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dulce de leche bars

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Its okay… you can drool. Don’t be embarrassed. I drool every time I make these.

Dulce de Leche always brings me back to my childhood. Growing up, my dad would often have Dulce de Leche lollipops in the house. The thing is, they were rarely in the kitchen. He would keep `em in a drawer in his room. I knew exactly where to find them when I needed a treat 🙂

If you don’t know what Dulce de Leche is, here’s the definition via wikipedia:

{Dulce de Leche is the most common name for milk caramel in Spanish. Made as both a thick jam and a caramel candy, it’s prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste with caramelized sugar.}


These bars have a buttery oat crust, topped with Dulce de Leche, topped with toffee bits, and then finally topped with with a sprinkle of the remaining oat-butter crumble.
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Here’s everything you need:

  • Flour
  • Oats
  • Brown Sugar
  • Salt
  • Butter (at room temperature)
  • Dulce de Leche
  • Toffee bits

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First you wanna combine the flour, oats, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a couple of knives until crumbly.
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Press 3/4 of the mixture into the bottom of a 13×9 pan. Next you want to place the pan in the oven to partially baked the crust.

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While the crust is baking, heat the Dulce de Leche in a saucepan over low heat until its spreadable.
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Yum!
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Once the crust is ready, spread the Dulce de Leche evenly over the crust…
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Top the Dulce de Leche with toffee bits…
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Top the toffee bits with the remaining oat crumble…
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I added these to my holiday baking list five years ago and get rave reviews every year!

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups flour
  • 1.5 cups quick cooking oats
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter (at room temperature)
  • 1 13oz can Dulce de Leche
  • 1 cup toffee bits

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, oats, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into the dry mixture until crumbly. Press 3/4 of the oat mixture into the bottom of a 13×9″ pan. Baked the crust for 10 minutes. While the crust is baking, heat the dulce de leche over low heat until spreadable. Once the crust is done, spread the dulce de leche evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the toffee bits over the dulce de leche. Top with remaining oat crumble.

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes then run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bars. Let cool completely. Cut and serve.

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Make these. I beg you. They do not disappoint.

28 Responses

  1. Jessica @ How Sweet said on December 6, 2010 at 7:02 am

    I had no idea I could actually buy dulce de leche. Now I need to go get some!

  2. Cathy B. @ Bright Bakes said on December 6, 2010 at 7:06 am

    I’ve got a batch of homemade dulce de leche hangin’ out in the fridge. I forsee something happening with it very shortly!! 😉 Brown sugar+butter combination gets me every time…yes, even before chocolate, believe it or not!
    Thanks for sharing…
    love,
    cathy b. @ brightbakes

  3. Nicole, RD said on December 6, 2010 at 7:15 am

    Those look delicious!!! If I have anymore holiday baking to do, those are going on the list!

  4. Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) said on December 6, 2010 at 7:39 am

    The sad part of this is that I never had dulce de leche before I realized I can’t have dairy. I think I need to come up with a dairy free dulce de leche with my milk so I can have these! They look so good!

  5. TidyMom said on December 6, 2010 at 7:42 am

    OMG these look AMAZING!!! I’m adding this recipe to my MUST MAKE list!!

  6. Robin~All Things Heart and Home said on December 6, 2010 at 7:46 am

    I’ve gone dulce de leche NUTS this year. I’ve been using it in everything…but I haven’t tried anything like these! This is my very next thing!!!
    xo
    Robin

  7. Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg said on December 6, 2010 at 7:47 am

    Do you know I’ve never actually had dulce de leche?! These look so great!

  8. Michele @ Healthy Cultivations said on December 6, 2010 at 7:48 am

    These look wonderful — so unique. I might make these for the Christmas Eve gathering of extended family.

  9. Joanna Sutter (Fitness & Spice) said on December 6, 2010 at 7:49 am

    Oh my sweet word! These look insane. I’m keeping this recipe to make over the holidays. My family will LOVE this one!

  10. Allison said on December 6, 2010 at 7:52 am

    Where do you buy a can of dulce de leche? I looked in a Safeway yesterday but couldn’t find it. Giant? Harris Teeter? Whole Foods?

    Thanks.

  11. Tracey @ I'm Not Superhuman said on December 6, 2010 at 8:05 am

    These look amazing. I love the crumbly top. And I think it’s almost necessary that you dip into the dulce de leche before baking.

  12. Estela said on December 6, 2010 at 8:07 am

    Allison – Is there a Shopper’s by you? Its the only regular grocery I can find it at. Its in the “cultural foods” section. I’m sure Whole Foods would have it 🙂

  13. Mo@MommyRD said on December 6, 2010 at 8:15 am

    I don’t know if I dare make these. By the looks and sound of the recipe I could NOT be trusted with them. They look and sound insanely good!

  14. marla {family fresh cooking} said on December 6, 2010 at 9:09 am

    When I first discovered dulce de leche, I believe it was in Haagen Dazs ice cream I became a fan for life. These bars look AMAZING!! xo

  15. Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic said on December 6, 2010 at 9:54 am

    I love dulce de leche! I can eat it straight from the can or jar haha. These bars sound ridiculously good.

  16. Heather (Heather's Dish) said on December 6, 2010 at 10:07 am

    i’ve always seen the dulce de leche in stores and never knew what to do with it…and now i know 🙂

  17. C. said on December 6, 2010 at 10:18 am

    Those look amazing! I could just grab one right through my computer screen! I’m going to try these soon!

  18. Annie said on December 6, 2010 at 10:20 am

    One word: YUM!

  19. Lindsay @ The Ketchup Diaries said on December 6, 2010 at 10:30 am

    Holy heavens. That’s all I’ll say.

  20. Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday said on December 6, 2010 at 11:02 am

    You can actually make your own Dulce de Leche using a can of sweetened condensed milk.

    Place the unopened can into a pot of water and bring to a simmer.
    Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours. The cans of condensed milk should always be covered by simmering water, so keep some extra simmering water nearby to add to the pot in case some water evaporates.

    Let the cans cool in the water bath and then when you open them, inside is Dulce de Leche!

  21. Estela said on December 6, 2010 at 11:09 am

    Wow! Thanks Samantha! I had no idea it could be made that way 🙂

  22. Lauren at KeepItSweet said on December 6, 2010 at 12:15 pm

    i’ve never seen dulce de leche like that! these look delicious

  23. Maryea @ Happy Healthy Mama said on December 6, 2010 at 3:05 pm

    My grandmother always made it the way Samantha mentioned. I had no idea it was called Dulce de Leche. You just brought me back to my childhood!!

  24. emily (a nutritionist eats) said on December 6, 2010 at 3:18 pm

    Yum!! I love anything dulce de leche!

  25. Pretty. Good. Food. said on December 6, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    Wow, these look amazing!

  26. megan @ whatmegansmaking said on December 6, 2010 at 8:40 pm

    oh my, these look incredible! I’ve never had dulce de leche before…I think I’m missing out!

  27. lynn @ the actors diet said on December 6, 2010 at 9:46 pm

    hey yaaaaa! yumsters.

  28. Anne Marie said on December 7, 2010 at 3:49 pm

    This looks ridiculous–I can’t wait to make them at home 🙂

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