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Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Caramel Squares: Just 7 Ingredients in Bake-Off Favorite

By Niela Frantellizzi, Boca Raton, FL

Warm, rich chocolate, hearty oats, oozing caramel: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Caramel Squares have it all.

If the ingredients were not enough to entice you as a comfort food, this easy cookie recipe is even more appealing in that it is simple to make.

The recipe calls for just 7 ingredients – and one of them is pre-made cookie dough.

It’s easy to see why the bars were a favorite recipe from the iconic Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest #37 in 1996.

Prep time: about 35-40 minutes, including baking

Bake time: 35-37 minutes, divided

Cooling time: 1 ½ hours

Makes 16-25 squares

Ingredients

1 roll (16-17 ounces) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, such as Pillsbury® Create ‘n Bake refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

1 cup quick oatmeal

2/3 cup caramel topping (about 8 ounces)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup chopped walnuts

1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Caramel Squares

• Preheat oven to 350º F. Line an 8 x 8 baking pan with foil. Spray foil lightly with vegetable spray.
  
  
• In a large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in oatmeal. Set aside ½ cup cookie dough-oatmeal mixture. Press remaining cookie dough into prepared pan.
  
  
• Bake 10-12 minutes or until dough puffs and appears dry.
  
  
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together caramel topping, four and vanilla until well blended.
  
  
• Remove baked crust from the oven. Sprinkled crust evenly with walnuts and chocolate chips. Drizzle caramel topping mixture evenly over bars. Crumble reserved ½ cup cookie dough mixture over caramel.
  
  
• Bake bars an additional 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove bars from the pan by lifting foil ends. Allow bars to cool completely on a wire rack about 1 ½ hours.
  
  
• Cut bars into 4 x 4 or 5 x 5 rows, depending on your preference.
  
  
• Store bars loosely covered at room temperature.

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