There are some desserts that I do not make unless I have been asked to. Some desserts are so good that if I am left alone with a pan of it, by the end of the day I will have eaten myself sick! Embarrassing I know. I wish it wasn’t true, but it is. Carmelita’s are the perfect example. I haven’t made them in a really long time because they are just too dangerous. Alyssa from the Recipe Critic should have included a “these are extremely addicting” warning with the recipe.
I was asked to bring a dessert to a social function so I made these wonderful Carmelita’s. I thought I was safe knowing I would take all of them to my social function, which meant I wouldn’t couldn’t eat to many. 
My daughter wanted me to make a gluten free batch as well so she and I could have some. We are the only 2 who are gluten free in our family and having “some” translates into half a pan for each of us. I made these this morning, it is now late afternoon, I’m not feeling so well. (I’m hanging my head in shame!) 
Yes, half of my half of the pan is now empty. It sounds better if I say 1/4 of the pan is empty. Either way I have once again eaten too many Carmelita’s. This morning I needed every ounce of will power to resist eating too many. As my teenagers would say…”epic fail”. This afternoon I needed some protein and a 5 – 10 mile walk! It really should be a run, but I only run in EXTREME emergencies. 
The protein is going to happen – I’m not so sure about the walk. If you are looking for an out of this world, fantastic dessert recipe, Carmelita’s are for you because…. This Pin Rocks! 
Carmelita's
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- 32 caramel squares unwrapped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup butter melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350. Grease an 8×8 pan or you can line it with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easier removal. The caramel gets very sticky. (This can also be made in a 9×13, by doubling the ingredients)
- In a mixing bowl, combine melted butter and brown sugar. Add flour, oats, and baking soda. Mix until combined well.
- Divide the cookie mixture in half and pat half of the mix into the bottom of the 8×8 pan. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven.
- While the crust is baking, combine the caramels and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat; stir until completely melted and smooth. The caramels can also be melted in the microwave, just stir after every 30 seconds being careful not to let it burn.
- Remove pan from the oven, immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over the crust. Pour warm melted caramel mixture over the chocolate chips and crumble remaining cookie dough on top.
- Return to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are lightly brown.
- Once removed from the oven, allow them to completely cool and the caramel to set up. The caramel is like molten caramel right out of the oven and you want to let it cool. You can speed up the cooling process by putting it in the fridge if needed.
- Gluten Free Version
- Use gluten free flour.
- Use certified gluten free oatmeal, can be found at Trader Joe's
We’re sharing this recipe at: Mandy’s Recipe Box, Chef in Training, The Recipe Critic, Sugar Bee Crafts, Lady Behind the Curtain, Lamberts Lately, What’s Cooking Love?, Life With the Crust Cut Off, Thrifty Thursday, Made in a Day, Craftberry Bush, The Pin Junkie, The 36th Avenue, Whipperberry, Tatertots & Jello
Seriously they look so addictive …
Actually u seem to be better eating only 1/4 portion of yours .
If it was given to me . I would have eaten my portion aswel as my husbands .:p.
Anyways he is not fond of sweets 😛 😀
Then you are a good wife for doing him a favor of saving him from eating something he might not enjoy (although I can’t really imagine anyone not liking these.)! Make some up today and eat his portion as your gift to him. Heehee!
Sounds amazing! And I totally understand–I try not to make anything too decadent or addicting unless I know I have someone else to pawn most of it off onto. Otherwise, I’m liable to eat myself into a sugar coma haha. I can see myself having that problem with these carmelitas!
Glad they caught your eye, Rebecca. You gotta find a reason to make these, they are totally worth it.
seriously?? that looks beyond words amazing. I love CARMEL!! pinning
Havalah, I promise you won’t be disappointed!!! Tracy
Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe. I made them to include in our Super Bowl spread tomorrow. Of note, I used homemade caramel sauce instead of the store bought caramels.
Aren’t these yummy? And homemade caramel sauce? Can’t get better than that!
Thanks for the recipe!! Smucker’s makes a sugar free caramel ice cream topping that I bet you can use in place of the caramel squares.
Robin,
What a great idea, my daughter and I are going to try and cut down on our sugar. Nice to know that Carmelita’s can still be an option! Thanks for commenting – Tracy (the middle sister)
Carmelita’s what? There shouldn’t be an apostrophe unless Carmelita is possessing something! the plural form is “Carmelitas.”
Ooops! What a silly mistake we made. But, it’s done now, so we will try not to make that mistake in the future. Good thing bad grammar does not affect a good recipe. 🙂
any chance you could include the gluten free version of this as well?
Hi Shannon!
Just replace the regular flour with gluten free flour and make sure your oatmeal is certified gluten free oatmeal. They taste just as good as the regular Carmelitas! Tracy (the middle sister)
How many servings does this make?
Hey Sidney,
This recipe makes enough to fill a 9X13 pan. If you cut 4 across and 5 down you will end up with 20 large pieces. These are very rich so I cut mine smaller, 5 across and 6 down giving me 30 smaller pieces. It doesn’t matter how I cut them I always end up eating too many! Have a great day, Tracy (the middle sister)
They look amazing!
I live in a foreing country so I was wondering if you could upload or send me some pictures of the caramel squares you use for this recipe. This way I would know what to look for in the supermarket…
Thanks!!
Hi Coti,
Check your email, I just sent you a picture of the KRAFT Caramels I used to make my Carmelitas. Let me know if you have any other questions! Best, Tracy
Hello. I like to make caramel from scratch, how much would I need to replace those candies?
Hi Kathleen!
Oh my, caramel from scratch? Can I come to your house and have some of your Carmelita’s? It is going to take about 1 1/2 cups of caramel, it will really depend on how much you like caramel. I love caramel so I a little extra works for me. Enjoy, Tracy
How long can I store them at room temperature? I live in Malaysia.
Hi Mae,
Depending on how hot and humid it is at the time, I would guess about 30 minutes to an hour before the caramel gets too soft. You could refrigerate them, remove them from the fridge about 20 minutes before serving. That should buy you 30 to 45 additional minutes at room temperature. Enjoy! Tracy
If I doubled it and used 9×13, do I still bake it for the same amount of time as the recipe?
Hi Carrie,
Yes, you bake it the same amount of time. I’m warning you again, these are extremely addictive! Enjoy, Tracy
Thank you so much for sharing! I made them as a treat to give to my new neighbors. This was so easy and delicious. My new favorite!!! I’m wondering if anyone has revised the recipe to include fruit or nuts? Message me if so!