If you love making brownies and bars, be sure not to miss our Mississippi Mud Brownies, S’mores Bars, and Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars! I don’t know what rock I’ve been living under, but apparently Starbucks has been making these oatmeal fudge bars that I grew up with and I never even knew since I hardly ever go in there. But the ones at Starbucks have got nothing on the homemade oatmeal fudge bars of my childhood. I don’t even remember where this recipe originally came from, although possibly from a Lion House cookbook since that was my favorite when I was a kid. My mom was making these when I was growing up in the 80’s and they are one of the first dessert recipes I remember learning how to make on my own. These oatmeal fudge bars really are the perfect combination of chewy cookie and a creamy chocolate center layer of fudge in one blissful dessert that is perfect for bake sales, potlucks, or sharing with friends since it makes a lot! I love the hands on aspects of pressing part of the oatmeal cookie dough into the bottom of the pan and crumbling the remaining cookie dough over the top so the chocolate fudge layer can peek through. Oatmeal fudge bars bear some similarities with carmelitas, except there is no caramel and the chocolate layer is much thicker and softer in these bars. Even once the bars cool, the fudge layer stays soft like, well, fudge, rather than firming up.
Ingredients in oatmeal fudge bars
Old-fashioned oats: I have only tested these bars with old-fashioned oats. Quick oats are chopped smaller and absorb more moisture than old-fashioned oats. Also, they aren’t as chewy, so I don’t recommend using them as a substitute. Semisweet chocolate chips Salted butter: If you only have unsalted butter on hand, just increase the salt in the recipe by about ¼ teaspoon extra. All-purpose flour Brown sugar Large eggs Vanilla extract Baking soda Salt Sweetened condensed milk: This makes the middle layer so creamy and sweet and fudgy.
How to make oatmeal fudge bars
Tips for making bar recipes
Line the pan with a parchment paper sling. This makes it super easy to lift them out for clean, easy slicing, rather than trying to cut them in the pan. Let them cool completely before slicing, otherwise they will be a gooey mess. Store leftovers covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge. If kept at room temperature they will last for 3-4 days. In the fridge they will hold up a little longer, around 5-7 days.
Love chocolate and oatmeal treats? Us to!
Oatmeal Rolled Sugar Cookies (these are another family favorite my mom made when I was growing up) Caramel Pecan Brownies Rocky Mountain Avalanche Bars Toffee Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (in the running for the best cookie of my life) Iced Oatmeal Cookies Texas Sheet Cake
Easy No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars
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