These chewy chocolate caramel bars are sinful, I’m not gonna lie. Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, toffee bits and caramel are all baked together into a chewy, cakey cookie bar.
So they’re rich. And decadent. And downright naughty.
Perfect dessert bars.
Fresh from the oven…
When the bars are cooled and ready for eating, cut them into small squares to serve.
I was inspired to make these chewy chocolate caramel bars because I recently interviewed Sarah (Nurse Loves Farmer) whom I met as part of the Best Food Facts #Taste15 campaign.
She and her husband grow wheat, yellow peas and both GMO and non-GMO canola on their Canadian farm, so I made these chocolate caramel bars with canola oil to pay homage to all they do.
Through Taste ’15, we had the opportunity to connect with food experts across the country – nutritionists, researchers, producers, retailers and farmers, and we learned a ton, but I did have a few questions I wanted to ask Sarah after we returned from our most recent trip to Chicago where we visited Spirit Farms.
We had the chance to watch the combines harvesting field corn, so I asked her what percentage of crops on her farm is typically missed by combines, and I was shocked to hear that it’s only about 1%!
She does experience crop loss due to severe weather patterns though. “For example, a strong wind can take away almost 100% of a canola crop that has been cut down into swaths. Wet, heavy snow can lodge a crop and lose 20-30% or hail can come and damage a crop 100%.”
I also asked her what the ideal field crop rotation is, and her husband was kind enough to answer that for us.
“That would involve a handful of different crops: a pulse (like peas) that can fix nitrogen into the soil, a cereal (like wheat or corn) that can add lots of residue back to the soil and a deep-rooted plant (canola or sunflowers) because that root can go far down into the soil and break up compaction and bring nutrients up from deep down into the soil, as much as 3 meters!”
“If you turn a field into pasture for cattle, it can break the cycle of using herbicides so that if you’re using it for hay the cattle can graze or the weeds can be cut. Then you’d have a multi-species field… which better mimics nature.”
Sarah also told me that the reason they grow both GMO and non-GMO canola has nothing to do with consumer requests or pressure; it just makes for good herbicide rotation on their crops.
When asked about her insecticide use on the farm, Sarah explained, ” Using neonicitinoid seed treatments on certain crops like canola can help prevent the target insects that have the potential to destroy the crops at their beginning and most vulnerable stages of growth, then we don’t have to spray an insecticide directly on the crop at a later date.”
“This is also weather dependent, we have only sprayed an insecticide once in 13 years. This is all dependent on the economic threshold of crop-damaging insects, as we want to encourage beneficial insects on our crops — an insecticide will unfortunately kill most insects in a field, which is why we avoid it if at all possible.”
A big thank you to Sarah for answering my questions and sharing a little bit about her family farm, and a big thank you to Best Food Facts for allowing me to see, hear, smell, touch, taste and experience food from farm to table.
If you have any questions about the food we eat, be sure to check out Best Food Facts for a wealth of great information.
Chewy Chocolate Caramel Bars
Ingredients
- 1 pkg yellow cake mix
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup toffee bits
- 1/2 cup butter
- 32 vanilla caramels unwrapped
- 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13-inch pan.
- In mixing bowl, beat together cake mix, oil and egg. Stir in chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and toffee bits. Press half of batter into baking pan. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
- While crust is baking, melt butter, caramels and condensed milk over med-low heat until caramels have melted and mixture is smooth. Pour slowly and spread evenly over crust. Drop remaining batter in spoonfuls over the top.
- Return to oven. Bake 25-30 minutes or until top is set and edges are golden brown. Cool 20 minutes. Loosen edges from pan and continue to let cool for 40 minutes. Refrigerate 1 hour. Cut into small squares to serve.
Bethany Naismith says
Yum these look absolutely delicious! I need to try these at some point!
Sue says
Sounds Yumm what do you mean by toffee bits .. Really want to make this recipe for my family know they will love it
Liz says
At the grocery store, look in the chocolate chip section. You’ll find toffee bits!
Eve Redmond says
These look amazing! I love finding new recipes for things. Will definitely be having a go at these x
Kelly Stilwell says
These look so good I almost tried to take a bite!! YUM!
Kim D says
These look delicious!!! I was wondering if I could use a bag of the Kraft Caramel bits in place of the individual caramels?
