Salted Caramel Cookie Bars (Made with Sugar Cookie Dough!)

Transform refrigerated sugar cookie dough into gooey, bakery-style salted caramel cookie bars with Bequet caramels. Simple, buttery, and completely irresistible.

If you’re craving something sweet, buttery, and unapologetically gooey, these caramel cookie bars are your next obsession. They start with store-bought sugar cookie dough and bake up into golden, chewy blondies layered with swirls of soft Bequet caramel. A hint of brown sugar and butter gives them that bakery-style richness, while the melted caramels form a glossy, crackly top that looks straight out of a pastry case.

Looking for more cookie recipes? Try these Reese Piece's Cookies (same store bought hack!), Cookies and cream cookies, or even sugar cookie flavored marshmallows!

Bakery-Style Sugar Cookie Blondies with Bequet Caramel

Refrigerated sugar cookie dough is already sweet and buttery—but on its own, it bakes up a little plain. Adding egg, brown sugar, and vanilla transforms it into a true blondie base: rich, dense, and chewy. A spoonful of peanut butter adds body and depth (without tasting peanut-y), while a touch of flour keeps the structure perfect. Then come the Bequet caramels—melting into shiny, gooey layers that make these caramel cookie bars look and taste like they came from a professional bakery.

Ingredients

Each ingredient is chosen to amplify that buttery bakery texture. Peanut butter adds chew and density, balancing the sweetness. The Bequet caramels melt into golden ribbons that create that perfect sticky-chewy texture every blondie needs.

• Refrigerated sugar cookie dough (about 1½ packages, ~24 oz total)
• Egg (use yolk only for gooier texture, or whole egg for chewy stability)
• Creamy peanut butter
• All-purpose flour
• Vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Bequet caramels (2 packages)

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cookie dough, egg, peanut butter, flour, vanilla, and salt. Mix until the dough becomes a smooth, thick batter.
3. Press half the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
4. Top with one pack of Bequet caramels, evenly spaced or gently pressed in.
5. Spread remaining batter over the caramels, smoothing the top.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove and top with the remaining caramels.
7. Return to oven for another 10 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center looks set but still soft.
8. Cool completely in the pan before slicing into squares.

Hint: For perfectly gooey centers, use only the egg yolk and let the blondies cool completely before cutting. If you prefer more structure, use the whole egg and chill before slicing for clean edges

Equipment for Salted Caramel Cookie Bars

You don’t need much to make these caramel blondies, and that’s part of the magic. A few basic kitchen tools help you get those perfect, bakery-style results without any fuss:

• Mixing bowl + spatula
• Hand or stand mixer (optional)
• 8×8-inch baking pan
• Parchment paper
• Nonstick spray or butter (for greasing)
• Cooling rack

Storage

Store the caramel cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 2 months. To re-soften, microwave individual squares for 10–15 seconds for that just-baked caramel melt.

Why This Blondie Hack Works

Store-bought dough gives you a reliable base, but it often needs a little help to hit that bakery-level texture. Adding an egg and a touch of flour gives the cookies lift and structure, while peanut butter adds fat and flavor for that melt-in-your-mouth softness. This sugar cookie dough hack nails the balance between convenience and “did you really make these from store-bought dough?” energy.

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Bakery-Style Sugar Cookie Blondies with Bequet Caramel