Caramel Macchiato Cookie Bars

Mini Me is really feeling her young adultness lately. She’s very big on mascara, shopping hauls and having her own debit card. She also loves going to meet her friends at Starbucks to “study” after school. Her favorite drink there is a Caramel Macchiato. So I bought some caramel-flavored creamer so that she could make them at home. She puts in about one tablespoon of coffee and the rest is creamer, but she loves it, and she feels very grown up. There’s still a lot of little kid in her, thankfully. So I thought that making these Caramel Macchiato Cookie Bars would bring a smile.

What is a Caramel Macchiato?

The word macchiato in Italian means “to mark” or “to stain”. And that’s what espresso does to the steamed milk that it’s poured over in a traditional espresso macchiato. The Starbucks version has vanilla syrup at the bottom of the cup. It’s topped with steamed milk and then espresso. Finally, a generous drizzle of caramel sauce gives it the final touch.

How to make Caramel Macchiato Cookie Bars

To stay true to the famous beverage, we are basically making an espresso-kissed vanilla cookie layer to represent the latte part of the drink. This cookie will be a cross between crispy and chewy. I like to just describe the texture as “soft”. It’s honestly so good, even without the chocolate layer.

So we’ll spread the cookie layer in a 9×13 baking pan. I like to use a pan that has defined edges. But we’ve all got those 9×13 baking dishes with the rounded corners. If that’s all you have, it’s fine to use. You can do some trimming once the Caramel Macchiato Cookie Bars are finished to give them defined edges.

Once the cookie layer bakes and cools, we’ll cover it with a layer of melted dark chocolate. Let it set by giving it a little time in the freezer. It will be much easier to slice into bars. Then…. drum roll… the caramel.

They’re like a coffee drink in cookie form! I don’t know about you, but if I have a choice between a coffee drink or a cookie…. well, I’d take both. Who am I kidding. If you make these Caramel Macchiato Cookie Bars, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!

Caramel Macchiato Cookie Bars

Soft, espresso-flavored vanilla cookies topped with a thick layer of dark chocolate and gooey caramel

3 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

freezing 1 hour hr

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 20 bars

Ingredients

  

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• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup caramel sauce
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. instant espresso powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• t tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp. hot water

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract and sour cream.
• In a small bowl, combine the espresso powder and hot water. Stir until the espresso powder is dissolved. Beat into the butter mixture until incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. Blend into the wet ingredients.
• Coat a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. Press the cookie batter into the pan, making sure to press into the corners. Bake 20 minutes.
• Stir chocolate chips and coconut oil together in a microwave safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until it's smooth and spreadable. Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the cookie layer. Cover and freeze for 1 hour.
• Remove from freezer and slice into bars. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.

Keyword chocolate, cookies, dessert

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