Get the Recipe: Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Delicious chocolate oatmeal squares, with a creamy chocolate filling. Perfect for bake sales, bbqs or picnics.
Ingredients
Crumb mixture:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (180 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) quick-cooking oats
- 1 1/4 cups (155 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, reduce to 1/4 tsp if using salted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Chocolate filling:
- 7 oz. (200 g) sweetened condensed milk, about 3/4 cup + 1 1/2 Tbsps.
- 1 cup (240 ml) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (non-convection/not fan-assisted). Reduce oven temperature by 25F if using a glass pan.
- Spray a 7x11-inch baking pan with baking spray and line the bottom and long sides with a piece of parchment paper, overhanging the sides by an inch or so, to use as handles to remove from the pan later. *Alternate pan options: 8x8 or 9x9-inch pan. If doubling the recipe, use a 9x13-inch pan. If tripling, use an 11x17-inch pan.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
- Make the crumb mixture: In a large bowl with an electric beater or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix until well blended. Remove and set aside about 1 cup of the crumb mixture (180-200g), well packed. Press the remaining oatmeal mixture into an even layer on the bottom of the baking pan. (If sticking to hands, rinse hands under cold water, then shake off excess, then press in). The base will seem thin, but will expand and fill in as it bakes.
- Make the chocolate filling: In a large saucepan, combine the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, salt and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is completely smooth. Remove from the heat, then stir in vanilla and walnuts, if using. Spread filling evenly over the crust in the pan. Drop small dollops of the reserved oatmeal mixture randomly over the top.
- Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is set and the oatmeal dollops on top have started to become a little golden. If doubling or tripling, the baking time may be slightly longer. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan set on a wire cooling rack before cutting into squares. *I like to refrigerate in the pan for a bit before cutting, for the neatest cuts.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Enjoy cold from the fridge or at room temperature. These will also freeze well up to 2 months.
Notes
Nutritional information does not include the optional walnuts.
Tips!
When pressing the base into the pan, try to get it as even as possible, but don't stress any small gaps, as the base will expand as it cooks and fill in nicely.
If your hands are sticking to the base, run under cold water, shake off the excess and press.
I've included weight and metric measures here, and I encourage you to bake from the weights if you have a kitchen scale. Baking with weights ensures that the bake turns out perfectly and the same every time, since it eliminates any potential differences in cup sizes and measurement techniques (eg, how you measure flour).
Feeding a crowd? Double the recipe and bake in a 9x13-inch pan, or triple the recipe and bake in an 11x17-inch pan. (Use the "2X" or "3X" button on the Recipe Card to automatically double or triple the ingredient amounts.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips on making this recipe. You will also find step-by-step photos there that you might find helpful when making the recipe.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 289kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 246mg, Potassium: 169mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 373IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 81mg, Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment. It helps others to find it!
