Dulce de leche bars are rich, sweet dessert treats made with dulce de leche, a thick, slow-cooked caramel-like sauce or spread created by heating sweetened condensed milk until it turns golden brown and deeply flavorful.
Dulce de leche bars taste like a chewy oatmeal cookie got crossed with a Twix bar and a warm piece of caramel fudge. You get a really buttery, brown sugar crunch on top and bottom, but the middle is pure gooey caramel with little crunchy bits of English toffee mixed throughout. Super rich, sweet, and melts in your mouth!
Ingredients
- ▢ — 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ▢ — 1 ½ cups quick cooking oatmeal
- ▢ — 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ▢ — ¼ tsp. salt
- ▢ — 1 cup butter
- ▢ — 1 can Dulce De Leche
- ▢ — 1 cup toffee bits
Note
- ▢ — Remove the paper label from a 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk.
- ▢ — Place the sealed can in a large pot.
- ▢ — Add enough water to keep the can fully covered by 1 to 2 inches at all times.
- ▢ — Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower it to a gentle simmer.
- ▢ — Simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Add more hot water as needed so the can stays fully submerged (this is crucial).
- ▢ — Turn off the heat and let the can cool completely in the water before opening it.
You can find cans of dulce de leche in the Hispanic foods aisle of most grocery stores. Or make your own. It’s just caramelized sweetened condensed milk. To do so;
Instructions
- ▢ — Heat oven to 350 degrees
- ▢ — In a large bowl Mix flour, oatmeal, brown sugar and salt.
- ▢ — Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
- ▢ — Press ¾ of the mixture in the bottom of 13×9 inch pan, ungreased.
- ▢ — Bake 10 minutes.
- ▢ — Meanwhile, in a 1 quart saucepan, heat Dulce De Leche over low heat 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until it is slightly softened.
- ▢ — Spread Dulce De Leche over crust.
- ▢ — Sprinkle with toffee bits and remaining crumb mixture.
- ▢ — Return to oven and bake 20-25 minutes.
- ▢ — Cool 15 minutes, then run knife around sides of the pan.
- ▢ — Cool another 30 minutes before cutting into bars.
