Oatmeal Carmelitas

I used a recipe just like this only it was doubled for a 13x9" pan. The chocolate chips stay the same at 1 cup and 1/2 cup nuts, if using. The caramel icecream topping is 1 cup - flour is the same. You cook the final product 18-22 minutes - it took 22 minutes in my oven to produce a golden brown topping. Also - a good TIP is that if you refrigerate the carmelitas 1-2 hours before cutting (this helps the filling set up), they will not be crumbly and will cut perfectly. Plus - DON'T MELT THE BUTTER in the crust ingredients - just soften the butter (unsalted) to room temp. You will get a much nicer crumb topping this way. These bars are just wonderful! Another recipe I saw for these used 3-4 chopped Granny Smith apples mixed with 1 tsp. cinnamon for the "filling" instead of the choc.chips/nuts - I'll bet that would be fantastic, too. I'm going to try that combination next.

Fantastic cookies! My son is allergic to nuts, so I left out the pecans and made up for it with a bit more oats and chocolate chips. I also add 1 tsp of pure vanilla to the "crust" mixture. After making this several times, I've found the butter is the key to cookie consistency. If you melt the butter and add it when it's still warm, the crust will be more cookie-like (think Toll House cookies on top and bottom. If, however, you just soften the butter and add it at room temperature, they are more like bar cookies, with a distinct crust, chocolate chip & caramel layer, and a crumbly topping. In addition, putting them in the fridge for an hour or so before cutting improves them even more. These last about 2 days in our house and require at least a gallon of milk to be on hand. :)

Would have given it 5 stars because these are very very good however, I used all the same ingredients and measurements but my cooking time the second time was more like 30-40 minutes NOT 15!! Also many reviewers have used almost double the melted butter...I believe you must be using ROLLED oats insted of QUICK outs which are different. That is way too much butter for something going into a 9x9 pan!

These are incredible. I was at a bakery and they were giving samples of carmel oatmeal bars and I never thought I'd like them, but they were fantastic. I looked on here for a recipe, and these were even better than the bakery ones!

I doubled the recipe but kept the amount of chocolate chips to 1 cup. I used an electric knife to ensure smooth and sharp edges (SEE MY PHOTO) since it was a bit difficult to cut without crumbling. Be mindful of the serving amount. I can't see how a 9 x 9 pan can serve 36 people. I just doubled the recipe and it was "inhaled" my only 6 people. Thank you for the recipe!!

So yummy! I didn't have any carmel, so I used peanut butter (melted a bit in microwave) instead. Everyone loved it - my kids too.

Oh my GOD. Unbelievable. If you're making these, plan ahead: run an extra 20 minutes, or whatever you do to make up for cookies like these cuz there will be ZERO self control.

Fabulous! I made these for tailgating and they travelled very well and received rave reviews. People were fighting over them. They have the perfect amount of sweetness, although the amount of butter could probably be reduced. I was concerned at first because after 15 minutes of baking, the batter still looked runny in the middle. I think I ended up baking them for 30 minutes or more and they still had a soupy consistency. But after they cooled, they firmed up - whew!!

i'm not a big fan of semi-sweet chocolate...milk chocolate chips work just as well white chocolate chips don't take away from the caramel taste...if you really like caramel double the caramel mixture i also put a little more brown sugar in the oatmeal mixture too

Tsk, Tsk, delicious recipe, but except for the amount of chocolate chips, this is a copy of a winning recipe submitted by Pilsbury Cookoff winner Erlyce Larson, 1967. 1 star for not giving credit where it is due.

Wow! These are about as decadent as you can get. I had to leave out the walnuts due to allergies, so I used white chocolate chips in their place. I also doubled the recipe and baked them in a 9X13 pan. I baked the bottom crust an extra 5 minutes. Ooey, gooey and oh-so-delicious!

I just finished making these and they are truly 5 star!! Made exactly as written, 9 by 9 pan, I can see actually how this would serve 36...I had one small decadent square and it was outstanding! I would maybe add MORE nuts, but that's because I am a nut fanatic! Absolutely delicious and worthy of a 5 star rating!! Thanks so much for the great recipe!

These are very yummy. I've made them several times and everyone seems to enjoy them. I've made them with and without nuts, and I like them both ways. Last time I made them, I sprinkled the chocolate chips on the hot crust, allowed them to soften, then I spread them out with a knife, creating a layer of chocolate. I liked them better this way and will probably do that every time. Delicious!!!