Liz says
I have never seen them, so I’m not sure if they have the same consistency or not?? If they do, I imagine they’d melt smoothly into the sweetened condensed milk fine, but without having tried it myself, I honestly can’t say for sure! If you try that, I’d love to know if it worked though!
Nancy says
What would be an equal to using caramel sauce instead of the individual ones? Any idea? Several cups??
Liz says
The problem with using a caramel sauce vs. the wrapped caramels is that the liquid won’t firm up after baking, whereas the wrapped caramels will harden up again so that the bars can be cut. Does that make sense?
Shirley Wood says
I was surprised to read that only 1% of the crop is missed with the combine! Wow! Your visit to the farm was very interesting. Your recipe sounds fabulous! So glad you shared with us at Merry Monday. Do come again please!
Teri says
the recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk.. but how much a whole can? they look delish!
Liz says
Yes, a whole can! 🙂
Clo Nevaeh says
Oh! You got me. I love chocolate and caramel. This would be great to have before I head in to work and as snacks.
Patty says
What do you mean “small” bars? That just means you would need more than one, right? I might have to make these for the firemen
Kim @The Baking ChocolaTess says
I could eat a couple or six! They look amazing! 😉
Lisa | A Merry Mom says
Mmmm – these bars look so yummy! Thanks for sharing. Pinned!
Mother of 3 says
These sound so good! I’m pinning this recipe for later for sure!
Christie says
How neat to visit a farm and see how they grow amazing crops we use for recipes! Glad it inspired your latest sweet treat!
HilLesha says
Those look simply scrumptious! I know this is a recipe that my family and I’d enjoy to the last…crumb. 🙂
Shanéy Maharaj says
Wouldn’t mind snacking on that right now. I love caramel and chocolate. Would be great to keep some in my office.
Emma Spellman says
That recipe is insane. I wish we were neighbors because I don’t know if I wouldn’t want that whole thing in the house right now. Do you think it would freeze well so I could eat it in moderation?
Linda Carmical says
OMGoodness I want these things now! It is 9:06pm on a Friday night and I’m already in my PJs! Not about to go out now and buy all the ingredients, but tomorrow? HUGE possibility! Yum!
Life as a Convert says
Chocolate and caramel are my weakness. These look so good.
Ashley Gill says
I am going to make these for my next girl’s night. They look delicious and simple to make. Thank you for the info on GMOs.
Paula Schuck says
This is a interesting post. These look like they are a fantastic treat. I will have to try making this recipe.
Becca Wilson says
This recipe looks extremely good. I know that my kids and husband would devour these, so I will have to make some for my household!
Babita says
Those are some yummy looking bars. I am also glad you posted about your farm visit experience. The facts you mentioned about GMO and NON-GMO are very interesting and some new I learned today.
Bonnie @wemake7 says
Mmm I am so tempted to try these yummy looking bars! What an awesome recipe.
Anita Fonte says
OMG your pictures are mouth watering. The recipe is simple to make and my kids who are picky eaters would devour them up. I didn’t understand about GMO and non-GMO until now. Thanks for sharing.
Fi Ní Neachtáin says
Oh those bars look so delicious and moorish. I would love to make a batch of these for myself and my boys. It’s great that you looked into how the canola ingredient is grown and treated. It’s always so important to know where our food comes from and how it’s processed.
Lisa Rios says
My goodness this looks absolutely yum & I am just loving how good it looks at the end. Would love to try anything with chocolate for my kids & they are going to be excited. The Spirit Farms visit sounds like a great experience as well.
Eileen says
These bars are looking so delicious and the trip was amazing. So interesting about gmo and non gmo to be grown not for consumer driven but for crop growth. love this post !
Tonya C says
Oh my goodness, those look amazing. They would be great on any of my dessert bars.
Susan Moseley says
Oh my word, these look so good!
Denise Gabbard says
Oh, my gosh– chocolate, caramel and white chocolate…yummy!
Kendra says
Oh, your bars look so amazing! You had me at chocolate!
Felicita Moncada says
Looks so decadent! Yum! Chocolate and caramel in the same dessert? Love! My hubby loves anything caramel so I cannot wait to try this recipe. I know he is going to love it. I’m not the best baker but this looks easy enough for me!
Cat Davis | Mom by the Beach Blog says
You had me at chocolate and caramel, two of my favorite sweets. I would never have thought you could make bars like that with a cake mix. So now of course I totally have to try this.
