Oatmeal Carmelitas (with dulce de leche and walnuts)
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.
Servings 12 bars
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups traditional oats
- ¾ cup brown sugar firmly packed
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips chunks, or chocolate chopped into small pieces
- ¾ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
- 1 cup dulce de leche or thick caramel sauce, or soft caramels, unwrapped (see Notes below)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF (170ºC).
- Spray or butter a 9-inch square baking pan (23cm) and line it with parchment paper for easier removal of the bars. See Notes below.
- Stir to combine 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups traditional oats, ¾ cup brown sugar, ¾ teaspoon baking soda and pinch of salt in a large bowl.
- Add ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted, and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until it’s all wet and no dry parts remain.
- Reserve 1 ½ cups of this mixture (loosely measured not packed), and press the remaining crumb mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until it starts to dry and color a bit. You don't have to bake it fully.
- Take it out of the oven and immediately sprinkle 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks over the hot base.
- Sprinkle ¾ cup walnuts on top of the chocolate.
- Drop 1 cup dulce de leche or thick caramel sauce by spoonfuls on top of the walnuts. It will not cover the whole surface. That’s fine.
- 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.
- Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until it starts to color. Don't overbake it.
- 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.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack. Lift the paper to take out the whole block from the pan and cut it into squares or rectangles.
- Eat at room temperature.
- 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
Prepare the pan: line the greased pan with strips of parchment paper. When ready to cut and serve, they will help you remove the whole block of carmelitas. The strip (or strips) must be as wide as the pan. 1 strip: cover the bottom and two short sides. The two long sides will be greased but not lined. 2 strips: make a crisscross pattern and cover the bottom (twice) and all sides. One strip will be wider than the other.
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 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.