These are very yummy, but with a name like carmelitas, I thought they would taste more like caramel and less like chocolate. Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate, but it wasn't what I was looking for in this recipe. After making this a few times, I have determined that my family likes it best if I reduce the butter to 2/3 cup, reduce the chocolate to 1/3 cup (about 2.5 oz) and omit the nuts. This cuts down on the greasiness and really lets that caramel flavor shine! A real keeper!

I made with the exact ingredients from the recipe. But used only 1/2 c butter instead of the 3/4 cup called for. They came out fine:not too crumbly These are, by far, one of my favorites bars, after making them. I only had an 8 x 8 pan, so mine were a little thicker, which was even better, in my opinon. I really enjoyed the chewy oatmeal part with the soft chocolate center, and the crunch from the nuts. I didn't use parchment or foil like some did (in their pictures) and other than sticking a little on the very edge, I had no trouble getting them out of the pan. But I did let them set up overnight before cutting. Thank you, for submitting this outstanding sweet treat recipe!

These are one of the most delicious cookie recipes I have ever made.AND I just stumbled upon them one late night surfing! I agree with other reviewers that the final baking time should be increased to achieve golden brown color. I am now going to sub peanut butter and chocolate for one batch and dark chocolate and raspberry preserves for another and finally hazelnut spread for my final batch. I think there are really endless possibilities for this recipe and I'm sure they will not last long. Happy baking!

I have never had an Oatmeal Carmelita before. I was under the impression that these were supposed to be soft and gooey, but mines came out kinda crunchy. Personally, I don't mind the crunch, but no one else in my family could really eat them because of it. This is what I did: I doubled up the recipe of the crust. I used macadamia nuts instead of walnuts, and I used chocolate covered raisins instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I thought that with my modifications, this was going to be cloyingly sweet, but it really wasn't. In fact, I probably could've used more sugar. I'm really not sure if I'm going to make these again.

YUM Yum and yum! So good. I only made two small changes. I had some crushed up graham crackers so I threw 1/3 cup in the oatmeal mix. I didn't taste it much but think this could be good. I also didn't have walnuts so I used peanuts. This is soooo good. Only problem is it was hard to get out of the pan!

I made these two times, followed the recipe and they seemed a little runny. Will make them again but look for modifications to stop this from happening again.

These were soooo good! I did use 1c. of walnuts, because I like a lot of nuts. Note: press top crumble into walnut, carmel mixture or it may be too crumbly.

simply. amazing. This is a new top fav for my entire family!

Great with changes. It's very sweet as is, and I'd say it serves more like 12 for a 9x9 or 18-24 for a 9x13. I one and a half the recipe (a 9x13 is a bit more than 1.5x the size of a 9x9) by changing the servings to 54 and use MOST of those measurements instead. I use 2 sticks of softened (not melted or it'll make your crust tough!) butter, less chocolate chips than called for (maybe 5 oz. for the 1 1/2 recipe) and one 12 oz. jar of caramel (an even cup? Why is 12 oz. an even cup? I measured it and it's exactly 1 cup...). I bake it all in a Pyrex 9x13 for the suggested times. It's crazy simple and travels, stores & freezes beautifully. Perfect pot luck or BBQ take-along. This would be great with ice cream for those of you who love to gild the lily...

One variation for apple crumb bars. The substitution for the middle of the bars is a 21 oz can of apple pie filling. Puree the filling. Put the filling into a sauce pan and bring it to a full boil. Add 1/2 tsp liquid pectin (gelling agent) and continue to boil for one minute. Take the pot off the heat quickly and add 5 tblsp of flour. Mix well and spread over the cooked crust of the bar.

I've made this recipe many times now and it has been met with rave reviews each time. I did have to bake it longer then the suggested time the second time in the oven- probably 20 minutes and I did find that the amount of butter is a little over whelming and tends to make it even a little greasy. I'd recommend cutting back on the butter by two or three tablespoons. But this recipe is fantastic because you can mix up the ingredients in the middle to suit anyone's taste. Over all the recipe is excellent the way it is but I've made it with peanut butter chips in the middle as well as chocolate. I've also made it adding coconut. It all depends on what you're in the mood for. But make a double batch because they disappear quickly!

These are my very favorite treat. The only alteration I made was to make my own carmel sauce as I don't keep premade in the house. Very simple and everyone in my house loves them.

Absolutely delicious! The cook time was a little longer for me, about ten more minutes for it to brown. Regardless, they were so good and chewy. I don't usually like nuts in desserts but you don't even notice them in this recipe (I used chopped pecans). The perfect balance of ingredients. I will make this again and again.

These are wonderful! I've made these many times in the last two years, not sure why I haven't reviewed this before now. Anyway, I made according to recipe except that I used pecans instead of walnuts just b/c I don't care for them. I grease my glass pan and have never had a problem getting them out. They are definitely rich but even better topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping!!!

