Easy Cake Mix Caramel Bars Recipe with Rich Caramel Frosting (2024)

April 11, 2017May 20, 2024

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Easy Cake Mix Caramel Bars were called Caramel Licks back in the day. These caramel bars with caramel frosting are made using cake mix and are the perfect bar cookie to make for a quick dessert for the family or a pitch-in at work.

Ingredient List for Caramel Cake Mix Bars

Love caramel?

Then you’re in luck. These cake mix bars are caramel flavored, plus they’re topped with caramel icing. Check out the simple ingredients needed to make these cookie bars.

• Yellow Cake Mix
• Caramel Ice Cream Topping
• Large Eggs
• Hot Water
• Shortening
• Chopped Pecans (optional)

Where’s the caramel flavor come from? You’ll need a jar of caramel ice cream topping for these caramel cake mix bars. We’ve even used sea salt caramel sauce for some added decadence.

The second shortcut ingredient is a box of yellow cake mix.Cake mix bars are one of our favorite recipes, and this caramel version is a favorite with everyone who tried them. If you have not tried our Original Gooey Bars with Yellow Cake Mix, be sure to do that soon. We love these Caramel Pecan Toffee Bars made with a yellow cake mix too.

For example, Barbara made a huge pan (every batch is a huge jelly roll pan) of these dessert bars and took them to share at her kids’ school when play practice let out. Let’s just say, she is now the coolest parent at St. Joe in the eyes of the 4th and 5th graders.

Barbara suggests a couple of essential tools for making these bar cookies.

First, a jelly roll pan. We use a 15.25 inch by 10.25 inch pan but there are several options that are about the same size. Both Barbara and I have a jelly pan roll with a lid which makes it super easy to store and transport your bar cookies!

Second, a flat icing spatula. A flat icing spatula works great to spread both the thick batter AND the caramel icing too.

Pantry Staples

• Yellow Cake Mix
• Caramel Topping
• Pecans
• Shortening
• Confectioners Sugar

How To Make Caramel Bars with Yellow Cake Mix

Step by Step Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray or grease a jelly roll pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine yellow cake mix, eggs, shortening, pecans, hot water and caramel sauce using an electric mixer (a stand mixer will work too).
3. Spread caramel mixture evenly into jelly roll pan.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in preheated oven until golden brown.
5. To prepare icing, combine powdered sugar, butter, milk and remaining caramel topping until smooth.
6. Let the cake cool on a wire rack, and pour icing over the bars.
7. Serve as bars or topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

For the full recipe for caramel bars, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Caramel Licks

This is a vintage recipe from Grandma. Now, it’s not our Grandma, but that’s ok. This recipe originated from the Mom of a good family friend. Jackie gave Barbara a recipe book of her favorite recipes as a wedding gift, and Barbara claims it is the Best Gift Ever!

This recipe is really what this blog is meant to be…an opportunity for Barbara and me to share some of our favorite recipes from family, friends and our favorite old cookbooks!

Jackie recently told us that her this was all the Grandkid’s favorite recipe from Grandma, and in her family they called them Caramel Licks.

Recipe FAQs

• For easy transfer and cutting of the bars, line the jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
• These easy cookie bars use jarred caramel topping. The jar will be divided between the bars and the icing.
• Chopped pecans are optional.
• These make a huge pan; these are perfect for a pitch in.
• Let the easy caramel bars cool completely before icing.
• The original owner of these Caramel Licks say they taste even better as they sit – if they last that long!
• You could change up the flavor by using a chocolate cake mix and hot fudge as the topping or maybe peanut butter. We love recipes that use cake mix because they are such time savers!

Recipe Variations

• Make these chocolate caramel bars by adding chocolate chips to the caramel mixture.
• If desired, sprinkle extra chopped nuts over the top before baking.
• Use walnuts instead of pecans, if desired. Or, omit nuts completely.

Cake Mix Recipes

We love starting with boxed cake mix when we are making a dessert for a crowd. From cake bars to cinnamon rolls, using a cake mix is so versatile.

Cake Mix Cinnamon Rolls,

Chocolate Chip Gooey Bars

Cherry Almond Dump Cake

Triple Chocolate Cake

Honey Bun Coffee Cake.

Pistachio Coffee Cake