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Oatmeal Fudge Bars (Quick & Easy)

By Matthew Perez |

Published: · Modified: by · 1 Comment

Brown sugar oatmeal cookie bars filled with a creamy fudge filling. These easy Oatmeal Fudge Bars use the same mixture for the crust and topping making them come together quickly and easily. A delicious dessert for feeding a crowd.

These perfect little squares are the best way to eat oats. I’d describe this recipe as a brown sugar oatmeal cookie bar with a thick fudge filling. The crust and topping are chewy and crunchy, the chocolate filling is smooth and creamy. Love oats and chocolate? Try our Chocolate Oatmeal Cups, too.

Stack of two Oatmeal Fudge Bars on parchment paper.
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Ingredients for Oatmeal Fudge Bars - Oats, flour, brown sugar, condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter, vanilla.

Recipe overview

Crust and crumb topping: The crust and crumb topping are made from the same mixture. It’s similar to a brown sugar oatmeal cookie dough. It’s buttery, sweet, and it comes together in minutes. Press a little more than two-thirds of the mixture into the bottom of the baking dish and reserve the rest for crumbling over the top. 

Fudge filling: A mixture of sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat, whisking frequently, until smooth and combined.

Bake: Once assembled bake for 18-20 minutes. 

Oatmeal crust & topping
Step by step collage how to make Oatmeal Fudge Bars. Melted chocolate in a saucepan and spread on top of oatmeal crust.
Fudge filling

Why you’ll love this recipe

Fast and easy: This recipe requires about 15 minutes of hands on time. Bake time is 18-20 minutes.

No fancy equipment: No electric mixer needed. Make sure you have a whisk and a rubber spatula or wooden spoon for combining the dough.

Flavor: Rich and creamy chocolate paired with a buttery brown sugar crust and topping.

Texture: Creamy filling with a slightly crunchy topping and chewy crust. 

Oatmeal Fudge Bars on parchment paper.

Recipe tips

  1. Line your baking pan with foil or parchment paper. This will prevent the bars from sticking, and it allows you lift the whole pan of bars out of the pan for easy cutting and serving. Bonus: clean up is a breeze!
  2. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh and soft. Hard or lumpy brown sugar won’t blend into the crust/topping as easily.
  3. Allow the bars to cool completely. The crust will be really soft when they are warm (from the melted butter). Once the butter cools the bars will firm up.

Serving and storage

Serving: Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. You can also briefly heat the bars in the microwave and serve them warm but you will likely want to serve them with a fork because they will soften quite a bit.

Storage: Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, bringing to room temperature before serving. Freeze, double wrapped, for 2-3 months. 

Stack of three Oatmeal Fudge Bars on parchment paper.

More bar desserts

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Recipe

Two Oatmeal Fudge Bars stacked on a piece of parchment paper.

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

Brown sugar oatmeal cookie bars filled with a creamy fudge filling. These easy Oatmeal Fudge Bars use the same mixture for the crust and topping making them come together quickly and easily. A delicious dessert for feeding a crowd.

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 33 minutes

Servings: 24

Calories: 325kcal

Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Crust & topping:

Fudge filling:

Instructions

Crust and topping:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven. Line an 9×13 baking pan with foil or parchment and lightly spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.

  • In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until well combined, at least one full minute.

  • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.

  • Dump a little more than two-thirds of the mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. You should have about 1-½ cups remaining, set it aside for the topping. Proceed with the fudge filling.

Fudge filling:

  • In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chocolate chips are completely melted and the mixture is smooth and combined. Stir in the vanilla extract then immediately pour over the crust. Gently spread into an even layer.

  • Sprinkle the reserved topping over the fudge filling. Bake for for 18-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 317IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

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