Not sure what it is but these are exceptionally delicious. Definitely one of my favorites.

Delicious! Waiting for these to cool is torture!

I started out making this for our cookie exchange here at work, but while typing out the recipe book we were handing out there seemed to be a lot of recipes with oatmeal and chocolate so I kept these for my husband and me to snack on and made something else. I'm SO glad I did.. I absolutely loved these cookies and they are now on my all-time favorite list. Absolutely agree that the 9x9 is not enough for 3 dozen but it is well worth doubling the recipe because the 9x9 is not enough for me. YUMMY!

These are fantastic! Every single time I've made them they are a huge hit. I've tried cutting the butter, and I end up having them being too crumbly, but still delicious carmelitas. I've finally accepted that I have to use all the butter if I want to make a good presentation with them. I don't happen to like walnuts so I subsitute pecans. I've also used peanut butter, but they are much better with caramel.

Make sure to use quick oats

These are truly incredible. After baking a batch and sending them with my husband to work, complete strangers called me to get the recipe, and now they ask for them regularly. It's true that they taste better after a night in the fridge, but just try to get them to last that long, I dare you!

These are absolutely decadent and so easy to put together. The only thing I did differently was to leave out the walnuts b/c I didn't have them in the pantry. my bars came out of the pan just fine and they were easy to cut after about an hour of cooling time. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I know I'll be making these a lot!

Really good and easy to make!! reminded me of something you'd get at a Starbucks!!

I didn't think i was going to like these as much as i did but they were great. took for dessert to a friends house and everyone goo goo'd over them! Not quite as decedent as the 7 layer bars, but these are fast and easy and super good!!

Excellent recipe! My kitchen is being remodeled, and I do not have a sink or dishwasher. I mixed the ingredients in a gallon sized zipper bag, melted the butter in a paper bowl and stirred the caramel with a plastic spoon. To bake them, I bought a cheap $1 foil pan. They came out HEAVENLY and without a single dish to wash!!! It's our new favorite recipe and I am baking another batch right now!!! The only thing I did differently was to use pecans instead of walnuts. Mmmmm!

Wow these were good! It is hard to stop eating them! I only used 1/2 cup of regular oats, (I thought I had the whole cup) and it turned out fine. I also used caramel apple dipping sauce, and that worked out great too.

These were SOO good! At first I thought I hadn't gotten them quite right, but after a night in the fridge they were perfect!

Better get yours quick because they never last long. even had people who don't care for carmel rave about these things. instant hit at any bake sale.

I took the advise from some of the other reviews to bake it longer (+20 mins). My family and I literally inhaled them once they cooled down. These are the best!

I LOVED these! Taste just like they came from the bakery, and they looked pretty too. Everyone enjoyed these, and even took some of them home! I followed the advice of others and used only softened butter vs. melted, other than that I followed this recipe to a T. I will certainly be making these again.

Eh... My boyfriend liked them but they were not very presentable and I didn't acre for them. Nor did my co-workers or his. Probably not going to make these again.

I made these two days ago(as I MADE my husband save some of them to test the theory of them being better the 2nd day), they are! I did not have 9in pan, so I used my 8x8. I ended up baking the bottom crust probably 15 mins instead of 10, but that's b/c it was thicker. I ran out of butter, so I had to use just a small dash of oil to make it up. With such a small amount, it made no difference. I did the 3/4c chocolate chips. And 1c the caramel topping. Others said that they couldn't really taste the caramel, and besides 3/4c took the jar almost completely away anyhow. Baked for about 30 mins. My husband cut into them about an hour later, and they were a pretty gooey mess, but had GREAT flavor. They sat overnight, and man, are these bars rich and delicious. But note that if you don't like rich things..you won't like this! I would cut back on the chocolate chips for my personal taste, keep the caramel where it's at!

Rich, warm and very delicious. Easy too, which is dangerous. I made no changes to this recipe and was very happy with the results. So was everyone else. It took 10 minutes for the pan to disappear.

I did not love these but everyone else at work did so I am giving it 5 stars based on that. They are just like date squares but instead of dates its chocolate and caramel. I used dulce de leche which is a slightly thicker version of carmel sauce. As a result of it being thicker I used slightly less flour over the mixture of carmel and chocolate, 2 tbsp instead of 3. They were easy enough to make and had a nice texture.

I made these pretty much by the recipe (which I doubled and made in a 13x9 pan) except that I mixed both chocolate chips and butterscotch chips (OMG - to die for!) and I also sprinkled coconut on top. I am not even kidding you... these are soooo super yummy! Incredibly rich, totally delicious, and a big, cold glass of milk is a must. My family is gobbling them up as I type. They definitely need a good hour or so to get nice a cool in the fridge before cutting or they're just a mushed up mess. If you can't wait the hour to let them cool, then you may just want to dig into that mess with a really big spoon =] This one's a keeper.

