Line a 9x9 inch baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon, combine all of the cookie base ingredients. Mix until combined.

Press half of the cookie mixture into the prepared baking dish with your hands or a spatula. Bake for 12 minutes.

In the meantime, make the caramel sauce by adding the unwrapped caramel candies and heavy whipping cream to a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each interval for up to 2-4 minutes depending on your microwave. Caramel sauce should be smooth. Alternatively, you could heat caramels and heavy cream in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Stirring continuously until smooth.

After 12 minutes, remove pan from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips. Then top with caramel sauce.

Add the remaining cookie crust to the top by crumbling it with your fingers.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the center will be bubbly.

Place the pan on a cooling rack and let the bars cool completely- this can take several hours. You can also place the cooled pan in the refrigerator to speed up the process. You want to be sure the caramel in the center is cooled otherwise it can burn when cutting into bars.

Once cooled, cut into bars with a sharp knife and enjoy!

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