Oatmeal Fudge Bars

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Oatmeal fudge bars are chewy on the bottom, layered with a decadent chocolate filling and crisp on top. They’re easy to make and even easier to devour!

Oatmeal fudge bars are loaded with oats, chocolate and are so easy to make!

Why I love these chocolate oatmeal bars:

I love oatmeal cookies because of their chewy texture and nutty flavor- and the combination of chewy cookie with rich chocolate filling is the best part of this recipe (other than how easy they are to make of course)!

The base of these bars is oatmeal cookie dough that becomes chewy and delicious when baked!

Ingredients you’ll need:

For the oatmeal dough:

Butter: softened to room temperature
Granulated sugar
Brown sugar
Eggs
Vanilla extract
All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Old fashioned rolled oats: make sure you’re using rolled oats rather than quick oats. They are much better at retaining their texture.

For the chocolate filling:

Sweetened condensed milk
Semi-sweet chocolate chips: feel free to use other chocolate varieties you like.
Vanilla extract
Chopped walnuts (optional)

Be sure to slowly melt the chocolate fudge mixture. Chocolate can burn easily so keep stirring until its fully melted!

I like adding nuts (especially walnuts) for texture and flavor, but this recipe is delicious without them as well! Chopped pecans can be substituted for walnuts as well.

Adding chopped nuts to the fudge filling is optional but I like the extra texture and nutty flavor!

Oatmeal cookie dough gets layered with a fudgy chocolate filling and baked until firm. Cut them into squares and you’ll be left with the most decadent and chewy cookie bars around!

How to make easy oatmeal fudge bars:

Prep your pan and preheat the oven: Start by greasing a 10×15 sheet pan with softened butter then set aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Making the oatmeal cookie dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Crack in the eggs, add the vanilla and mix again. Add the flour, baking soda and rolled oats. Fold together until a dough forms and no visible flour is remaining.
Make the chocolate fudge filling:
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Stir continuously until the mixture is completely melted. Optionally fold in chopped walnuts (or your nut of choice).
Assemble and bake: Press ¾ of the oatmeal cookie dough into the bottom of your greased sheet pan. Pour over the chocolate fudge mixture and spread evenly. Crumble the remaining ¼ of cookie dough sporadically overtop of the fudge layer. Bake for 25 minutes.
Cool and slice: Remove from oven and let cool completely. Slice into bars and enjoy!

Assembling these bars is very easy! Press down the oatmeal cookie crust, spread on the chocolate fudge, then crumble the rest of the cookie dough on top.

Thick and chewy oatmeal chocolate cookie bars have the flavor of an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, made into bar form. They’re great for bringing to parties, serving at potlucks, or feeding a large crowd!

My top tips for the best oatmeal cookie bars:

Grease your sheet pan: you don’t want to go through the work of mixing, assembling, and baking these cookie bars- just to have them stick to the pan! I like taking whatever excess butter is left on my butter wrappers from making the batter and rub it all over the surface of my sheet pan to prevent sticking.
Use a 10×15 sheet pan for this recipe: this will result in a chewy bar that isn’t too thick or too thin. If you need to- this recipe can be made in a 9×13 baking pan, but the bars will be slightly thicker.
Make the chocolate filling over low heat: I highly recommend taking the extra time to slowly melt the chocolate rather than shocking it over high heat. Chocolate can burn and seize very easily so slowly melting the chocolate filling over low heat until smooth is the way to go!
Lightly wet your hands before pressing ¾ of the cookie dough into your pan: wetting your hands before pressing down the oatmeal cookie dough will prevent any sticking and make it much easier to achieve an even layer.
Spread the fudge filling edge to edge: The filling is slightly thick so you’ll need to use a spoon or offset spatula to spread it into an even layer before topping with the remaining oatmeal cookie mixture.
Let the bars cool completely before slicing: It’s important to let these cool completely so that the fudge layer firms up and the cookie bars don’t crumble everywhere.

Once these are bake, let them cool before slicing into squares. This allows the filling to firm up and results in the perfect chewy texture!

Looking for more cookie recipes? Try these out!

FAQ:

Can I use quick oats in this recipe?

Usually, quick oats and rolled oats are interchangeable- but I HIGHLY recommend sticking to using rolled oats in this recipe simply because they’re much better at retaining their texture.

Can I make the chocolate filling in the microwave?

Sure! Just combine everything for the filling in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Continue to heat the mixture in 15 second internals until its melted and smooth.

What nuts can I add to this recipe?

I like adding nuts (especially walnuts) for texture and flavor, but this recipe is delicious without them as well! Chopped pecans can be substituted for walnuts too.

How much cookie dough should I leave for topping the bars?

You’ll use about ¾ of the dough for the crust and ¼ f the dough for crumbling on top. This results in a bottom cookie crust that’s not too thick or too thin.

How should I store leftovers?

I recommend letting the bars cool completely, then slice into squares and transfer to an airtight container. These will keep at room temperature for 5 days!

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