I made this batch twice. The first time came out too dry and separated. The second time amazing. For me the key was to use 1 1/2 cups of melted butter for the crumble mixture. Then I double the amount of caramel in the center. Baked it for 20-25 minutes. These didn't last very long.

Super easy recipe, reviews on how they tasted aren't back yet. I omitted the nuts but didn't substitute anything more than a few extra semi-sweet chips, so that probably affected the consistency. Mine turned out a little gooey with all of the caramel. Next time, if I omit the nuts again, I will make more crust to contain everything. I did bake an extra 10 minutes to achieve the golden brown and used softened rather than melted butter as others have suggested. No problems getting it out of the well-buttered pan other than all of the sticky caramel.

Yummy and easy! I did use my homemade caramel that didn't quite firm up. I also used, all whole wheat white flour and 1/2 cup butter, instead of 3/4 cup butter. Also used a heaping 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chips and heaping 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips. Sprinkled half with chopped pecans. Very yummy!

I was looking for a recipe to use up a jar of Chef John's Salted Caramel recipe that I had in the fridge and this was it! I had all of the other ingredients on hand except for walnuts, which I would not have put in anyway due to our preferances. These are delicious! I find them neither too sweet or too greasy. They are rich and decadent. I will add this to my list of goodies to bake often!

Made them once, will not make again. As one other member said it like eating date squares but with chocoate in the middle. I would actually prefer eating date squares!

These are fabulous or as my 8 year old daughter put it "these are heaven in my mouth mom"!! We will make this again and again. Thanks for a great recipe :0)

Made these awhile ago and from what I remember, they were quite good. Also nice that preparation is really simplistic to.

very good and rich. I add extra oatmeal mix to the top.

The walnuts can be left out, they don't add much to the dessert, but this is the tastiest bar I have had. I had to double the oatmeal cookie recipe for a 13x9" pan, and I cooked it the time it stated, and it was undercooked, but I like it that way, so I kept it. It really does taste better the next day!

Wow is this good. I made it for my bunko group and everyone loved it. I made it without the nuts in case someone was allergic. Don't think they are needed to make this one a winner. Very easy to make and I just put it in the fridge once it had cooled some to keep the carmel and chocolate chips from being too gooey or sticky when eating it. Definitely will be using this recipe again.

Fabulous! I made these for a bake sale and they were devoured.

Very good...would like them to be a little less crumbly though. Had a hard time getting the crust to stay together.

I doubled everything for a 9 x 13 pan. The only thing I will do different next time is not double the butter. I thought there was way more than needed. Thanks for a great recipe!

quick to make and quick to be eaten...but next time I will try and cut down on the butter. The were very grease

These were totally awesome. I wanted a larger pan full of these. I used a 9x13 pan but then made 1-1/2 batches and it was just right for a 9x13 pan. Disappeared fast!!!!!!!!

Looked tastey, seemed bland to hubby & I. Fell apart, not in a good way either.

I screwed this up in an attempt to double in a 9x13. Flavor was great, but definitely missing something, and way too much butter by just simply doubling the recipe.

Fabulous! You can't go wrong with this recipe. Everyone loves them. No need to change a thing.

These were so good. Made them for a party and everyone loved them. Easy to make. Thanks for the recipe!

So delicious! Pretty easy to make.

Yum, these are great. I didn't use nuts and used some toffee bits I had instead. After they cooled I cut them, wrapped them individually, and froze them. They are good right out of the freezer! Thanks!

Good, but very very rich. I don't know if I'll make again because they're a little overwhelming. I much prefer the oatmeal bars with fruit than this!

I made these last night and they are so good! They are really gooey and want to break apart real easily when taking out of the pan. Next time I might decrease the butter just a tiny bit or not spray the pan first because you really don't need to because of all the melted butter used for the oatmeal crust

Fabulous Bars! Try them you wont regret it! Everyone loves!

Just finished making these, and if you're a stickler for expecting the same results such as those provided in the recipe, do know the following: 1) Not sure of the assessment of the texture of the first mixture before it goes in - it's not "crumbly" but is of a sticky consistency. 2) not sure what, in step #3, the line stating "you will need to break it into small pieces to cover" is trying to convey. You're drizzling the caramel mix over the bar form --there's no "breaking" that needs to take place. Just spoon it over and smooth it out. I have no doubt these will be very yummy but just wanted to clarify some of the expectations set in the original recipe text.

