Recipes & Cooking Desserts & Baking Cookies Brownies & Bars Grandma’s Caramel Slice Is the Forgotten Dessert Recipe You Must Try Be the first to rate & review! This retro dessert is made with layers of chocolate and caramel. By Sarah Martens Sarah Martens Sarah Martens is the Senior Editor overseeing food at Better Homes & Gardens digital. She has been with the BHG brand for more than 10 years. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on June 10, 2024 Recipe tested by Kathryn Hendrix, RDN, LD Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Kelsey Hansen Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 12 mins Bake Time: 18 mins Chill Time: 1 hr 30 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins Servings: 32 Yield: 32 bars Jump to Nutrition Facts Caramel slice is a nostalgic dessert that's popular in Australia. Each bite is filled with chocolate, caramel, and coconut shortbread. Some say it's called "caramel slice" because the caramel completely sets, allowing for perfect slices. Finish the caramel bars with a generous sprinkle of flaky sea salt. This dessert is very similar to our fan-favorite Millionaire Shortbread. Here's how to make caramel slice, including how to freeze the bars for up to three months. 25 Best Dessert Bar Recipes for Sharing with a Crowd Ingredients 1 1/2 cup salted butter (1 cup softened), divided 1 cup packed brown sugar, divided 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut 1 egg yolk 2 teaspoons vanilla, divided 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups all purpose flour 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips Flaky sea salt Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with parchment paper, extending paper over edges. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat 1 cup softened butter on medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add 1/3 cup of the brown sugar and the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in coconut, egg yolk, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, and salt until combined. Gradually mix in flour on low speed just until combined and mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake until edges are golden and center is set, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup butter and remaining 2/3 cup brown sugar. Cook over medium-high heat until butter is melted, stirring constantly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer until golden, stirring frequently, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Spread caramel mixture evenly over crust. Cover and chill until set, about 30 to 40 minutes. In a small saucepan heat heavy cream over medium heat until just simmering, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Evenly spread chocolate layer over caramel layer. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cover and chill until set, about 1 hour. Using edges of parchment paper, lift out shortbread. Cut into bars. How to Store Caramel Slice Place caramel slice bars in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. 24 Make-and-Freeze Bar Cookies that Will Make Your Holidays Sweet Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 261 Calories 15g Fat 30g Carbs 3g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 32 Calories 260.5 % Daily Value * Total Fat 15.4g 20% Saturated Fat 9.6g 48% Cholesterol 44.3mg 15% Sodium 151.1mg 7% Total Carbohydrate 29.9g 11% Dietary Fiber 1g 3% Total Sugars 22.6g Protein 3.1g 6% Vitamin D 0.2mcg 1% Vitamin C 0.5mg 1% Calcium 63.6mg 5% Iron 0.8mg 5% Potassium 130.8mg 3% Fatty acids, total trans 0.4g Vitamin D 5.8IU Alanine 0.1g Arginine 0.1g Ash 0.9g Aspartic acid 0.2g Caffeine 6.6mg Carotene, alpha 0.2mcg Choline, total 30mg Copper, Cu 0.1mg Cystine 0g Energy 1089.8kJ Fluoride, F 0.4mcg Folate, total 19.6mcg Glutamic acid 0.7g Glycine 0.1g Histidine 0.1g Isoleucine 0.2g Leucine 0.3g Lysine 0.2g Methionine 0.1g Magnesium, Mg 20.2mg Manganese, Mn 0.2mg Niacin 0.6mg Phosphorus, P 76.2mg Pantothenic acid 0.3mg Phenylalanine 0.2g Phytosterols 0mg Proline 0.3g Retinol 103.1mcg Selenium, Se 6.9mcg Serine 0.2g Starch 0g Theobromine 51.7mg Threonine 0.1g Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.4mg Tryptophan 0g Tyrosine 0.1g Valine 0.2g Vitamin A, IU 381.3IU Vitamin A, RAE 105mcg Vitamin B-12 0.1mcg Vitamin B-6 0mg Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 1.6mcg Water 11.3g Zinc, Zn 0.4mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.