Dulce de Leche Cookie Bars

These dulce de leche cookie bars are one of the best desserts I’ve made recently. A thick layer of caramel-like dulce de leche sandwiched between two layers of chocolate chip cookie dough. Seriously good.

They’re easy to put together and don’t require any fancy ingredients or techniques. If you can make basic cookie dough, you can make these bars.

The combination of buttery cookie dough, rich dulce de leche, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top is hard to beat. Sweet, salty, and chewy all in one bite.

I like to refrigerate them before slicing so the filling firms up nicely. It makes them easier to cut and gives them a better texture overall.

If you’re looking for a dessert that’s simple but impressive, these cookie bars are a great pick.

Why You’ll Love It

The Dulce de Leche Layer Is Incredible – A whole can of dulce de leche creates a thick caramel center that makes these bars insanely rich and gooey.

Sweet and Salty Combo – The flaky sea salt on top cuts through the sweetness and makes every bite perfectly balanced.

Way Easier Than Making Cookies – You just press the dough into a pan instead of scooping and baking batches one tray at a time.

Recipe Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

For the Filling

• 1 (13.4 oz) can Dulce de Leche
• Flaky Sea Salt for topping

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides.

Step 2

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Step 3

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Step 4

Press about two-thirds of the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. It helps to dampen your fingers slightly to prevent sticking.

Step 5

Spread the entire can of dulce de leche evenly over the cookie dough base, leaving a very thin border around the edges.

Step 6

Take small pieces of the remaining cookie dough and flatten them between your palms. Lay them over the dulce de leche layer, covering as much surface as you can. Small gaps are perfectly fine as the dough will spread in the oven.

Step 7

Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges are set. Let the bars cool completely in the pan, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the dulce de leche to firm up. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before slicing.

My Tips

Chill the Dough if It’s Too Soft

If your kitchen is warm or the butter was a little too soft, the remaining one-third of dough you need to flatten and lay on top can be really sticky and hard to work with.

Pop it in the fridge for about 15 minutes while you press the base layer and spread the dulce de leche. It firms up just enough so you can flatten pieces between your palms without them turning into a melty mess.

This also helps the top pieces hold their shape better in the oven so you get that nice patchwork look on top instead of everything melting flat immediately.

Get the Base Layer Thin and Even

When you press that two-thirds of dough into the pan, make sure it’s an even thickness everywhere, especially in the corners. If it’s thicker in some spots, those areas will be underbaked while the thinner parts overbake.

Dampen your fingertips with a tiny bit of water and press the dough down firmly. You want it compact and flat, not puffy. Think of it more like a crust than a cookie layer.

If you notice the dough pulling away from the parchment, just press it back down. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but getting it relatively uniform makes a big difference in how evenly everything bakes.

Don’t Skip the Refrigerator Step

After baking, these bars need at least a full hour in the fridge before you cut them. The dulce de leche layer is very soft and gooey when warm, and if you try to slice them too early, everything slides apart and you get a sticky mess instead of clean bars.

If you can wait even longer, like 2 to 3 hours or overnight, the bars hold together even better and the layers stay distinct when you cut. The texture actually improves after chilling because the cookie layers firm up and contrast nicely with the caramel center.

More Recipes

• Biscoff Fudgy Brownies
• Strawberry Crumble Bars
• Tres Leches Cake

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use homemade dulce de leche instead of canned?

Absolutely, homemade dulce de leche works great here. Just make sure it has a thick, spreadable consistency similar to what you get from a can. If it’s too runny, it won’t set properly and your bars will be messy to slice.

If your homemade version is on the thinner side, you can simmer it on the stove for a few extra minutes until it thickens up. Let it cool down a bit before spreading it over the cookie dough base.