This Carmelitas recipe is a little different than your ordinary oatmeal caramel bar. They are filled with a peanut butter caramel sauce that is layered over white chocolate.
What Are Carmelitas?
Carmelitas are a simple bar made with a mixture of flour and oats, layered with caramel sauce and often some sort of chocolate chip. Most often you find semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips layered in, which balances some of the sweet caramel sauce. The key to a good caramelita is to watch the bake time Bake too long and the caramel isn’t gooey enough and the oatmeal browns too much. If you don’t make them long enough the caramel doesn’t set and the oatmeal crumbles. Both ways will still taste good, it is just finding balance.
WHERE IS THE CARMELITA RECIPE?
If you’d rather skip cooking tips, suggestions, handy substitutions, related recipe ideas – and get straight to the Carmelita Recipe– simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card.
How To Make Peanut Butter Caramelitas Recipe
This recipe starts by making your caramel sauce. I melt unwrapped caramels in a small saucepan on the stovetop with a little heavy cream. The cream keeps it from burning and keeps it smooth and creamy. Once the caramels have melted, I stir in a little peanut butter and set aside.
The bottom an top layers of the bars is a mixture of oats, flour, brown sugar, and few other basic ingredients. Stir in melted butter and press half of the bars into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake the bottom layer for about 8 minutes. When the “crust” comes it out, it will be very soft. That is totally ok. Sprinkle white chocolate chips over the bottom (although any flavor of chips will d0) pour on the caramel and then sprinkle on the remaining crust. The bars will go back on the oven for about 12 minutes. Be sure to cut these into bars while still warm, otherwise, the caramel may be hard to cut when cooled.
Can You Freeze This Caramelitas Recipe?
You can certainly freeze these, be sure they are cut in advance and stored in an airtight container. I am also going to say that will take an enormous amount of will power to store these in the freezer, I mean one taste you will be agoner!
Love caramel? How about a Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Pie? Chocolate Caramel Brookie Bars? Chocolate Caramel Brookies Or Salted Caramel Eclair Cake?
Peanut Butter Carmelitas Recipe
This Carmelitas recipe is a little different than your ordinary oatmeal caramel bar. They are filled with a peanut butter caramel sauce that is layered over white chocolate.
Ingredients
- 1 14oz package caramels
- 5 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup oats
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 11.5 oz package white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. In a medium sauce pan combine unwrapped caramels and heavy cream over low heat. Stir occasionally until caramels melt. Add peanut butter and stir until completely smooth.
- Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir in melted butter. Spread half the mixture onto a 9X13 pan. Layer will be thin. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes.
- When crust is ready, sprinkle white chocolate over crust and top with peanut butter caramel layer. Sprinkle remaining crust over top of caramel, gently pressing it into caramel. Bake for an additional 12 minutes or until crust is lightly toasted. Cut into bars before it cools completely.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 410Total Fat 22gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 35mgSodium 255mgCarbohydrates 51gFiber 1gSugar 38gProtein 5g
Kim of Mo'Betta says
I love it when I have an excuse to bake! I need people to share with, otherwise I will eat the entire thing myself. I have no self control!
Lemonsforlulu says
Yes!!! I don’t need left overs of anything either!
Ashli (ashliscookiecreations) says
Those look absolutely YUMMY! 🙂
Lemonsforlulu says
Thank you!
Pamela says
Now these look really YUMMY! I will be making these, and pinning!
Lemonsforlulu says
Yeah! Hope you get to maker hem!
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life says
1. I agree having friends over is the perfect excuse to bake goodies.
2. Sending a plate of goodies away is another good excuse:-)
3. Caramel and peanut butter…fantastic combo idea.
4. I hoard bags of chocolate chips too. We would get along so great in person!!!!
5. Perfectly normal to lick the pan. LOL:-)
Lemonsforlulu says
Having a dinner party is totally an excuse to bake and NOT pig out on leftovers! Thank you for saying it’s normal to lick the pan! Whew! Thought it was just me. And hoarders love company!
carolinaheartstrings says
This looks just fantastic. Great picture. I cannot wait to try our recipe. Come over and visit us. We would love to have you.
Lemonsforlulu says
I hope you do try it! I’ll be heading over to see you soon!
ChgoJohn says
Be thankful I wasn’t a guest or you would’ve had to frisk me. I surely would have spirited a few of them away. You serve me peanut butter and caramel and expect me to be “prudent.” Ha! 🙂
Lemonsforlulu says
Ok, John, I would’ve sent home a plate just for you! But you would have had to kept it a secret!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel says
Yes please! PB + caramel is my new favorite, unexpected flavor combo. It works SO well together, especially in these bars 🙂
Lemonsforlulu says
Oh it’s an amazing combo!!! Why don’t I eat this more often??
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
Oh my goodness YES! Peanut butter and caramel, be still my heart. 🙂
Lemonsforlulu says
The perfect combo!
