VANILLA CARMELITAS


Caramel and Vanilla are a match made in sweet treat heaven! So what happens when you throw in some chocolate chips? You’re in golden browned and gooey cookie bar bliss! So when you have an about expired bag of caramel bits in the pantry and a serious craving for a new sweet treat, thank you Mother Nature, you create one of your favorite sweets category creations: a beloved Carmelita. 
Yum  



Can you believe I grew up not knowing what a Carmelita was? Or went 4 decades before I would come to be in a love relationship with this treat?!! 
I’ve shared Carmelita recipes here on the Blog before, the Sea Salt Bars and the Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate ones and they are in the top ten of delicious treats for me. What makes these Carmelitas so unique is that instead of using cream to mix with the caramels when melting, I had the idea to use the new Tahitian Vanilla Artisan coffee creamer from Coffee Mate. This is not a sponsored post, I just really wanted to use it because it’s one that contains real milk, cream, buttermilk and Tahitian vanilla beans. And the flavor is incredible.

What you'll need

VANILLA CARMELITAS
Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
1 cup old fashioned quick oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 11oz bag Kraft Caramel Bits
1/3 cup Tahitian Vanilla Coffee Creamer
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Course Sea Salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place foil or parchment paper to line a 8x8 square baking dish and spray with cooking spray. In a small mixing bowl, mix the oats, flour, salt and baking soda. In a large glass mixing bowl melt the butter for 90 seconds, remove and add the brown sugar and vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients. Place 1/2 of this mixture in the bottom of the baking dish and press down a bit. Bake for 10 minutes. While that is in oven, in a large glass bowl, mix the caramel bits and coffee creamer together and heat in microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring after each and continue until caramel is smooth. Remove the crust from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips over it. Next, evenly spread the caramel mixture over the chocolate chips and then carefully top with the remaining oats mixture. Sprinkle with some course sea salt. Bake for about 18-20 minutes until the edges start to brown. VERY IMPORTANT: allow to cool completely before cutting into square as the caramel needs to set up.



Hope your day is SWEET!  I'm off to buy more caramel bits, LOL

HAPPY TASTY TUESDAY FRIENDS!!
xoxo

35 comments:

  1. Mmmmmmmmm this is making it so much harder to stick to my Lenten promise of no desserts! I'm going to have to make these next month. Such a brilliant idea to use that coffee creamer in these! Guess what? I had never even heard of a carmelita until 2 years ago!
    Happy tasty Tuesday friend!
    xo,
    Kellyann

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  2. Oh yum! I love anything with caramel and you are so right -- vanilla goes perfectly with it! I wish I had one of these right now with my coffee! Happy Tuesday, Andrea!

    xo, Rachel
    A Blonde's Moment

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  3. Yum! Sometimes those expiration dates (or just not wanting to run to the store and really wanting to come up with something with the ingredients you have on hand) push you to make some of the most amazing things. These look absolutely delicious!

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  4. These sound and look amazing! I love the idea of using a coffee creamer instead of cream! I bet it adds so much flavor!

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  5. Those little caramel bits are so fun! These sound delicious!

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  6. YUM! Looks like little bits of heaven!

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  7. I can just imagine the ooey gooeyness with sea salt added. Yes please!

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  8. Those sound delicious! I love caramel and sea salt!

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  9. Oh man! These sound and look amazing! Not good for my resolve to lose 10 lbs! Lol! Thanks for linking up at the Blended Blog!

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  10. Yum, yum, yum! I had carmelitas for the first time a few years ago. They were AMAZING!

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  11. Oh yummmmoooo! They sound amazing. I didn't know what a carmelita was either! Thanks for the recipe!

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  12. Oh my gosh this looks so yummy! I want them for breakfast!
    Cheryl
    www.northwestmountainliving.com

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  13. These are making my mouth water! They look + sound so yummy!

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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  14. Oh man these sound good! I love caramel so much. Pinning to make for my sweet borrowed kids!

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  15. I've never heard of that before either. But if coffee creamer is an ingredient? i'm totally in!

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  16. YUM!!! The FH will love these! Thanks for sharing another treat!
    XO
    Rebecca @ Every Piece Fits

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  17. Ok, just as I finished off the last of the delicious Sea Salt Caramel bars YESTERDAY... you share this recipe! Haha! I am doomed!! My husband and kids just LOVED the other ones. I am def. going to try this recipe next!! I love vanilla and how fun that you used a creamer.

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

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  18. I had never heard of carmelitas before until your blog! And these sound really good! They look so gooey and chewy!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Andrea... what I would do for one of those delicious carmelitas while I am sipping my tea and listening to the Nor'easter! Have a great week.

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  19. Can you have these special delivered to Texas for today? These look and sound so delicious! You always have the best sweets on your blog!

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  20. Ummm wow, my mouth is watering. I need to make these.

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  21. Wait...hold the phone. I always thought these had coconut in them! I think I need these in my life. You are always so creative!

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  22. There is something about caramel that just calls to me. These bars look so yummy! You are always tempting us with something... get thee behind me, Andrea...just kidding! You know I love you to bits...xoxo

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  23. You always share the most delicious looking sweet treats! I'm a vanilla girl all the way and caramel is my favorite topping so these sound like the perfect 2-in-1 scrumptious treat for me! (Even though I try to avoid sweets all together but sometimes you gotta savor the flavor!) Emily @ Martinis & Bikinis

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  24. Another amazing looking dessert! I have never tried carmelitas but I can just tell from the name that I would love them. Pinned.

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  25. That’s my kind of addiction right there!

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  26. I'm just over here, eating hard-boiled eggs and a banana for lunch, wishing I had a stack of carmelitas instead!

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  27. These look so amazing! When I followed the link I didn't realize chocolate was involved. Bonus!

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  28. I just saw this creamer on TV earlier! Goodness, these look scrumptious friend. My girls and I should make some!

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  29. I have waited 6 decades to hear about these and they have all the flavors I love in a treat. I am always looking for new bar cookies to make because I bake for our community theatre. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

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  30. These look yummy! Have a great first week of spring and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with FULL PLATE THURSDAY!
    Miz Helen

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  31. I'm wishing I'd seen this recipe before the snow storm, I'd be making these right now! Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty

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  32. Gosh this sounds wonderfully delicious! I haven't made carmelitas in years and I need to make this. Thanks for sharing on MM, pinned it.

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