Caramel Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

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Caramel Chocolate Oatmeal Bars or Carmelita is a soft, deliciously satisfying bar that is the perfect snack. They are truly addictive in the best possible way. Great for after school snacks, meetings, or any time you want a crowd-pleasing treat.

A stack of caramel chocolate oat bars with chocolate chips.

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Oatmeal Bars

An MIT professor is credited with creating the oatmeal granola bar. Obviously, a portables oatmeal bar has been around for centuries. But the modern tasty version that we know today is credited to Stanley Mason.

Why This Chocolate Oatmeal Bars Recipe is a Keeper

These Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Squares hit all the senses. You start with decadent chocolate, have the gratifying flavor of a butter oatmeal cookie, the sweet caramel sauce and finally the crunch from the pecans.

  • Easy Ingredients: These bars are a great treat to make quickly as they use pantry staple ingredients on hand.
  • Family Friendly: Everyone loves these tasty oatmeal chocolate bars.
  • Adaptable: Make a dairy free version or a low fat version. Cashew butter is great too.
  • Makes Great Leftovers: These oatmeal cookie bars are wonderful to freeze for later.

If you’re looking for more bar recipes, try these Brown Butter Peach Bars, Apple Crumble Bar, and Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars.

Are Oatmeal Bars healthy?

A piece of chocolate oat bars is being picked up.

Of course, whole grain oats in these bars add a bit of bulk to your diet that will leave you satiated for much longer than most other snacks. Plus, oatmeal has a lot of nutrients. However, it can depend on the ingredients that you use to make these bars that can affect the overall healthiness.

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Ingredient Notes for Caramel Chocolate Oat Bars

Oats, flour, and butter on a white background and a spoon.

These caramel oatmeal bars will remind you of a recipe from your grandma’s cookbook. They are hearty and delicious.

  • Oatmeal: This creates the oat crust for the bar. These layer bars are a satisfying treat full of oat goodness.
  • Butterscotch caramel ice cream topping: The homemade oatmeal bars recipe calls for an easy store-bought sauce but feel free to make your own.

See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

You will love this recipe as is but you can always change it up to make your own version of these oatmeal chocolate bars.

  • Chocolate Chunks: Replace the chocolate chips with milk chocolate chunks.
  • Sauce: Use chocolate sauce or your favorite flavor.
  • Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter: Use a combination of chips or melt the chocolate and peanut butter in a saucepan over low heat and drizzle on top of the bars.

How to Make Chocolate Oat Bars Recipe

These bars are perfect for a picnic, school lunches or parties. The mixture of chocolate and oat are both sweet and hearty.

These are the basic steps for making homemade oatmeal bars. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.

Photos making the crust for the chocolate and oatmeal.

STEP 1: Oat Mixture

First, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (Or line the pan with parchment paper). Combine dry ingredients of oats, 1 ½ cups flour, brown sugar and baking soda in mixing bowl combine until mixture is smooth.

STEP 2: In a Large Mixing Bowl

Then add butter and brown sugar mixture and mix until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture and then use the remaining oat mixture evenly pressing gently to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes.

STEP 3: Combine Topping and Chocolate Mixture

Next, combine ice cream topping and remaining ¼ cup flour in bowl, whisk until smooth. Drizzle over bottom of crust and spread to edges. Finally, combine chopped pecans and remaining oat mixture and then sprinkle mixture and chocolate morsels evenly over the top of caramel mixture.

A series of photos showing how to make a caramel bar using chocolate and oatmeal bars.

STEP 4: Bake the Oatmeal Chocolate Bars

Lastly, bake chocolate oat bars for 15-18 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly. Refrigerate for at least an hour to cool completely and cut into bars.

FAQs about Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Store cooled squares in an airtight container or ziplock bag in a cool, dark space for 5 to 7 days. You can store in the fridge, let them sit out to room temperature to serve. I think they taste best that way.

Wrap the bars in snack bags or parchment paper and then store in a zip top freezer bag. Pull them out as you need them. They should last well for two months.

Store cooled squares in an airtight container in a cool, dark space for 5 to 7 days. You can let them sit out to room temperature to serve.

