Next Post
Roasted Turmeric Chicken Pitas with Garlic Lemon Tahini.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Making Tuesday a little more special and sweet with these Gooey Chocolate Oatmeal Bars. These easy homemade oatmeal cookie bars with chocolate chunks and a warm gooey “caramel” like center are the perfect way to bring something delicious to the average weekday. They’re made with a mix of pantry ingredients…oats, flour, butter, maple, vanilla, and a reduced amount of sugar. Most importantly, everyone LOVES these bars…they’re easy to make, difficult to mess up…and they always turn out GREAT!
So, originally these were going to be last Friday’s dessert, but then at the last minute, I panicked and convinced myself that no-one would care about oatmeal bars. NO ONE. So I switched things up…and I LOVE the caramel cake I created so much. Like so much, it’s one of my favorite cakes. I’m so happy I came up with it.
But the funny thing? I sent the oatmeal bars I had made home for my family to enjoy. The next morning, all I heard about from every last person currently staying at their house was just how delicious they were.
I mean, I knew they were good, but I have to say I was a little shocked. Someone even said that these bars are their new favorite dessert. Sooo, I clearly needed to rethink my stance on these bars. And now? With pretty photos and a very ooey-gooey dessert bar to share…I AM EXCITED.
I think it was all meant to play out this way. We got cake on Friday, which was perfect. And easy, sweet oatmeal bars on Tuesday, which feels very right to me.
The Back Story
My mom would often bake up oatmeal cookies. These bars totally remind me of something she’d bake up on Friday nights. They feel very “old school”, just like Friday’s cake and I’m loving it.
The idea is based on the dessert bars known as Carmelitas…oatmeal bars with chocolate chips and caramel in the center. I don’t love, love caramel. Especially the overly sugary store-bought candies. So instead of using real caramel, I used my trusty maple-based “caramel” sauce. It’s just as good but much less sugary. And to be honest? We think it’s better than real caramel.
So I put my maple-based caramel in the middle of the oatmeal bars and created my own version of Carmelitas.
Not only are these really easy to make, but they’re a true delight. Especially if you have the privilege of enjoying one warm, right out of the oven. DELICIOUS.
Here are the simple details.
This recipe requires just one bowl, a pot, and a couple of spoons. It’s completely no-fuss. Start to finish these will take less than an hour. You can’t mess these bars up. They’re that easy and they always turn out great.
In your mixing bowl combine all of the dry ingredients. Now, add all of the wet ingredients. Mix away until you have a crumbly dough. Stir in plenty of dark chocolate chunks, then press about half the dough into a baking dish. Bake for a bit to help the bottom layer set.
While that layer is baking, make the gooey layer. I use maple for sweetness, butter for creaminess, and a pinch of salt to create a silky, smooth, sweet, and salty sauce. As soon as the bottom layer has finished baking, pour over the gooey sauce, then crumble on the remaining dough.
Now finish the baking…
Smell the wonderfulness? Do you see the melty chocolate?
I know that nothing is perfect, but these bars are pretty close. Every bite is just perfectly sweet, chocolatey, and very gooey. When you eat them a little warm, they’re truly addicting. Fair warning…the salt on top really does keep you going back for seconds and thirds.
What I love about these sweet bars is that they’re so easy to make. They require no chilling and truly take almost no time at all. AND…I usually have these ingredients on hand. So when it’s Friday night and the urge for a deliciously warm chocolatey treat comes on? These bars are easy to mix up and deliciously satisfy the urge.
They’re great for all these cold, cold snowy days many of us have been having! This is very cheesy of me to say, but they’ll really warm you right up!
Looking for other easy winter desserts? Here are some favorites.
Healthier Baked Hot Chocolate Doughnuts
5 Minute Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Mug Cake
Lastly, if you make these Gooey Chocolate Oatmeal Bars be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Gooey Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Servings: 12 bars
Calories Per Serving: 311 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil or butter
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
Gooey Caramel
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line an 8×8 inch square baking dish with parchment paper. 2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until the dough is moist and all the ingredients are combined. The dough will be crumbly. Mix in the chocolate chunks. Press half of the dough evenly into the bottom of a prepared baking dish. Bake 10 minutes.3. Meanwhile, make the "caramel". In a medium pot, melt together the butter, brown sugar, and maple over medium heat. Gently boil, stirring constantly until thickened, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in a pinch of salt. 4. Remove the bars from the oven and pour the caramel over top. Crumble on the remaining oatmeal dough. Bake another 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let cool completely, then cut into bars…or eat them while warm and gooey with a sprinkle of sea salt on top.
Bars were amazing! I did use butter instead of coconut oil and my dough seemed more wet than yours, is that normal? Second when i poured the caramel sauce on the bars it broke up the bottom batter and it all mixed together, suggestions on how to get the caramel to sit on top without sinking?
Hey Amanda,
Thanks for trying the recipe, yes that sounds normal. Sounds like your caramel may have needed to been boiled just a tad longer to make it thicker. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Hi Teighan,
I love all your recipes! Thanks for sharing!
I made these oatmeal bars on a rainy Sunday!
They were a perfect rainy day treat!
Can I freeze a portion of the bars so I don’t
eat them all !
Thank you..
Hey Patti,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Made this tonight and my parents absolutely loved them! I ended up using quick oats, but they still turned out great! Thanks for the sweet recipe
Hey Nata,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Came out a little messy, but very delicious!
Hey Nicole,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
These are delicious! I didn’t have maple syrup and just used butter and brown sugar to make the sauce. Super yummy and family approved ?
Hey Kelly,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
My new go to dessert. The chocolate and the caramel with the oatmeal texture….so good! I love the simple and short ingredient list too – things I always have on hand.
Would have taken a picture to tag – but I took them to a family dinner and came home with an empty dish. Everyone loved them. 🙂
Hey Kimberly,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
I’ve made these 3 times in the last few weeks. They are perfect!! Thanks again!
Hey Mary,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Yum! Used coconut oil in the batter and halved the caramel portion of the recipe. Delicious! Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Lynley,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
These look amazing! My husband is allergic to dairy, so I use Earth Balance vegan buttery sticks as a one for one butter swap. However, I know that isn’t always best for making a caramel. Could I use your “caramel” from the Twix bars recipe as a swap here? Or do you have another recommendation? Thank you!
Hey Katie,
Thanks so much! I think the caramel from the Twix recipe would work well here. I hope you love them! xTieghan
Is there a way to make the Carmel sauce with no maple syrup? I live in Congo and don’t have access to that 🙂
Hey Jamie,
You could use honey in place of the maple syrup. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Wow, I just made these and they came out so good! This is super easy to follow. I think mine came out a tad dryer than I would have liked – I think I over baked them, but maybe I will try butter instead of coconut oil next time and see if that makes a difference. Thanks, Tieghan, for another great recipe!
Hey Alicia,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
Hello!
Do you think I could sub 1:1 gluten free baking flour for the all purpose flour??
Thanks!!
Hi! I was wondering if I could make these without egg or substitute the egg with something?? I cannot eat eggs. These look amazing and I must try them!!
Hey Jen,
So sorry I have not tested this recipe without the egg! xTieghan
Yummy! My caramel didn’t turn out quite right and was grainy. It was hard to know when to pull it off the heat.
Hey Katie,
That is so awesome this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Was there anything you adjusted in the caramel? Happy Friday! xTieghan
HELP! I made these delicious bars, but unfortunately my gooey Carmel sauce is hard as a rock! I boiled for 5 minutes, any suggestions?
Thank you!!
Hey Elizabeth,
So sorry about this! Next time try boiling the caramel for only 3-4 minutes. I hope this helps! xTieghan