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Get the delicious buttery oatmeal texture with gooey caramel of a carmelita bar wrapped into carmelita cookies! These are tried and true caramel oatmeal cookies.
You can make a huge batch in just 20 minutes and they are a hit with everyone who tries them! They are perfect fall cookies and great for holiday exchanges and Christmas treats!
These brown sugar oatmeal cookies stuffed with caramel are like a thick, chewy carmelita bar, in cookie form! They are individual bites of happiness that you just can’t get enough of!
A batch of these Carmelita Cookies doesn’t even last 24 hours! Not that I’m counting.
My tip for irresistible carmelita cookies is serving them warm, so you get the gooey texture that you get in a bar. Like most of my recipes, they are incredibly quick and easy to make, too!
A carmelita bar is an oatmeal based bar that is topped with layers of chocolate, caramel and crumble topping. They are deliciously gooey and decadent! I love them, and making them in a caramel oatmeal cookie form is so easy and a lot less messy!
These are essentially thick, chewy brown sugar oatmeal cookies stuffed with caramel! They’re amazing at room temperature, but irresistible when warm. Take them over the top with a crack of sea salt for the ultimate sweet and salty treat!
I hope you enjoy these carmelita cookies as much as Chris and the girls did! Let’s make them together.
Click here for more of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes. I’ve also got an incredible round-up of the BEST Fall Cookie Recipes.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love these Carmelita Cookies
- Caramel Oatmeal Cookies have Amazing Texture!
- So Easy to Make
- Sweet and Salty
- Perfect for Fall and Winter Baking
- Delicious when Served Warm
★★★★★
5 STAR REVIEW
“Julie – I am NOT a baker. In fact, I almost break out in hives when I think about it and I’ve had some real disasters. But these cookies have put me on the map!! When I read the recipe I felt like I could give it a try. Well, the cookies came out perfect and were so delicious.
My family is still talking about them and I feel like I conquered the world. These will definitely become a holiday favorite. Thanks for sharing. After such a success I might just be able to try another recipe soon.”
— DIANA —
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour – All purpose flour works well for this recipe. If you want to make these gluten free, be sure to choose a 1:1 gluten free flour.
- Baking soda – For rise.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is a wonderful addition to cookies, as it helps keep them soft and beautifully textured.
- Salt – To balance out all the sweet!
- Butter – While many bakers prefer unsalted butter for baking, we tend to have salted on hand. I love the sweet and salty balance of a little added salt in our cookies, but the choice is yours!
- Brown Sugar – The molasses in brown sugar creates the delectable chewy texture here. Light or dark brown sugar will work.
- Vanilla Extract – Pure is preferable over imitation, and it’s so easy to make your own!
- Eggs – These are important for binding and rise.
- Chocolate chips – We use semi-sweet chocolate chips for most of our baking.
- Quick Oats – Quick oats are important for this recipe, as they cook a little faster.
- Caramels – Individually wrapped and cut in half
Variations
- Use white chocolate or dark chocolate chips for interest! Mini chips or chunks work well, too.
- Add chopped nuts – walnuts or pecans work well in this recipe for even more texture.
How to Make this Carmelita Cookie Recipe
- Preheat oven as directed.
- Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients until just slightly beaten.
- Slowly incorporate dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips and oats.
- Make small dough balls, press in the middle with your thumb and add a caramel. Press another dough ball around it to encase it. Optional: use a cookie scoop, dividing it into halves to add caramel to the middle. Crack salt on top.
- Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.
Tips
- Need help with baking conversions? Check out my Essential Measurement Conversion Chart or use the slider in the recipe card.
- Learn How to Soften Butter Quickly
- I use Kraft caramels because they are SO much easier to unwrap than other brands.
- Be careful not to over beat the mixture so that they result in thick and chewy cookies.
- Use miniature chocolate chips if you prefer.
- The caramel oatmeal cookie mixture will feel dry, but will be SO good!
- Warm the cookies to serve them (about 10 seconds in the microwave) to warm the caramel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of oats do you use for baking?
