These are possibly THE most requested dessert that I now bring to parties, gatherings, and potlucks galore! Stuffed with a rich layer of salted caramel, these perfectly chewy snickerdoodle bars are made with oil instead of butter and come together in just 20 minutes.
Here you are, scrolling idly on your internet browser, and you catch a startling flash of these salted caramel snickerdoodle bars. For a moment, your finger pauses as you consider swiping past. You can almost feel the caramel oozing off the screen, a crystal mess of cinnamon-sugar showering your plate as you sink your teeth into the soft, chewy bar. The BEST Salted Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars, they chant in unison. But don’t they all?
You make a mental note to make these someday. Maybe you bookmark this page, thinking you’ll come back to it when you have the time. In that distant fantasy future where you’ll finally get around to scrubbing your bathtub and reading that self-help book your best friend recommended last summer, you promise yourself: I’ll make these snickerdoodle bars then.
But…you’re WRONG.
You’re wrong to think that these are save-it-for-another-day snickerdoodles. These are, as a matter of fact, very much should-have-been-made-yesterday-and-yet-again-today snickerdoodles, thank you very much.
What makes them the BEST? Besides being made with a heaping teaspoon of this baker’s ego, these Salted Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars feature my very favorite salted caramel filling–a thick, rich, delectable pool of caramel with an unimaginably supple texture, topped off with just a hint of sea salt. Then there are the bars themselves: an incredible snickerdoodle recipe that uses oil (not butter!) as the star of the show and comes together in just ten minutes for the perfect, chewy delight…all kissed with a crisp, cinnamon-sugar coating.
Repeat recipes are a true rarity in this household, and I’ve been asked to make this recipe over twenty times in the past few months alone already. So if there’s one thing I can convince you to do right now, it’s to give these a go immediately. In fact, I regret to inform you that in the time it has taken you to even read this post, you have wasted too much precious time already.
Best to skip straight to the recipe, I say, and enjoy the most snickericious snickerdoodles you’ll ever meet! (And then again. And again. And again.)
Salted Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars
These are possibly THE most requested dessert that I now bring to parties, gatherings, and potlucks! Stuffed with a rich layer of salted caramel, these snickerdoodle bars are made with oil instead of butter and come together in 15 minutes! Snickerdoodle recipe lightly adapted from Frugal South.
Ingredients
For the salted caramel:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
For the snickerdoodle bars:
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the cinnamon-sugar coating:
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
!To make salted caramel:
- Melt butter in a medium saucepauce over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Heat, stirring occasionally, over low heat until mixture comes to a boil.
- Continue simmering, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes over low heat until mixture turns an amber color and thickens slightly. Turn off heat, add sea salt, and continue beating vigorously for 3 minutes. Set aside.
!To make snickerdoodle bars:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Gently fold in flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until just incorporated.
- Spread half of batter into prepared pan, then drop salted caramel in dollops over batter as evenly as possible.
- Spread remaining batter over salted caramel, covering the layer as evenly as possible. (Don't worry if you don't cover it completely! The dough will expand as it bakes and cover most of the caramel.)
- Cinnamon-sugar coating: In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of batter.
- Bake in preheated oven for 23-27 minutes, until top is just set and begins turning lightly golden. Remove from heat and allow bars to cool completely before slicing and enjoying!