Tee says
I love the background information you provided here about the crops. What a delicious looking chocolate bar. My youngest has a sweet tooth (penchant for chocolate). I know she would love to have something like this as a treat. Thanks for sharing recipe.
Crystal Lopez says
There is something about the combinations of chocolate and caramel that is so amazing! I love that this recipes requires only a few ingredients and I can’t wait to try it out!
Miles L. says
I’ve always want to visit a farm like this. It’s really true that our farmers today are experiencing different challenges. The weather can be so harsh that they would almost lose everything. By the way, this is a great recipe!
Jaime Nicole says
Wow, how cool that you got to interview the farm owners! I think the whole GMO-Non GMO is really interesting and it’s extra interesting to hear from people who live and grow crops! It must be difficult – and your bars look amazing!
Julie Syl Kalungi says
Yayy roll on Easter I love caramel, Those look sinfully deliciousooo and I ma salivating right now!
A treat I have decided for our Easter bunny party now. As I am De-sweeting myself right now I will need a treat to break the sweet fast lol! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
And wow I didnt know how much farmers go through and this looks like a really well looked after farm with lots of mod cons. We are blessed to have such abundance in the western world!
Chrystal | Nevermore Lane says
Caramel is such a weakness of mine, too. Sometimes I think it is worse than chocolate and my cheese addition is worse than all of them combined!
Sarah Downs says
What a great post Liz, thanks for sharing (and those bars look SO delicious!)! We loved having you on the TASTE tour!
Maggie Branch says
I think I just gained about 20 pounds looking at these delicious bars! I am all about all things caramel so these are very exciting to me!
alissa says
This looks so tasty! That’s good to get educated about Non GMO and GMO products!
Lisa Bristol says
I am going to get all the ingredients i need to make these this afternoon. They look so good my kids are going to love the treat.
Becca says
Those look absolutely delicious. I am very tempted to make them the next time the whole family gets together!
Melissa says
Wow these sound and look so yummy. I know my daughter and husband would eat them up so fast if I made these for them. I think I may do that this weekend. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Claudia Krusch says
The chewy caramel bars sound sooo good! I can’t wait to try your recipe!
Dogvills says
I already gained a few pounds just by looking at them. But who cares? I still want to try them.
Pop Shop America says
This looks so great. I had to pin this too to try it for later 🙂
http://popshopamerica.com/
Chubskulit Rose says
We have a couple of friends who lives in a farm and we visit them once in a while. You learn so many things. Those treats looks delicious!
Susan Pazera says
Oh my goodness, this looks amazing! I just bookmarked this post so I can try to make them this weekend!
melandria romero says
just looking at your pictures makes me want to have but i’m on a diet so i need to stop the urge of eating
Sarit says
Great images. I love it. Yum!
Seattle Travel Blogger says
These look like yummy snacks.
I like the farm involvement with your topic.
With today’s tech world, now more than ever, farmers need to know just how important they are.
Claudette says
Need my address to send my share with FedEx? Yummy! 🙂
Mama to 5 BLessings says
I agree, if you are sending her some send me some too! 🙂 This would not last in my home – yum!
Clo Nevaeh says
This looks super yummy! I need to work on eating things like this in the morning. I skip breakfast way to often.
Jeni Hawkins says
MMMM mMMMM! I could eat a few of these with a tall glass of cold milk, every day!!!! Thank you!
MyTeenGuide says
Me too! These bars look fantastic! I have to give this a try.
April Mims says
OMG!!! These look fantastic! I wonder how many miles I would need to run to burn off a couple of those. It would be totally worth it!
Rachel Mouton says
These look delicious! My daughter would absolutely love them 🙂
Rosey says
What a fun trip you got to take. I’d love to visit a real farm (and take the kids too). This kind of thing is fascinating to me. And hurrah for gooey yummy recipes inspired from farm trips. 🙂
Jojo Vito says
just by the looks of the Chewy Chocolate Caramel Bars I knew I would love it. Thanks for sharing your recipe 🙂
LauraFunk says
I love Sarah! These look like the most delicious “sinful” snacks ever! I literally want them right now
OurFamilyWorld says
Me too! If I could just grab this from the screen. Lol.
Ann Bacciaglia says
This looks like a great recipe to try. I will have to get the ingredients i need to try this on the weekend. My family will love it.
victoria says
These are absolutely looks good! I really love Caramel, I want this for my dessert
Elizabeth O. says
That looks so good! I love caramel and chocolate together, all the time. I think it’s the perfect combination. Lol. Thanks for sharing this recipe! Sarah and her husband are definitely admirable!
