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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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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.
This post was originally published on February 23, 2021
I am so excited to try this! Could I sub almond or coconut flour for the all-purpose four? If so, any guidance on the amount to use would be appreciated!
Hey Kendall,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Happy Friday! xTieghan
YUM
Thanks Cayla!
Made these today and they are amazing, definitely bars my husband and I keep going back more for!!
I don’t like things too sweet so I cut the caramel sauce by half but wishing I splurged and did the whole amount!
Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Jess,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Happy Friday! xTieghan
Oh my goodness! These bars are the best thing I’ve ever made. My picky son said “Every bite makes me smile” ☺️
Hey Patricia,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! Happy Friday! xTieghan
Would this recipe be okay without the caramel layer? Or is there a substitution for maple syrup? I’m snowed in today and have all ingredients besides the syrup!
Hey Erin,
Totally fine to skip the caramel layer, I would recommend baking for 25-28 minutes. I hope you love the bars, let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
They looks delicious, how do you think they would be using gluten free flour (my son has celiac) any adjustments other than using the gluten free flour?
Thanks so much I love your blog!
Hey Lauren,
I think that would be totally fine to do. I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this today, it’s nice! Not too sweet. I don’t think coconut oil is the right choice, it left the bars more crumbly than is ideal for this type of dessert in my opinion. Next time I’d use butter instead! The caramel sauce layer is bonkers though, I think I might incorporate that into everything I bake from now on.
Hey Emily,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xTieghan
These bars are quick, easy and delious! My caramel sauce had a grainy/crystal-y texture when the bars were done. Any thoughts why?
Hey Juanita,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! Could it be possible that the caramel boiled for too long? xTieghan
Tieghan, this was RIDICULOUSLY good. Absurdly easy to make, and easy to whip up with things already in the pantry, it came together quickly. (Ultimate gratitude for anything that doesn’t require a stand mixer as I don’t have one.) It was (and is) the perfect midweek dessert for this very very tired teacher with a sweet tooth. Fantastic texture to boot! Now I just need to find a dinner recipe to keep in my back pocket as an equally-easy-to-make-with-stuff-already-in-the-cupboard go-to 🙂
Hey Natalie,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xTieghan
Definitely satisfied my sweet tooth craving. I found them very sweet. I make a different recipe using caramels and I found this recipe a lot sweeter. I will admit, I do love caramel and sauce was definitely easier to make than peeling the wrapper off a lot of caramels.
Hey Kim,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xTieghan
these bars are perfection!!! so good
Thanks so much Mina! xTieghan
Made these tonight and I am IN LOVE! One issue I had though was the caramel sauce ended up crystallizing and not being gooey/chewy. It’s sort of firm? Almost praline like? Did I not cook it long enough or did I over cook it?
Hey Elizabeth,
So sorry to hear this, it sounds like the caramel could have boiled for too long! xTieghan
I made these this afternoon and they turned out perfectly! Gooey on the inside but crunchy on the outside, not to mention they were soooo easy to make! I will definitely be saving this recipe to make again!
Hey Kelly,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xTieghan
This was really delicious (how could it not be ?) but the caramel turned out more like fudge than caramel. Not sure if I did something wrong or not.
Hey Sully,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! Was the caramel overcooked at all? xTieghan
Caramel was too liquidy so even after leaving the bars in the oven for a full 20 minutes, and letting them cool properly, they still fell apart when I took them out of the pan. Taste is good, maybe a little too sweet. Not sure what the issue was given all the other positive reviews! 🙁
Hey Sarah,
So sorry to hear this, they are most definitely a crumbly cookie. If the caramel was too gooey it could have needed a little more time to boil. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan