Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the caramel bits and the heavy cream or half and half. Heat over medium-low heat until the caramels are completely melted and incorporated with the cream. Set aside.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the old-fashioned oatmeal, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and coarse sea salt. After it is well combined, stir in the melted butter. You can use your hand at this point if you desire.
Press ⅔ of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and pour the caramel sauce you made over the crust.
Sprinkle the milk chocolate chips on top of the caramel sauce layer, and then sprinkle the remaining ⅓ of the oatmeal mixture evenly over the chocolate chips.
Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the bars seem set. They will be slightly brown on top.
Let cool completely. I do this in the fridge. You want them to be nice and set before you cut them into pieces.
Enjoy!
Recipe by Real Life Dinner at https://reallifedinner.com/carmelitas/