These bars are inspired by the Hello Dolly bars my mother, Helen, used to make when I was a child. By replacing the sweetened condensed milk in the original recipe with Sunday Night Sea Salt Caramel Sauce, these bars have become my #1 bar cookie. Featuring a graham cracker crust topped with caramel, coconut, chocolate and roasted pecans, they taste like a favorite Girl Scout cookie, only a million times better.
Coat the bottom and sides of a 9x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom and up two sides with parchment paper, letting the paper overhang on the sides.
To make the crust, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix in the softened butter into the dough with a wooden spoon until the mixture is crumbly and thoroughly combined. Using your hands, press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until the crust is slightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside on a heat-proof surface.
Meanwhile, remove the lid from the jar of Sunday Night Caramel Sauce and microwave the jar with the sauce for 30 seconds. Stir the sauce with a spoon while still in the jar to evenly distribute the temperature. Pour the sauce evenly over the par-baked crust. Sprinkle evenly with coconut, chopped pecans and chocolate chips.
Return to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack for 2 hours or until chips are no longer soft. Cut into small bars.
Tips From Eileen
Store, covered at room temperature for up to 5 days. These bars can also be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw before serving.
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