  • Rolled oats are also called old-fashioned oats. They are oat groats that have been steamed and rolled flat. They have a mild flavor and soft texture.
  • Quick oats are similar to rolled oats, but they are cut into smaller pieces and rolled thinner. They have a milder flavor and mushier texture, and they cook in a few minutes
  • Instant oats are the most processed of the three. They are pre-cooked, dried, and rolled very thin. They have a very mild flavor and mushy texture, and they cook in a minute or less.
A group of delicious treats.

Expert Tips for Making This Baked Chocolate Bars Recipe

You will love this easy and delicious recipe but you can make them special with these helpful Chocolate Oatmeal Bar tips.

  • Add Different Chocolate Chips: Mix the semi-sweet chocolate chips with butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips. Or melt chocolate and drizzle on top of the delicious bars.
  • Peanut Butter: A peanut butter version with peanut butter chips and peanut butter sauce. Try sunflower seed butter if allergic. They are scrumptious popular recipe.
  • Variation tip: Feel free to make your own caramel sauce for these dessert bars.
  • Half: Make a half portion in an 8 x 8 pan. These bars are the perfect snack no matter what the size.
  • Dietary consideration tip: Try using a low calorie brown sugar, caramel sauce and sugar free chips to make a low calorie version of this chewy bars.
  • Decorate: Lovely just the way they are, however, if you are going to a fancier event, make these and decorate with mini M&M’s or drizzle chocolate or caramel or both on top to perfect them.
  • Hint: Use parchment paper to line pan. It will keep them from sticking and will help you lift the bars from the pan. Run a knife along the sides when squares are done cooking to help bars out of the pan.

What to Serve with Oatmeal Chocolate Bars Recipes

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A stack of caramel chocolate oat bars with chocolate chips.
5 from 10 votes

Caramel Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Yield: 48 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Squares or carmelitas are a soft, deliciously satisfying bar that are the perfect snack. They are truly addictive in the best possible way. Great for after school snacks, meetings or any time you want a real crowd pleasing treat.
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⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Old-fashioned oats, or Quick Oats
  • 1 ¾ cups All-purpose flour, divided
  • ¾ cup Brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1 cup Butter, melted
  • 1 cup Butterscotch caramel ice cream topping
  • ½ cup Pecans, chopped
  • 16 ounces Semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13×9 pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Combine oats, 1 ½ cups flour, brown sugar and baking soda in mixing bowl. Add butter and mix until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture.
  • Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of pan.
  • Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Combine ice cream topping and remaining ¼ cup flour in bowl, whisk until smooth.
  • Drizzle over bottom of crust and spread to edges.
  • Combine pecans and reserved crumb mixture. Sprinkle mixture and chocolate morsels evenly over caramel mixture.
  • Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
  • Cool completely and cut into bars.

Expert Tips

 
    • Add Different Chocolate Chips: Mix the semi-sweet chocolate chips with butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips. Or melt chocolate and drizzle on top of the delicious bars.
    • Peanut Butter: A peanut butter version with peanut butter chips and peanut butter sauce. Try sunflower seed butter if allergic. They are scrumptious popular recipe.
    • Variation tip: Feel free to make your own caramel sauce for these dessert bars.
    • Half: Make a half portion in an 8 x 8 pan. These bars are the perfect snack no matter what the size.
    • Dietary consideration tip: Try using a low calorie brown sugar, caramel sauce and sugar free chips to make a low calorie version of this chewy bars.
    • Decorate: Lovely just the way they are, however, if you are going to a fancier event, make these and decorate with mini M&M’s or drizzle chocolate or caramel or both on top to perfect them.
    • Hint: Use parchment paper to line pan. It will keep them from sticking and will help you lift the bars from the pan. Run a knife along the sides when squares are done cooking to help bars out of the pan.

Estimated Nutritional Information

Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 85mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

7 thoughts on “Caramel Chocolate Oatmeal Bars”

  1. I’m not sure what I did wrong. I left the carmel sauce off, too much sugar! I baked for 20 minutes and they are just crumbs when I try to take out of pan

    Reply
    • I am so sorry to hear this, usually this happens if the bar does not have enough liquid to keep it moist or if it was baked to long.

      Reply
  2. 5 stars
    This tasted so amazing! Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make chocolate caramel oatmeal squares recipe! Fam really loves it! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!

    Reply

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