01 -
Spray the bottom of the slow cooker with nonstick spray, coating it well.
02 -
Using a mixer, beat together butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
03 -
Add the egg and regular salt to the mixture and mix until combined.
04 -
Gradually add flour, 1 cup at a time, and continue mixing until a soft dough forms.
05 -
Lightly flour the dough and use your hands to form it into a ball.
06 -
Use slightly more than half of the dough and press it evenly onto the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle additional flour as needed to prevent sticking.
07 -
Evenly sprinkle the bag of caramel bits over the base dough layer.
08 -
Crumble the remaining dough evenly over the caramel layer.
09 -
Sprinkle the sea salt evenly across the crumbled dough layer.
10 -
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 2–3 hours. The cookie bars are done when they are slightly browned around the edges and a knife inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.