Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line the baking dish with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal later.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.

Fold in the chocolate chips, ensuring even distribution throughout the dough.

Spread half of the cookie dough into the prepared baking dish, pressing down evenly.

Drizzle half of the salted caramel sauce over the cookie dough layer.

Take the remaining cookie dough and drop spoonfuls over the caramel layer. Gently spread it out to cover as much as possible without displacing the caramel too much.

Drizzle the remaining salted caramel sauce over the top and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the bars cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then lift them out using the parchment paper and transfer them to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.