Jennifer Sikora says
Anything with chocolate and caramel is an A-OK dessert in my book. I love that you got to tour the farm and learn about how they take care of their crops.
rika agustini says
This recipe looks so tasty! I love caramel bars but can’t really eat anything chewy because i am still wearing my braces
Carol Bryant says
Drool city on this, seriously. I would love to try this recipe and have them on hand for goodies all week long.
Crystal says
Mmm I might have to double the recipe for them to last any longer than a day. Things like this don’t last long in my house!
Michelle T says
These look really good. I am saving the recipe. Thanks for sharing it. I need to make these.
Lexie Lane says
Wow, we love eating caramel bars every midnight, I’m sure my husband would love this one.
Jody Smith says
These look absolutely amazing and will be tried out very soon in my kitchen for sure! Thanks for sharing this recipe and info
Debra says
Oh man. I might have to try these. Yummers!
Miles L. says
This looks tasty and delicious. Now, I have an idea what to prepare for snacks for the kids.
Nicole Escat says
This looks yummy, I love chocolates and this one is different.
Brandy says
I always seem to mess up recipes like this, I am not sure what my issue is. I will have to give these a whirl and maybe this will be the recipe that allows me to perfect my homemade bar making skills.
Beth@FrugalFroggie says
I want to make these bars. Perfect for an afternoon snack!!
Cindy (Prime Beauty) says
So yummy, I’m going to make these this weekend!
Mardene Carr says
They do look amazing and I am going to try this
Jeanine says
Oh my goodness. These look amazing. I wish I would have seen these earlier today when I was dying for some chocolate and sweets. These I’m sure would have hit the spot!
Jesica H says
I bet I could easily make this at my work to serve! I bet it would be a huge hit!
OurFamilyWorld says
I like easy recipes like this. My family will love this.
Marielle Altenor says
Sounds yummy! I’m missing vanilla caramels and toffee bits to get this recipe done!
Lisa says
These look SO delicious! Caramel is my weakness and then you had to go and pair it with chocolate! 😀
Chrystal | Nevermore Lane says
I am surrounded by farmers and farmland. I love local foods and other artisan products. It defiantly is hard work being a farmer. These bars look amazing. I need them in my life right now.
Marcie W. says
I had no idea so much goes into farming and learning more about the process makes me so grateful for all of those hard workers. I would never have guessed that when it comes to crops, there are both beneficial and harmful insects.
Mama to 5 BLessings says
I pinned this. I so want to make these for my kids, looks amazing and I am sure they will not last in my home!
Victoria says
These looks absolutely delicious! I’m a sucker for chocolate and caramel! Definitely going to have to try this recipe! Pinned 🙂
Emmanuel says
I love chocolates! Thanks for sharing the recipe, I’d show my kid sister who loves to bake. She could make one sooner than I expect
Paula Schuck says
Those look so amazing. I’ll be making them this weekend. My daughter just walked by and said, “We’ve got to make those!”
Travel Blogger says
This would be perfect to make and grab in the morning before I head to work. These look delicious!
paula schuck says
I pinned this one so fast you wouldn’t even believe it. Chocolate and caramel. PERFECTION!!! This is one I will make at my earliest convenience.
tiaras and tantrums says
You had me at chocolate and chocolate and caramel! These look super delicious!
Emerald says
Pardon me while I wipe the drool from my mouth. Those are seriously the most delicious thing I’ve seen all week. Yum!
Megan Elford says
Are you serious? These bars look SOOOO good! I’m trying to cut back after the holiday binge-fest, but this is really not helping, lol! I can’t wait to try them 🙂
Lois Alter Mark says
I almost didn’t get to read the rest of your post because I was drooling over those bars. They look amazing! That must have been a fascinating experience with Sarah.
andrea says
I love anything that is chocolate. These look so amazingly good! 🙂
Ana De- Jesus says
I can’t believe they are homemade how on earth did you make them look so perfect?
Felicia says
These bars look delicious. I would make them right now! I love the farming pictures as well. Took me back to my childhood, living in the country. The combines, corn and smells. City life just doesn’t compare. 🙂
Carmen Perez (listen2mama) says
Oh Liz, these look heavenly. They remind me of a dessert that a late aunt used to make for us whenever we visited her as young girls. Thanks for this recipe, I will be making these soon!
