These chocolate caramel bars are so decadent, with only 5 ingredients! They have a base layer of chocolate cake mix and a soft rich caramel filling. This sweet treat is ready in under 45 minutes.
With lots of chocolate wrapped around gooey caramel, these are such a delicious treat with a tall glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I love that these easy bars are a chocolate cake mix hack!
Quick Tips
- It may take a while for the caramel bits to melt. You can pop the mixture back in the microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring well in between, until the mixture is mostly smooth.
- The cake batter will be fairly thick, so use your finger tips to spread the first half of the batter throughout the pan if needed.
- Substitute Dulce de Leche instead of baking caramels + cream if desired! Store bought caramel topping tends to be too runny for these bars, so it’s not recommended.
Equipment
No special equipment is needed for this recipe, not even an electric mixer or food processor. I told you this recipe was easy! You just need a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Ingredient Notes
The best thing about this easy recipe is that you only need 5 simple ingredients!
- Unsalted butter – Butter will need to be melted for this recipe. It calls for ¾ cup, or 1 and a half sticks.
- Chocolate cake mix – You can use any kind of chocolate cake mix. I used chocolate fudge cake mix, but you could also use German chocolate cake mix or dark chocolate cake mix.
- Heavy cream or milk – This is used to soften the caramel baking bits to then make the caramel filling!
- Caramel baking bits – These are little chips of caramel, similar in size to chocolate chips. They are usually sold in an 11 ounce bag. They’re great for baking since they are unwrapped and ready to be used in your recipe. If you can’t find them, you can substitute for the individual caramels, but you will have to unwrap them all!
- Semisweet chocolate chips – Also found in the baking aisle. You can also substitute for dark chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips.
- Sea salt – This is optional, but would be a tasty contrast to all the chocolate and sweetness of these bars.
How to make chocolate caramel bars
This easy dessert is simple to make and only has a few steps.
- Make the bar dough
- Make the caramel filling
- Put it all together
Make the chocolate bar dough
First up, let’s make the dough for these chocolate cake mix bars. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9×13 inch pan or spray generously with non stick cooking spray.
Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Combine cake mix and butter and stir with a wooden spoon until mixed. The dough will be thick and chunky.
Spread half of the dough in the bottom of your greased cake pan. Use your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup to evenly press the mixture down until the bottom of the pan is covered in an even layer. Set aside the remaining dough.
Bake the bottom dough layer of the bars for 8-10 minutes.
Make the caramel filling
Next up let’s make the caramel filling.
Pour the heavy cream or milk into a medium to large microwave safe bowl and heat in the microwave until hot, but not boiling. It is best to do this in 30 second increments.
Sprinkle caramel bits to the hot milk and stir until smooth. Place the mixture back in the microwave in 20 second intervals if the caramel isn’t melting, stirring well after each time. It’s fine if there are a few un-melted caramel bits in the melted caramel remaining.
Put it all together
Finally, assemble the bars. Pour caramel mixture evenly over the baked crust chocolate layer.
Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the caramel layer.
For the top layer, add the remaining dough over the top of the caramel mixture and chocolate chips. Since this dough is very thick, you can grab small pieces with your fingers to place evenly throughout the pan.
The last step is to bake for an additional 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bars to cool in the pan.
If using, sprinkle the gooey bars with a little sea salt.
Cool to room temperature before cutting into them, otherwise the caramel sauce will run.
How to store leftovers?
Store at room temperature for a few days.
Variations/substitutions
If you want to change up these bars, here are a few substitutions for next time!
- Swap out the semi-sweet chocolate chips for butterscotch chips, milk chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips.
- Substitute the baking caramels and heavy cream/milk with store bought dulce de leche – heat the dulce de leche in the microwave to make it more easily spreadable throughout the bottom layer
- Use peanut butter chips for chocolate peanut butter caramel bars.
- Try with yellow cake mix for cookie bars.
- Add chopped pecans to make chocolate caramel turtle bars.
- Melt chocolate chips to pour a melted chocolate drizzle over the top.
FAQs
To melt caramel in the microwave, first heat the heavy cream or milk in the microwave in a medium to large bowl. Make sure its microwave safe! Heat the milk until hot, but not boiling. It is best to do this in 30 second increments. Add the caramel bits to the hot milk and stir until smooth. Place the mixture back in the microwave in 20 second intervals if the caramel isn’t melting, stirring well after each time. It’s fine if there are a few un-melted caramel bits in the melted caramel remaining.
Yes, you can use your favorite type of cake mix in this recipe. You can try German chocolate, chocolate fudge, or even yellow cake mix.
Some of my other favorite recipes:
- Hershey’s Chocolate Cream Pie
- Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes
- Triple Chocolate Peppermint-Filled Cookies
- Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Scones
Cake Mix Chocolate Caramel Bars
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter in a medium bowl. Add the entire box of chocolate cake mix and stir until combined. Batter will be thick.
- Spread ½ of the batter throughout a greased 9×13 pan. Use your fingers or the back of a measuring cup to evenly press the mixture down until the bottom of the pan is covered. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Set aside the remaining batter.
- Pour the heavy cream or milk into a medium to large bowl and heat in the microwave until hot, but not boiling (30 second increments).
- Add the caramels to the hot milk and stir until smooth. Place the mixture back in the microwave in 20 second increments if the caramel isn't melting, stirring well after each increment (it's OK if there are a few un-melted caramel bits).
- Spread the caramel mixture evenly over the baked chocolate crust.
- Sprinkle all of the chocolate chips evenly over the caramel layer.
- Sprinkle the remaining batter over the top of the caramel and chocolate chips, grabbing small pieces with your fingers to sprinkle pieces throughout the pan.
- Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow them to cool in the pan.
- Make sure that the bars cool to room temperature before cutting into them, otherwise the caramel will run.
Bonnie says
These bars are so delicious that I could eat the whole pan myself.
SKN says
Love! I make these bars every year with my Christmas bakings, and this year I’m thinking of doing them in cupcake tins so they’re cute on display and easy to grab. What adjustments would you make to pull that off? Just decreasing the cooking time?
Jackie says
Hi there! That’s a great question. I haven’t tried this, so I can’t guarantee results, but if I were you I would skip the step of pre-baking the crust and just assemble it all and bake. Bake time would likely be reduced to 15-20 mins max, but just look for the top to crisp up. Let me know how it goes!