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Gooey Oatmeal Fudge Bars

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These gooey oatmeal fudge bars combine a rich chocolate fudge filling sandwiched between two layers of chewy oatmeal cookie. They taste like an oatmeal brownie and take just 30 minutes of prep!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Oatmeal Cookie Layers:

  • 113 g (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 150 g dark brown sugar (or light brown sugar)
  • 50 g light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg and 1 yolk, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 165 g all-purpose flour
  • 125 g old-fashioned whole-rolled oats
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 75 g finely chopped toasted pecans, optional
  • 2 oz (56 g) semi-sweet baking chocolate, roughly chopped for topping, optional

For the Chocolate Fudge Filling:

  • 7 oz (195 g) sweetened condensed milk (half a can)
  • 6 oz (170 g ) semi-sweet baking chocolate, finely chopped (or chocolate chips)
  • 28 g (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

Make the Oatmeal Cookie Layers:

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F (177˚C). Line an 8x8 or 9x9 inch (20x20 or 23x23 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang so you can easily lift the bars out of the pan when they're done. Set aside.
  2. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar for 4 minutes on high speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the mixer as needed. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
  3. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the creamed butter and sugar and beat until smooth.
  4. Add the flour, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and mix on low speed until just combined. Fold in the pecans by hand if using. The dough will be thick and sticky.
  5. Set the dough aside while you prepare the filling.

Make the Chocolate Fudge Filling:

  1. Combine the condensed milk, chocolate, and butter in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each increment, until fully melted and smooth.
  2. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Set aside.

Assemble the Bars:

  1. Press around 2/3 of the dough into the prepared pan. You can do this using a spatula but I find it easiest to use your hands. Grease your hands with non-stick spray to prevent the dough from sticking.
  2. Pour the fudge filling on top, spreading it all the way to the edges.
  3. Crumble the remaining cookie dough on top, leaving spaces for the chocolate filling to peep through. Scatter the remaining pieces of the 2 oz of chopped chocolate on top.
  4. Bake for 19-26 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
  5. Set the pan over a wire rack. Allow the bars to cool completely to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Notes

  • Quickly bring ingredients to room temp: Cut butter into thin slices and microwave in 5-second increments, turning the slices over after each increment. Place the uncracked eggs in a bowl with warm water for 10 minutes.
  • You can use all dark brown sugar or all light brown sugar if needed.
  • Use old-fashioned whole rolled oats, NOT quick oats or steel-cut oats, for the perfect chewy texture.
  • You can leave out the pecans or swap them with walnuts. I highly recommend toasting your nuts before adding them to the dough for extra flavor- it only takes an extra 10 minutes but makes such a difference.

Nutrition

Keywords: oatmeal fudge bars, gooey fudge bars, oatmeal cookie bars

Find it online: https://treatsbytalija.com/gooey-oatmeal-fudge-bars/