Pam says
This looks really yummy, I love dessert bars. and thanks for all the helpful information about how crops are really grown.
Jeanette says
That was a very intriguing interview! I knew nothing about farming so I learned a lot in this post.
Brittany says
These bars look delicious! It was interesting reading about the family farm!
Scarlet says
That recipe looks right up my alley. Caramel and chocolate? Say no more.
Alanna B says
Those do look very delicious! I normally do not bake desserts like this unless it is for a party…because otherwise I would be tempted to eat it all myself 🙂
Jessica Harlow says
These dessert bars do look downright naughty! lol Such an easy recipe and without a ton of ingredients…right up my alley! The hard part would be not to eat too much! lol
CAROL CASSARA says
You would have to post this delicious sweet on a month when I am dieting! It looks fabulous.
Cara (@StylishGeek) says
Liz thanks for sharing that anecdotal information on GMOs and Non-GMOs. I will definitely bookmark bestfoods.org! Such a helpful sight! And love that recipe by the way! Thanks for sharing!
tara pittman says
Those look so yummy. Very cool to learn about farming.
Toni | BoulderLocavore says
This recipe looks divine. Really everything I love in a bar (bye bye carrot sticks for the new year). The farm tour was very interesting and your photos are great. The GMO labeling debate rages large where I live. We personally prefer non-GMO food choices but it was interesting to hear the farmer’s perspective.
Kristen from The Road to Domestication says
Those do NOT look like they’re on my diet LOL But they sure look amazing!
Richetta says
Thanks for sharing this. My goal is to make all snacks and desserts because I just hate what I read on the back of ready made snacks…. this will be a great upgrade from the everyday brownie! #pinned
Jenn says
Those bars look amazing! I really appreciate hearing about companies that care, and work with honest good ingredients. I am way more likely to buy their product.
Jamie says
These looks so good! Pinning!
Heather Johnson says
These bars look and sound amazing. I totally want to bake up a batch right now. Too bad I still have Christmas cookies to eat up lol!
MJ L. commenting for Mommyhastowork says
These look delicious! My whole family would love them and my kids would love to help make them!
Erica s says
Very interesting post about this lovely farm! And your chocolate bars look to die for! I just love the pictures of the farm 🙂
valmg @ From Val's Kitchen says
Those bars look terrific! I found the answers to the questions quite interesting, I knew basically nothing about canola oil and little about farming.
Daphne Turner says
Please clarify about the Sweetened Condensed Milk–do you use an entire can of it, or just a few drops to moisten the mix, or exactly how much? Thank you.
Rebecca Bryant says
I grew up on a farm and it’s hard work. Those bars looks amazing be right over for tea and dessert.
sharon martin says
What a interesting visit that must have been, farmers work so hard, I know in the UK they need as much help as possible. And your bars looking delicious.
LydiaF says
Looks like those caramel bars are the perfect ending to a great day 🙂
Amanda Ripsam says
Bella has to take snacks to school with her daily the chewy chocolate caramel bars would be perfect for snacks at school and after school.
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
Those would be awesome to pack with my boys for school snack, too! They would gobble them right up!
OurFamilyWorld says
That looks so delicious. I can’t wait to try your recipe.
Rebecca Swenor says
The interview sounds like it was very interesting with Sarah. This is information I did not know. So thanks for sharing it and the recipe to these delicious looking Chewy Chocolate Caramel Bars. Yummy and yes I will be making these for sure.
Crystal says
Ok so I need to eat the entire pan of those bars. Every yummy flavor baked into one.
Keikilani says
OMG! These looks so good. I am totally drooling right now. Now I am going to have to make them! LOL
MyTeenGuide says
That looks so yummy! Suddenly craving for some sweets.
Michelle F says
Oh those look so good. I love that you made it with a yellow cake mix.
Sarah Schultz says
Loved meeting you and oh my goodness this dessert looks sinful!
Michele says
Heaven help me and my diabetic blood sugar numbers if I EVER get my grubby paws on those bars!! Cut into small pieces you say–HA!!!!!!!! By the way there are certain instances where insecticides are very necessary as the farmer pointed out. I love the way they rotate their crops and do their farming!!
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
Do you ever wish you could just reach into your computer screen and grab something that looks flipping delicious like this? That……
Michele says
YES–and this is definitely one of those times!!