While you can use instant oats in some instances, rolled oats and quick oats are best for baking. Don’t use steel cut oats, as these need a longer cooking time.
How do you know when oatmeal cookies are ready?
These cookies only take 10 to 12 minutes to bake, so be sure to keep an eye on them! The edges of the cookies will brown ever so slightly when they are baked.
Gently touch them with a spatula or your finger and they should be firm and hold their shape. Let them cool slightly before serving.
How to Store
- Room Temperature – Once these oatmeal cookies have cooled to room temperature, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for about three days.
- Refrigerator – Store in the fridge and they should be good for up to five days. I think these cookies are best served warm, so just heat them gently in the oven or microwave before serving.
- Freezer – You can freeze these carmelitas in an airtight container for up to three months.
Dietary Considerations
- To Make Gluten Free: Use a 1:1 gluten free flour.
- Nut Free
- Vegetarian
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Did you make this? Rate the recipe and tag me on social @julieblanner!
Carmelita Cookies
Get the delicious buttery oatmeal texture with gooey caramel of a carmelita bar wrapped into carmelita cookies!
Yield cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter melted, salted
- 1 ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 ½ cup chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cup quick oats
- 18 caramels Kraft, individually wrapped, cut in half
- salt in a grinder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Combine flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Set aside.
- Combine butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and egg until just slightly beaten.
- Slowly incorporate dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips and oats.
- Make small dough balls, press in the middle with your thumb and add a caramel. Press another dough ball around it to encase it. Optional: use a cookie scoop, dividing it into halves to add caramel to the middle. Crack a little sea salt on top.
- Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.
Tips
- I use Kraft caramels because they are SO much easier to unwrap than other brands. I personally cut them in half, but you certainly don’t have to!
- Be careful not to overbeat the mixture so that they result in thick and chewy cookies.
- Use miniature chocolate chips if you prefer.
- The mixture will feel dry, but will be SO good!
- Warm the cookies to serve them.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 177.66kcal (9%), Carbohydrates: 25.49g (8%), Protein: 2.16g (4%), Fat: 7.7g (12%), Saturated Fat: 4.54g (23%), Cholesterol: 19.58mg (7%), Sodium: 130.05mg (5%), Potassium: 45.28mg (1%), Fiber: 0.75g (3%), Sugar: 15.48g (17%), Vitamin A: 183.08IU (4%), Vitamin C: 0.05mg, Calcium: 27.01mg (3%), Iron: 0.73mg (4%)
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Originally published December 2014, updated October 2019.
Kristi says
I love carmelita bars, but they are messy to cut up and eat, so I am excited to try this version. I was wondering if they would work with rolled oats, as that is what I use in the bars. I like the chewy texture of the heartier oats. I don’t want to waste ingredients if you think they wouldn’t work. Thanks!
Julie Blanner says
Hi Kristi,
I hope you love these! Yes, I think the regular rolled oats will be just fine, though it might change the texture a little bit!
Enjoy,
Julie
Cheryl says
I ate far too many of these! They were so good I kept going back for just one more…
Julie Blanner says
Ooops! It’s not your fault – it’s a triple threat – oatmeal, chocolate chips + caramel!
Ellen says
Is there a reason why the caramel I added in the middle was hard and not able to bite into cookie with such a hard center after baking??
Shelley says
I’d like to make these but the recipe shows ‘1 egg 1 egg yolk’ on the same line….so, which is it? or is it both?
Julie Blanner says
It’s both, sorry that’s confusing, I’ll clarify!
Hannah says
Caramel + chocolate = perfection!
Diana Seeley says
Julie – I am NOT a baker. In fact, I almost break out in hives when I think about it and I’ve had some real disasters. But these cookies have put me on the map!! When I read the recipe I felt like I could give it a try. Well, the cookies came out perfect and were so delicious. My family is still talking about them and I feel like I conquered the world. These will definitely become a holiday favorite. Thanks for sharing. After such a success I might just be able to try another recipe soon.
Julie says
Diana, I am elated! Congratulations! This makes me so incredibly happy & excited for you. I can’t wait to hear what you try next. Merry Christmas!