Chocolate Oat Fudge Bars

These chocolate oat fudge bars are chewy, fudgy and absolutely addictive! Think smooth chocolate between layers of chewy, crunchy oat crumble. It’s almost impossible to stop at just one slice.

Ingrdients in Oat Fudge Bars

You'll just need a few simple ingredients to get started on these oatmeal fudge bars!

• Unsalted butter: if you use salted butter, omit the added salt.
• Plain / all-purpose flour
• Brown sugar: this gives the cookies their chewy texture.
• Old-fashioned (rolled) oats: these whole oats give you a lovely texture and flavour. Don't use quick oats or steel-cut oats.
• Sweetened condensed milk: or lite sweetened condensed milk. You can also sub with dairy free versions. Do NOT use regular milk or evaporated milk.
• Chocolate chips: Use dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can also use chopped chocolate blocks or melts or buttons. Don't use milk or white chocolate as they're too sweet for this recipe.
• Vanilla: essence or extract is fine.

How to Make Chocolate Oat Fudge Bars

Making these chocolate oatmeal fudge bars only uses a few simple ingredients and takes a couple of easy steps. Follow the helpful step-by-step guide below!

Step 1. Melt the butter. I use a large heat-proof mixing bowl so I can just pop the other ingredients straight in.
Step 2. Add flour, brown sugar and rolled oats.
Step 3. Mix together very well. This is crucial! Make sure your don’t have any streaks or lumps of dry ingredients. Do the pinch test: pinch a small bit of dough together in your fingertips and it should stick together instead of crumbling.
Step 4. Sprinkle HALF of the oat mixture into the base of your pan. I use the back of a spoon to flatten it out, but you can also use the flat base of a mug or cup. Bake until golden.

Step 5. To make the fudge layer, add condensed milk, chopped butter and dark choc chips to a saucepan. 
Step 6. Melt over low heat. Stir constantly to keep the mixture burning on the base of the saucepan. If there’s some stubborn lumps, use a whisk to smooth the mix out. It should be thick and glossy.
Step 7. Remove from heat and stir in the salt and vanilla. Pour over your cooked oat base (scrape down the sides of the saucepan to get all the chocolatey goodness out!). 
Step 8. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture evenly over the chocolate fudge layer.

Step 9. Here’s how your slice should look after cooking!
Step 10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the oats are crisp and golden. Yum!

Storing Oat Fudge Bars

You can keep the bars un-refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

To freeze the cooled bars, wrap each tightly in clingwrap and place in a zip-loc or freezer bag. Keep frozen for up to 6 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature for 6 hours or overnight then serve as normal.

PS: these are perfect for lunch boxes or work lunches!

FAQs and Troubleshooting

Why is my oat layer is very brittle and tough to bite and cut through?

This means the oat base has been overcooked. Only cook until just golden brown. If your tin is slightly bigger, your base will be thinner and will cook quicker.

Why is my oat layer crumbly and falling apart?

These bars will have some crumble to them, but if the oat layers are falling apart then it is likely that the oat mixture wasn't mixed together well enough. Make sure all of the dry ingredients are well incorporated into the butter and that the mixture is one consistent texture.

Remember to do a pinch test! Pinch the dough between your fingers, and it should press together and hold its shape (it shouldn't crumble!).

Why is my fudge split or lumpy?

If your fudge is split, you may have cooked it for too long or used too high of a heat when cooking it on the stovetop. Use a low to medium heat, and stir until all the chocolate has just melted in. If it's boiling or heating too fast, remove from heat and use the residual heat to melt the chocolate.

If your fudge is lumpy, there may just be stubborn chocolate pieces that haven't melted yet. Use a whisk to break down lumps if needed.

Are these like the Starbucks Oat and Fudge Bars?

These are similar to the Starbucks Oat and Fudge Bars except I use rolled (whole) oats for a chewier texture. I think these are even better!

Variations

• Chocolate drizzle: melt some chocolate to drizzle over the top of the bars.
• Choc orange slice: add 1 teaspoon orange essence when adding the vanilla into the fudge layer.
• Gifting idea! These make a great home made gift. Just wrap them up in some cellophane and tie with a colourful ribbon.

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• Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
• Chewy Apricot Oatmeal Cookies
• Chewy Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies