These indulgent Chocolate Caramel Nut Bars are easy to make and perfect for so many occasions. The gooey pecan and cashew filling is topped with DelightFulls™ Milk Chocolate Morsels with Caramel Filling and baked over a shortbread cookie crust.

I believe these are my husband’s all-time favorite bar cookies, and I’ve made a whole lot of bar cookies in my time. If I’ve got a batch of them in the kitchen, I seriously think it’s impossible for him to enter the room without grabbing one. I don’t blame him…they are insanely good.

Bar cookies are a great choice for special occasions or anytime you’ve got a group to feed. Bake up a batch or two the day before and you can cross dessert off your to-do list.

If you’re heading to a potluck or gathering at a friend or relative’s house, they are an awesome, portable choice. They bake up nice and sturdy, cut cleanly and are easy to pack up, making them far easier to transport than most other dessert choices. I frequently brought them to the boys’ sports banquets and other school functions for this very reason.

Or, you can just bake them for the heck of it like I did this weekend. And, man-oh-man, we’re all swimming in nutty, chocolaty-caramel goodness thanks to these babies.

These Nestle DelightFulls Milk Chocolate Morsels with Caramel Filling are a fantastically easy way to add a decadent layer of gooey, chocolate-caramel flavor to your baked goods. They are the same high quality morsels that we’ve all been baking with FOREVER but they’re slightly bigger and come in four different flavors. Use them to put a new twist on old family recipes or let them inspire you to come up with some brand new creations. It’s fun to think about all the delicious possibilities.

I think we should get down to the business of baking!

The first layer of this bar consists of a basic shortbread cookie crust. Use a hand or stand mixer to combine 1 cup of softened butter, 1/2 cup white sugar, and 2 cups all-purpose flour. Beat the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Generously coat the bottom and sides of a 13″ x 9″ pan with non-stick cooking spray. Don’t hold back, spray away. It’s going to make it a lot easier to remove the bars from the pan if it is well greased. Pour the shortbread mixture into the prepared pan and pat it down evenly with your hands. Place the pan in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 17 to 20 minutes.

I like to bake my bar cookies in a metal brownie pan but a glass dish will work too. Just be aware that the baking time will vary depending on what type of pan you use. Metal pans distribute heat very well and the bars will cook a bit faster.

While the crust is in the oven, let’s start on the filling. In a large bowl combine 3 eggs, 1 cup light corn syrup, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons melted and slightly cooled butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Add 3/4 cup chopped pecans and 3/4 cup chopped raw cashews. I think these would be great with a variety of different nuts. You could try it with walnuts, almonds, peanuts…it’s all good!

Combine the filling and it is ready for the crust.

The crust is ready to come out of the oven when it’s just beginning to get golden brown around the edges.

Pour the filling over the hot crust as soon as you remove it from the oven.

Sprinkle 1 cup of Delightfulls Milk Chocolate Morsels with Caramel Filling evenly over the top. There will be a small amount of morsels left in the bag so you might just want to take a taste…or two…or?

Time to pop the pan back in the oven to let it bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes.

The pan should come out of the oven when the center seems set and the edges are just beginning to caramelize. You can see how well the morsels hold up while baking. This makes wondrous things happen when you take a bite out of one of these bars.

Let the bars cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.

I hope you’re inspired to give this one a try! Happy baking!

Thanks so much to Nestle Toll House for sponsoring this post and giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on this delicious product. As always, thank you for supporting the brands that help support From Valerie’s Kitchen! All opinions expressed are completely my own.