Salted caramel. Have you tried it?
Now, I'm a chocolate girl, through and through, but salted caramel has me a bit smitten. I had a salted caramel cupcake in Seattle that was absolute perfection. Don't even get me started on Teresa's
Salted Caramel Frosting.
After making the
Peanut Butter Cup Cheerios Bars, these Dulce de Leche Cheerios started calling my name.
Caramel Cheerios are perfectly delicious in a bowl with milk, and would be perfectly delicious in a bar on their own. But, BUT (!), with layers of salted caramel sauce and just a *sprinkling* of flaky sea salt to make SALTED CARAMEL CHEERIOS BARS? Oh baby.
{Did you know that food bloggers are not supposed to use the word "delicious?" I just used it twice in the same sentence. I hope I don't get kicked out of the union.}
Salted Caramel Cheerios Bars
for the sauce:
1 (14 oz.) package Kraft caramels, unwrapped
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
for the bars:
3 TBSP salted butter
1 (10 oz.) package marshmallows
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups Dulce de Leche Cheerios
flaky sea salt
Grease a 8" or 9" square pan and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat the caramels and evaporated milk over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Stir in the salt. Keep warm over very low heat and stir occasionally while making the bars.
In a large pot or a dutch-oven, heat the butter, marshmallows, and vanilla over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheerios.
Place your hand in a baggie, spray with cooking spray and use your covered hand to press 1/2 of the mixture into the pan. Drizzle on a heaping 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce.
Add the remaining Cheerios mixture on top. Drizzle on 1/3 cup of the caramel sauce. Sprinkle on flaky sea salt. Set aside to cool and set before serving. (A bench scraper is the best tool for cutting.)
One word of warning...you will have extra caramel sauce. Use it as an ice cream topping, to drizzle on your morning latte, or. or. or....do like I did and grab a spoon.
Dear Cheerios, may I suggest your next flavor be birthday cake? ;)
Yep I'll be trying those:)!!! Thanks for postung
ReplyDeletethey look phenomenal! everything about them - love RKTreats (or Cheerios Treats!) and love caramel, marshmallows, everything.
ReplyDelete"Did you know that food bloggers are not supposed to use the word "delicious?" -- yes, I did (blogged about the conundrum) and it's ironic because sometimes when something is as DELICIOUS as your bars, there are no other words for them :)
Yikes! I am loving every bit of this! It looks (dare I say it) delicious! ;)
ReplyDeletethese look so good! I love Cheerios and caramel! :)
ReplyDeleteI first heard about a flavor called "Salted Caramel" when my daughter was working in Beverly Hills for a month. During one of her rare free weekends, she went to Sprinkles, a cupcake shop known for it's lines and moist, delicious cake-filled cups.
ReplyDeleteShe bought be my first salted caramel cupcake, and since then, it's a flavor combination after my own heart.
Yummmm! Delicious, delicious!
ReplyDeleteSalted Caramel has {maybe} trumped chocolate is my world. I feel like a traitor...but in a good way!
ReplyDeleteYum! These look great :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I need this. I love salted caramel anything, but this is great!
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried these Cheerios yet. I will be trying them in your bars!
ReplyDeleteMmm! This looks and sounds like something I need to try - I'm a chocolate girl too, but you've got me convinced!
ReplyDeleteEeeee...Cheerios are my FAVORITE! I had a bowl every.single.morning. growing up, and still love indulging whenever possible. Can only imagine how perfect they would be with caramel!
ReplyDeleteOh LORD these look good! I need to find those Cheerios!
ReplyDeleteYou thrill me!!! LOVE this Cheerios kick you are on! So fun :)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness... You're killing me here! I have never seen caramel Cheerios, but I am on the hunt. And I will make these this weekend!
ReplyDeleteTotally delicious!!!!! I love how you make me laugh....and hungry!
ReplyDeletethese look heavenly!
ReplyDeleteI am madly in love with Salted Caramel.
ReplyDeleteAnd these bars.
And you.
Birthday Cake Cheerios! I hope that actually happens :)
ReplyDeleteSalted caramel has become a personal obsession for me... thank you for giving me a new, delicious vehicle!
ReplyDeleteBirthday cake! Good idea! Like seeing Mom's plate!
ReplyDeleteYumminess! I haven't ever thought of using cheerios. I also need to try this new flavor.
ReplyDeleteThese look amazing but, I want to come over and eat all your caramels! Hehehe
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, this is seriously amazing. And I LOVE salted caramel.
ReplyDeleteHoly moley! Dulce de Leche Cheerios!?! Seriously? Whose idea was that? I love rice krispie bars - but they may just have been replaced in my affections. I'm tying myself to my chair to prevent me from running to the grocery store right now for supplies.
ReplyDeleteOh, Bridget, this looks divine. My family would love this!
ReplyDeleteWOW I need some of those dulce de leche cheerios in my life!!
ReplyDeleteI was looking for a unique and yummy recipe for a bake sale this weekend, and this was my pick! They were delicious and a hit! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSalted caramel! YES!!
ReplyDeleteOh and Birthday Cake Cheerios sound fabulous!
i love salted Caraamel but ofcourse my mom doesn't know How to make them ..very say . I always used to buy from local shop which cost three times than the actual preparation , so i mostly ignore eating them...
ReplyDeleteBlogger Widgets
These look freaking awesome. I'm going to have to see if I can find that version of Cheerios!
ReplyDeleteBridget,
ReplyDeleteYou should buy Kraft Caramel Bits, so you don't have to unwrap all those caramels.
These look fantastic, by the way!
I just made these tonight as a back-to-school treat for my kids! Now, I'm worried they might not make it until the morning! ;)
ReplyDeleteThese are so good - thank you for sharing your recipe!!
Renea- Did you use the Kraft Caramel Bits? I can't find the individually wrapped caramels (well, I did find some 1.5oz bags, but didn't want to buy 10 of them). Did you just use one whole bag of caramel bits (11oz), or measure out 3oz from a second bag? I have everything else ready to go, just don't want to mess up the best part!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteRenea- Did you use the Kraft Caramel Bits? I can't find the individually wrapped caramels (well, I did find some 1.5oz bags, but didn't want to buy 10 of them). Did you just use one whole bag of caramel bits (11oz), or measure out 3oz from a second bag? I have everything else ready to go, just don't want to mess up the best part!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMM yum these look great! I have leftover salted caramel from salted caramel buttercream I used in this cake here: http://sewlahteadough.blogspot.ca/2013/02/its-your-birthday-and-its-super-bowl.html and also leftover Cheerios we never finished eating! Can't wait to try this recipe :-) Thanks for posting!!
ReplyDelete