3 Ooey-Gooey Bake-Sale-Worthy Treats For Fall

Chewy Coconut Caramel Bars

These bars taste exactly like our favorite seasonal cookies turned up to 11. Each layer alone is delicious, but in combination the cookie, chocolate, and coconut caramel become a little taste of heaven. Top them with drizzles of melted chocolate and rich caramel sauce for a final touch.

SERVINGS: 24 bars PREP TIME: 30 mins TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 50 mins

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
1 ½ tbsp. cornstarch
⅓ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ c. unsalted butter, softened
¼ c. granulated sugar
¼ c. brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips, divided
50 Werther’s Original Chewy Caramels, unwrapped
⅓ c. milk
14 oz. sweetened shredded coconut
1 c. coconut flakes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, extending it over two edges. Grease with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a standing mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat to combine. Add dry mixture and beat until incorporated and crumbly. Transfer to the prepared pan and press into an even layer.
3. Bake for 10 to11 minutes, until edges are golden. Reserve ¼ cup chocolate chips and sprinkle the remainder on top of the warm crust. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, or until the chips are soft and melty. With a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the melted chocolate into an even layer. Set aside.
4. In a medium saucepan, melt caramels with milk over medium-low heat. Transfer ¼ cup of the caramel sauce to a heatproof container with a lid for later use. Add sweetened shredded coconut into the remaining caramel sauce in pan and stir until fully combined, then remove from heat. Carefully pour mixture on top of melted chocolate layer in baking pan and spread into a flat layer. Immediately sprinkle coconut flakes on top.
   
5. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the reserved ¼ cup chocolate chips in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted. Drizzle on top of finished bars and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Cut into 1-by-2-inch bars. Drizzle with reserved caramel sauce before serving.

Double Chocolate Salted Caramel Surprise Cookies

These super-rich caramel-stuffed cookies save the best for last: Each cookie hides an entire Werther’s Chewy Caramel inside for maximum sweet, oozy filling. Be sure to fully cover the caramels before baking so nothing leaks out—you don’t want to ruin the surprise!

SERVINGS 20 PREP TIME 15 mins TOTAL TIME 2 hrs 5 min

Ingredients

1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. cocoa powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¾ c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. light brown sugar
¼ c. granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 c. semisweet chocolate chunks
16 Werther’s Original Chewy Caramels, unwrapped
Flaky salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the dry ingredients, and mix on low until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
3. Using a spoon or 3-ounce cookie scoop, portion out golf-ball-size dough balls, about 3 tablespoons each. Slightly flatten the balls and stuff each with a caramel. Roll dough back into a smooth ball around the caramel, making sure it’s not visible, to prevent leakage during baking. Place cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle each ball with a pinch of flaky salt and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before baking.
4. Bake for 12 to 13 minutes. Allow cookies to cool slightly before eating.

Gooey Caramel and Pecan Turtle Blondies

Blondies are great, but caramel-topped blondies are incredible. The brown butter in the batter picks up the nutty notes in the pecans, which add texture throughout. The easy-to-make caramel sauce enrobes the bars with a thick layer of gooey goodness, thanks to the Werther’s Chewy Caramels.

YIELDS: 24 bars PREP TIME: 20 mins TOTAL TIME: 1 hr

Ingredients

FOR THE BLONDIES

Cooking spray
1 ½ c. unsalted butter
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
3 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. chopped pecans, plus 24 whole pecans
1 ¼ c. semisweet chocolate chunks

FOR THE CARAMEL SAUCE

⅓ c. heavy cream
30 Werther’s Original Chewy Caramels, unwrapped
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Make the blondies: Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease a 9-by13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat until lightly browned with a toasty, nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolk, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and pale, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in cooled brown butter. With a rubber spatula, fold in dry mixture until fully incorporated. Fold in chopped pecans and chocolate chunks.
4. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake until set, about 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Make the caramel sauce: In a small saucepan, warm cream over medium-low until starting to steam but not bubbling. Add caramels and stir until fully melted. Stir in vanilla and remove from heat.
6. Remove blondies from the pan by lifting the parchment and place on a cutting board. Pour the caramel sauce over the blondies, then top with the whole pecans and cut into squares.