type of oats, but I'm partial to traditional oats (also called rolled oats or old-fashioned oats) because they add more texture than instant or quick oats.
    • Butter: I always use unsalted butter, but if you have salted simply omit the salt in the recipe.
    • All-purpose flour.
    • Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
    • Baking soda.
    • Chocolate: use chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, or chopped chocolate. I use Callebaut dark chocolate callets.
    • Caramel or dulce de leche: both work. You can make homemade caramel sauce or buy a jar at the grocery store, use my homemade dulce de leche, or buy dulce de leche online. Or use soft caramels such as Kraft caramels.
    • Nuts: I love walnuts or pecans, but other nuts work, like hazelnuts.
    White surface with bowls containing ingredients for chocolate caramel oat bars including flour, walnuts, butter, brown sugar.

    How to assemble carmelitas

    • Oatmeal crumble: this mixture is a step short of making oatmeal cookies and it's used for both the bottom crust and top layer. It's just a matter of mixing the ingredients together until crumbly and can be made ahead and kept refrigerated for a day.
    • Chocolate layer: it's thick and added after the base is pre-baked.
    • Caramel layer: it's added after the chopped walnuts and you won't be able to spread it, so you need to add it in small spoonfuls covering as much as you can, and let the heat dissolve it further.
    Two image collage: adding melted butter to oat mixture, and patting crumble on square pan.
    Top view of light blue square pan with layer of chocolate chip and adding crumble to caramel layer.

    Baking carmelitas

    My #1 tip is to not overbake them.

    The oven is set a tad lower than for a cake or cookies. That's because it's important not to let them bake more than needed so they stay chewy.

    Light golden brown top: that's your cue to take them out. If you wait until they're a deep golden hue, make sure you don't store them for too many days as they will toughen a little bit each day, especially if stored in the refrigerator.

    Baked oat crumble bars in light blue rectangular pan on wire rack.
    Uneven stack of chocolate oatmeal bars on wooden board, white linen underneath, milk bottle in background.

    Kitchen notes

    • Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, as well as equipment and space needed. This will make the process so much easier!
    • Baking time: all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 
    • Don't overbake: the crust is pre-baked for a few minutes so that it stays crunchy, and the assembled bars only need to be lightly colored. This is important so that the carmelitas are chewy and not tough.
    • Double batch: if you want to make twice the recipe (and who can blame you) I recommend making two pans. You can make double the oatmeal crumble in one bowl but bake them separately. The baking time will be less and you'll avoid overbaking them.
    • Make ahead: carmelitas keep well at room temperature for 2 days and in the fridge for several days (well wrapped). They can be frozen for a month (I wrap them first in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil).
    • Caramel filling: if using soft caramels scatter them, unwrapped, over the nuts. They will melt as they bake. Alternatively, melt caramel squares in a small saucepan with a few tablespoons of heavy cream and make a toffee sauce. Drizzle over before sprinkling the crumble topping.
    • Variations: use milk chocolate chips together with the semi-sweet chocolate chips, using the same total amount. The bars will be sweeter. Add a little ground cinnamon and vanilla extract to the oatmeal mixture for a mellower oatmeal cookie bar.
    Close up of oatmeal chocolate bar on wooden surface, more blurred bars in background.

    Related recipes you might like:

    • Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars (no-bake)
    • Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies (Scotchies)
    • Chocolate Walnut (or Pecan) Cookies
    • Walnut Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

    Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
    You might also consider subscribing to our FREE email series to Boost your Home Baking Skills! And our regular newsletter.
    And let's connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

    Print
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    Stacked oatmeal chocolate bars on white paper on wooden board, grey white background.

    Easy Carmelitas Recipe

    Print Recipe
    Save Recipe Recipe Saved

    These are the most irresistible bars that are insanely easy to make! A layer of buttery oat mixture is topped with chocolate, caramel or dulce de leche, nuts, and a crunchy topping. They are out of the oven in 45 minutes, keep well, and can be frozen. 

