My Kraft Caramel Bits Experiment
Alright gang, decided to finally crack open that big bag of Kraft Caramel Bits I grabbed forever ago. Kept staring at it, thinking “Surely these are super easy?” Promised myself I’d whip up a few basic treats without melting down full-on caramel squares. Time to put that promise to the test.
First things first, hauled everything out onto the counter. Found that bag of bits, grabbed some chocolate chips (semi-sweet because that’s what I had), chopped up some walnuts, snagged butter, flour, brown sugar – the usual suspects. Figured I’d start simple.
Treat Attempt #1: Microwave Caramel Corn
Looked so easy online! Popped some plain popcorn – like a whole bunch. Measured out a cup of caramel bits, tossed ’em into my biggest microwave-safe bowl with 2 big spoonfuls of butter and that brown sugar. Zapped it on high. Mistake. That mixture bubbled up like crazy fast, way faster than I expected, nearly scalding me when I pulled it out! Stirred it all together over the popcorn trying to coat everything quickly. It was clumpy. Like, really clumpy. Some kernels absolutely drowned, others totally dry. Threw in the chopped nuts anyway. Spread it on a baking sheet to cool. Verdict? Sticky mess. Tastes good, but wildly uneven coating. Definitely gonna burn your teeth if you bite into a caramel chunk.
Treat Attempt #2: Caramel Apple Dip (Redemption)
Okay, needed a win. Went stupid simple this time. Dumped about a cup and a half of the caramel bits into a little glass bowl. Added maybe 2 tablespoons of heavy cream – just eyeballed it honestly. Covered it with plastic wrap. Microwaved this time on medium power for 1 minute. Stirred. Still lumpy! Microwave gave it another 30 seconds. Stirred again. Ah-ha! Smooth! Seriously smooth caramel sauce. Poured it into another bowl, popped it in the fridge for 20 minutes. Cut up a few Granny Smiths. Test dip. Perfection! Creamy, sweet, tangy bite from the apple. Saved my afternoon mood instantly. Victory lap around the kitchen for this one.
Treat Attempt #3: Super Lazy Caramel-Filled Cookies
Running out of steam now. Grabbed a tube of store-bought refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough. Rolled bits into little balls. Flattened each dough ball slightly in my hand, pressed 5 or 6 caramel bits into the center, pinched the dough back over to cover them. Took longer than I thought! Baked according to the tube directions. Worried the caramel would explode out. They came out looking puffed and normal. Let them cool… bite test. Oh yeah. Gooey caramel center surprise! Minimal effort, maximum payoff. Kids are gonna flip for these.
Treat Attempt #4: Caramel-Chocolate Clusters
Used the rest of the bag I had opened. Just mixed caramel bits with equal parts semi-sweet chocolate chips (again, what I had). Maybe a cup and a half of each? Piled little clusters on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Melted them slowly in the oven at 250°F. Took a good 10-15 minutes to see them melty. Pulled out, stirred each cluster gently – the chocolate and caramel swirled together nicely. Sprinkled some sea salt flakes I found. Cooled completely. Simple? Extremely. Rich? Incredibly. Break-apart easy? Yep. Perfect little sweet bites.
Treat Attempt #5: Caramel Bit Shortbread Bars
Pressed my go-to shortbread recipe (butter, flour, sugar, vanilla) into a pan. Sprinkled caramel bits generously all over the top while it was still warm from the oven. Popped it back in for just 1-2 minutes to slightly soften the bits. Removed it, let it cool. Cut into squares. That buttery shortbread crunch with the sticky little caramel chews? Completely dangerous combo. Couldn’t stop eating the trimmings.
Final Thoughts
Learned my lessons:
- Microwave Power Matters: Don’t just nuke on high! Medium is way safer for melting.
- Sauce is Simple: Dip = easiest win by far.
- Pre-made is your Friend: Stuffing cookie dough? Genius shortcut.
- Mix-ins Rock: Bits + Chocolate = instant crowd-pleaser.
- Topping Bonus: Shortbread (or brownies!) topped with bits = flavor upgrade.
Overall? Yeah, those Kraft Caramel Bits are pretty darn easy. Mistakes happened (looking at you, caramel corn!), but mostly straightforward wins. That bag won’t be gathering dust anymore!