This was a really nice cookie/bar recipe. I did double the crust ingredients to make a 13x9 pan and left the topping ingredients the same. It was time consuming in regards to having it set up to cut. I originally was going to make these for a cookie exchange (11doz) but considering how much time was needed to have these cool and set up I decided against it. It is a great recipe though.

Well received at work

Good flavor, texture. I would suggest waiting until the next day to cut them up. Otherwise they will fall apart. Best served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

These were so yummy. Altho i had to do mine alittle different..i used almonds b/c that was all i had and i didnt have carmel i had butterscotch so i used that..they came out really good!! I think my fave part was the chocolate. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

If I could give more stars I would! This was incredibly outrageous. {the perfect PMS fix.} I made it to bring to my neighbors for dessert. She made me leave the leftovers with her! I can't wait to make this again...like maybe tomorrow! The best ever.

This should be rated FIVE stars!!! I am pretty sure that this is the BEST cookie bar I have EVER had, including store-bought and everything. They are so moist and just yummy! I used warm chocolate fudge instead of carmel, and they were just lovely. I was making them with a bunch of little kids who love baking, and they had a great time. Defidently try these!!!

THIS IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE BAR COOKIE RECIPE!!!! Although, I do use mrs. richardson's how fudge instead of caramel for the filling. The walnuts are a MUST, so if you don't like them, you minus well skip this recipe. They add so much flavor!!!

This is the best recipe ever! My husband says they are his favorites and he eats A LOT of sweets! My co-workers say that if I made these everyday they'd be happy happy!. I didn't have walnuts one time and used cashews, they were still really good. I think any nut would be delicious in this recipe~!

So awesome and easy!

Very sweet and good! I agree with some that it's too much butter. I used full amount, and I don't think it needed it - made the bar heavy.

Oh yea! These are really really good. These blow away Magic Bars (and I really like Magic Bars) :-)

Absolutely delish! But if you are watching your waistline, don't rely on the nutrition information. It is based on 36 servings from a 9x9 pan. I'd like to meet the person with enough self control to stop with one of those tiny pieces.

If you haven't tried this, don't miss it!! Incredibly yummy!! I made several batches for holiday family parties (they always disappeared fast!), and my dough never turned out crumbly. It was a breeze to press into the bottom of the pan, as well as to cover the top. This recipe turned out perfect the first time and every time. It's a keeper for sure. Thank you!

Not bad. Mine were not quite as sweet as I'd like and I'd say definitely too floury as is. However, I see a lot of potential in this recipe and I won't give up that easily. Made this as dessert with chicken pasta. I made mine with caramel-milk chocolate morsels and it came out very well using that. For presentation, I squeezed caramel in a drizzle pattern first and then melted chocolate with a little butter and drizzled that over the caramel. Pretty good as is, and with tweaking, it can only get better. DF loved these and said they were remniscent of Chewy bars. Thanks for the recipe!

I make these according to the recipe and they always turn out great! Everyone loves them. I would suggest making them several hours (or a day) ahead of time because they take a while to set up to bar form. I usually end up eating them while they're still warm (with a spoon)... :)

Wow good. Took them to work and they were devoured.

YUMMY! Hello chocolate lovers this is the recipe for you! Very easy to prepare, definitely will make this again. Also, I think the topping/crust would be absolutely, sinfully DELICIOUS as a topping on vanilla ice cream. I was eating it out of the bowl!!

The blend of ingredients is totally up my alley. The picture makes my mouth water! Yum

These were so easy and quick! I left out the nuts since we're not fans. Very rich and yummy!!

As long as you are making, you might as well double and do a 9x13(unless you are afraid that you will eat them all as they are addictive). There is nothing that I didn't like about them - they are a delicious bar cookie.

delicious

the first time i made them i remember i altered it a little and it was soo yummy. the second time is was still just as good but a lot messier, kinda of all mixed together that time rather then layers, had to eat with a spoon.

I had these years ago from a friend who moved and I never got the recipe. Yeaaa for All Recipes! These are so awesome, I think we finished the whole pan in 1 day. Delicious!

So delicious! I only had one stick of butter in the house, but they came out great. I thought they were so good while still warm, but they're even better the next day! Mmmmm....

I would use real caramel next time even though the topping was easier to work with; they would have more flavor.

Incredible!! To keep these from being sickly sweet, cut the brown sugar and the caramel syrup to 1/2 cup. A tsp of vanilla is a nice addition. My guests can't get enough of this.

good, rich flavor. I made the recipe as is and i felt like it was a little too much butter - my bottom crust was a little greasy. Also, I might add a little more of the filling next time