    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: 12 bars

    Ingredients

    Units
    • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ cups traditional oats
    • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
    • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
    • Large pinch of salt
    • ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
    • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chunks, or chocolate chopped into small pieces
    • ¾ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
    • 1 cup dulce de leche, thick caramel sauce, or soft caramels, unwrapped (see Notes below)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF / 170ºC.
    2. Spray or butter a 9-inch square baking pan (23cm) and, if you want to, line the bottom and two of the sides with a strip of wax or parchment paper that is a little narrower than the bottom of the pan and long enough to come up both sides. So two sides will be unlined but greased. The paper will make it very easy to remove the block of carmelitas when it's time to cut them. 
    3. Stir to combine flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
    4. Add melted butter and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until it’s all wet, with no dry parts remaining.
    5. Reserve 1 ½ cups of this mixture (loosely measured not packed), and press the remaining crumb mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
    6. Bake for 10 minutes, until it starts to dry and color a bit. You don't have to bake it fully.
    7. Take it out of the oven and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips or chunks over the hot base.
    8. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top of the chocolate.
    9. Drop the dulce de leche or caramel mixture by spoonfuls on top of the walnuts. It will not cover the whole surface. That’s fine.
    10. Sprinkle the reserved oat mixture and very lightly press it down. You don't want to compact it, just make it slightly adhere to the rest of the ingredients.
    11. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until it starts to color. Don't overbake it. 
    12. When you take it out of the oven, run a smooth knife along the sides to separate any dulce de leche that might have stuck and make it hard to unmold later.
    13. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
    14. Lift the paper to take out the whole block from the pan and cut it into squares or rectangles.
    15. Eat at room temperature.
    16. Store leftovers covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, or refrigerated. They can be frozen for a month, well wrapped. 

    Notes

    Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, as well as the equipment and space needed. This will make the process so much easier!

    Baking time: all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as can be, but it might take you more or less time. Use a thermometer inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that the temperature is right. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 

    Don't overbake: the crust is pre-baked for a few minutes to stay crunchy, and the assembled bars only need to be lightly colored. This is important so that the carmelitas are chewy and not tough.

    Double batch: if you want to make twice the recipe (and who can blame you), I recommend making two pans. You can double the oatmeal crumble in one bowl but bake them separately. The baking time will be less, and you'll avoid overbaking them.

    Make ahead: carmelitas keep well at room temperature for 2 days and in the fridge for several days (well wrapped). They can be frozen for a month (I wrap them in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil).

    Caramel filling: if using soft caramels, scatter them, unwrapped, over the nuts. They will melt as they bake. Alternatively, melt caramel squares in a small saucepan with a few tablespoons of heavy cream and make a toffee sauce. Drizzle over before sprinkling the crumble topping.

    Variations: use milk chocolate chips with semisweet chocolate chips, using the same total amount. The bars will be sweeter. Add a little ground cinnamon and vanilla extract to the oatmeal mixture for a mellower cookie bar.

    • Author: Paula Montenegro
    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 25 minutes
    • Category: Bars & Brownies
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: International

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1/12
    • Calories: 446
    • Sugar: 37.3 g
    • Sodium: 183.5 mg
    • Fat: 21.7 g
    • Carbohydrates: 59.3 g
    • Protein: 5.9 g
    • Cholesterol: 30.5 mg

    Keywords: carmelitas

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @vintagekitchenblog on Instagram and hashtag it #vintagekitchenblog

    More Bar & Brownie Recipes

    • Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars
    • Walnut Brownie Recipe
    • Dulce de Leche Brownies
    • Lemon Blondies

    About Paula Montenegro

    I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe developer, sharing the best ones here with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

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    1. Mynda says

      March 30, 2020 at 2:18 pm

      Aloha Paula, that’s great news — mahalo! Mynda

      Reply
    2. angiesrecipes says

      September 14, 2018 at 9:34 am

      They look absolutely heavenly! Chocolate and walnuts..who could ever resist the combo, I certainly can't!

      Reply
      • Paula Montenegro says

        September 14, 2018 at 3:11 pm

        Thanks Angie!

        Reply
        • Mynda says

          March 28, 2020 at 3:13 pm

          Aloha Paula!
          Do these Chocolate Walnut Oat Bars need to be refrigerated or can I ship them? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
          Mahalo and take care! Mynda

        • Paula Montenegro says

          March 28, 2020 at 6:19 pm

          Hi Mynda! They're not refrigerator bars, and they can travel. But they do have chocolate so keep that in mind.

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    Hi, I'm Paula!

    A baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.

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