Grandparents Day was just last weekend, and it got me thinking…what’s better than baking an ooey gooey cookie dough brownie bar? Answer: Cooking an ooey gooey cookie dough bar with your grandchildren! Not only is it fun to say, but the aroma, texture and taste speak for themselves. This is a good recipe for kids age 1 to 92! It’s a super easy dessert that you can make as a family, and because it’s got caramel, it helps you get into autumn mode.

Just look at the prep work in the photo above – it makes you want a candied apple, doesn’t it? Don’t worry…these brownie bars leave you want for nothing. It’ll make your house smell like a Kilwins ice cream and candy emporium, and we all know how much our grandkids love that!

Gather the kiddos for an afternoon of fun and make a batch of these bars to send home for their lunchboxes next week.

You can tell from this photo how easy it is to get this dessert rolling toward a mouthwatering finished product.

The delicious end result is the byproduct of the real fun – licking brownie bowls, chomping on cookie dough, and sticking sticky fingers into caramelly toffee.

Nana’s Caramel Toffee Cookie Dough Brownie Bars

makes about 24 bars

45 minutes of fun time

For caramel filling:

1 (11-ounce bag) caramels, unwrapped

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

4 tablespoons butter

For cookie dough:

2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup butter, 2 sticks

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup caramel chips

For brownies:

1 (18.9 ounce) box brownie mix (let’s make this easy!)

Egg and oil for fudge-like brownies

Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a 10 x 15-inch shallow baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Lay a sheet of parchment paper into the dish, allowing the edges to overlap. Spray the parchment paper. (For mile high bars, use a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.

Place the caramels, 4 tablespoons butter and sweetened condensed milk into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Use an electric mixer to combine 1 cup butter with the sugars until smooth and fluffy. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats and chips.

Prepare the brownie batter according to the fudge-like directions on the package.

Spread the cookie dough batter over the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the melted caramel mixture over the dough. Pour the brownie batter over the caramel. Bake until the brownies begin to set, about 20 to 25 minutes. If you are using a glass baking dish, check the bars after 25 minutes. You may need 5 to 10 minutes additional baking time. Cool and cut into bars.