My Butter Almond Caramel Bars have four things I love: shortbread crust, crunchy almonds, homemade gooey caramel and chocolate. The ultimate dessert bar.
The shortbread is crunchy/soft and oh, that caramel.
The caramel is really easy to make if you follow my instructions closely (don't stir, don't stir, don't stir while it's boiling). You'll have no problem with it at all.
The result is an incredible, rich dessert bar.
There's nothing difficult about throwing this recipe together. Just be careful on the caramel. The last time I made them, I let the caramel boil too long and found out that burnt caramel isn't a pleasant thing.
And I had to fan the smoke detector for a while.
Be sure and use the best quality of butter you can get. It really makes a difference in these Butter Almond Caramel Bars. I use salted butter in all my recipes unless specifically mentioned in the ingredients.
You'll need to cool these off at least 4 hours so they will set properly. I left mine at room temperature overnight and they were perfect. Store them at room temperature also.
I hope you enjoy these bars. It was fun creating them and that meant I got to taste test them many times. Also, Bret really likes them even though they have almonds in them (you can leave the nuts out if you'd rather).
These would be great for a potluck. People will definitely ask for the recipe.
You may also want to check out Almond Fudge Shortbread Bars. They're amazing!
Butter Almond Caramel Bars
Shortbread-like based topped with gooey homemade caramel, sprinkled with almonds, with chocolate swirled in on the topping. Sweet and Delicious.
Ingredients
- For the Crust:
- 2 Cups All-purpose Flour
- 1 Cup brown sugar
- ½ Cup butter, softened
- ⅓ Cup slivered almonds
- For the Caramel:
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- ¼ Cup water
- ½ Cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 Cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line an 8"x8" pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Make sure the foil or paper goes up the sides and a little over the top of the pan to more easily remove from the pan after they bake. Spray the foil or paper lightly with cooking spray.
- Combine flour, brown sugar, and butter and mix well. Press into the pan and pat down firmly. Sprinkle the almonds across the top of the crust. Set aside.
- For the caramel, add the sugar and water into a large saucepan on medium heat. Whisk occasionally until the sugar is dissolved, 2-3 minutes. Turn heat to medium-high and let boil for 7-8 minutes (do not stir or whisk!) until the mixture turns medium-amber colored. If it starts browning too quickly, turn down the heat.
- Remove caramel from heat and slowly add the cream. (It will bubble up considerably, so careful!) Wash and dry the previously used whisk.
- Add the butter and salt and whisk the mixture until smooth. It will thicken up on standing, so don't worry if it seems thin. Stir in the vanilla. Let the caramel stand for 2 minutes, then pour it over the crust.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the top is bubbly. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top, evenly. Let stand for 30 seconds, then swirl the chocolate chips into the caramel until most of them are melted.
- Let pan sit on a cooling rack for at least 4 hours before lifting out the bars and cutting (overnight is best).
- Store at room temperature.
Notes
Use any kind of nut you would like - pecans would also be a good choice.
I mixed the crust in my stand mixer for a minute instead of by hand - lots more convenient, but another bowl to wash.
Careful with the caramel - it's hot and can burn you. Do not stir the initial sugar/water mixture while it's boiling or it will crystalize and be gritty.
You can forego the salt in the caramel if you'd like, but I kind of like a little salty-sweet thing.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 277Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 123mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 1gSugar: 30gProtein: 3g
Nutrition Values are Approximate
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