Karyn - Pint Sized Baker says
Hey there… I want to let you know that I am awarding you the Sunshine Award. I love your site! You have beautiful pictures of yummy food.
https://pintsizedbaker.blogspot.com/2012/08/sunshine-award-thank-you.html
Lemonsforlulu says
The Sunshine Award!! Yeah! Thank you!
Nichi - The Mandatory Mooch says
This looks delicious!! I’d love to have you link this up to Tasty Thursdays on The Mandatory Mooch. https://mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/2012/08/tasty-thursdays-2.html
Thanks, Nichi
Lemonsforlulu says
I’ll be there Thursday! Thank you!
Back For Seconds says
These sound amazing! I wouldn’t want to send any away either! Thank you so much for being a part of the Back For Seconds Social!!
Lemonsforlulu says
Thanks for having me!
Rhiannon-Baked In The South says
fabulous! we would love for you to link up some of your recipes over at our party!
https://baked-inthesouth.blogspot.com/2012/07/made-it-by-monday-link-party_31.html
Lemonsforlulu says
Thank you! I’d love to link up!
Winnie says
These are such wonderful treat!
I can probably eat half of these bars all by myself
Lemonsforlulu says
I think I DID eat half!
Carol ( Answer Is Chocolate) says
Oh Em Gee. These look delish. Thanks for sharing at this week’s BFF Open House!
Lemonsforlulu says
Thank you for having me and for stopping by!
kelley @ Miss Information says
Yummy Yummy thanks for linking up at Miss Information
Lemonsforlulu says
Thanks for having me! Love linking up!
Laura says
Delish! I know its time for bed when my mouth starts watering! Laura from Real Momma stopping by to say thanks for linking up to the Best of Your Best blog hop!
Lemonsforlulu says
Thanks for having me! Sorry about the watery mouth!
Erin @ Making Memories says
You’re right! This does look and sound heavenly! (I’d lick the pan too) =o)
Lemonsforlulu says
I’m happy I’m not the only pan licker! Thanks for stopping by!
Jaimie @ {roxylove} says
Oh, wow! These look SO AMAZING! Yum!
Lemonsforlulu says
Thank you! I am biased of course, but I thought they tasted amazing!
Lindsay says
Oh My Gosh! It is all my favorite things in one…I have gone to heaven. Thank you for sharing this at the I heart naptime link party!
Lemonsforlulu says
My favorite things too! We’d get along nicely! Thanks for visiting!
Lisa @hooplapalooza says
Dang! It’s almosgt noon & I haven’t even had breakfast yet but that will soon change. I’m going to the store now and get the ingredients to make these for lunch 🙂 LOL
Lemonsforlulu says
The perfect lunch in my opinion! Hey it does have oats and peanut butter!!
Di Jinx says
Wow! Those look super duper!! Def have to try:) I found your link on Sweet Sharing Monday Wrapup. These are so pinned! Speaking of pinning, if you get a moment, please check out what I shared:
https://www.cookthetv.com/2012/08/want-to-pin-more-of-your-blog.html
Thanks! Di{CookTheTV}
Lemonsforlulu says
Hope you try them! Thanks for stopping by!
Becky says
We probably would have had a fist fight over these! hahaha! I would have kept them too! Yum! Thanks for linking to Foodtastic Friday!
Lemonsforlulu says
Thanks for the party! These were fight worthy!
Alyssa says
These look so delicious! I love how gooey the caramel makes them. I also really like the addition of the white chocolate and peanut butter. Thanks for sharing at Showcase Your Talent Thursday!
Lemonsforlulu says
Gooey is the right word!! It was a great combination!
Nichi - The Mandatory Mooch says
Thank you so much for linking up to Tasty Thursdays last week. Hope to see you again this week!! The party is live at https://mandatorymooch.blogspot.com/2012/08/tasty-thursdays-3.html
Nichi – The Mandatory Mooch
Lemonsforlulu says
Will be there!
Mackenzie says
You are a featured favorite on Saturday Show & Tell on Cheerios and Lattes this week!
Mackenzie 🙂
Lemonsforlulu says
Wahoo! Thank you so much, that is so awesome!
Desi says
OMG I just pinned this recipe today (it looks amazing btw) and then I saw your comment on my blog that you live in Cincinnati too and are close to the Clermont Co Fair I was posting about!! What a small world! I so love to find fellow Cincinnati bloggers, I only know of a few. That’s so cool! It’s on my bucket list to meet up with a fellow Cincinnati blogger so let me know if you are ever interested 🙂
Lemonsforlulu says
Thank you! How cool is it that we grew up in the same city!
Meg @ Sweet Twist says
These sound great with or without peanut butter
Lemonsforlulu says
Thanks Meg, they really are good!
Rachel @ I Love My Disorganized Life says
Anything with caramel and I’m in!
Lemonsforlulu says
Oh me too, I could swim in it!
Sarah says
I can’t seem to find where you posted the recipe. 🙁