Dulce de Leche Bars

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dulce de leche bars

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 30

Chilling Time: 1

Total Time: 1 45

Servings:

Calories: 165kcal

Author: Jessica Formicola

Shortbread base with a gooey and golden dulce de leche center, these bars will be your new go-to for parties, BBQs and just general caramel cravings.

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Equipment

Ingredients

Bar Dough:

2 cups flour , plus more for the work surface
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter , cold and diced
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Streusel Topping & Filling:

1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
14 ounces dulce de leche sauce (1 3/4 cups)
fleur de sel , optional

Instructions

Combine the 2 cups flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt in your food processor. Pulse 3 or 4 times, then add cubed and cold 8 tablespoons unsalted butter. Continue to pulse for 20 seconds until it combines into a crumbly paste.
Add the 2 large eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, pulsing a few more times, until dough forms and pulls away from the walls.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper with some hanging over the edge. These bars are sticky and without the parchment, you'll be scooping it out instead of nicely cutting it.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and place rack in the lower part of the oven.
Using your fingers, press three-quarters of the chilled dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. I find that thinly slicing the chilled dough and placing together like puzzle pieces works the best. It will be sticky.
To the reserved dough, add the 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon brown sugar to the remaining dough until a dry, crumbly dough forms, this will be the topping, so it doesn't need to be smooth. Set aside.
Spread the 14 ounces dulce de leche sauce evenly over the first layer of dough. Drop the remaining dough over top in crumbles. It will not cover the whole top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes in the lower third of the oven, or until the dulce de leche darkens (it will be bubbly, this is normal) and the crumb topping is lightly browned.
Remove and allow to cool. The filling will set and thicken.
While cooling, sprinkle with fleur de sel, if desired.
Lift the bars (in one big bar) out of the baking dish and onto a cutting board. Run a sharp knife under hot water and slice into 16 bars. Clean knife and re-wet to get clean slices.
Store bars at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days, although they are best devoured within the first day of baking.
If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings.

Video

Notes

Originally published in The Washington Post.

Nutrition