Oatmeal Fudge Cookie Bars
Satisfy your sweet tooth with a delightful combination of chewy oatmeal cookies and rich, creamy fudge in these irresistible Oat Fudge Cookie Bars. Elevating the classic chewy oatmeal cookie experience to new heights, these cookies in bar form deliver the perfect balance of textures and flavors with every bite.
Whether you're a fan of chewy cookie bars, a lover of chocolate fudge, or simply in search of a delightful treat to satisfy your sweet cravings, these bars are a must-try and one of my favorite recipes for cookie bars.
Popular Amish Cookie Bars
Back in my Amish youth group days, we had lots of fun outings and meals together with over thirty of us in the group. We always needed a ton of food, and sometimes we all pitched in and brought something to share.
Cookie bars were the go-to sweet treat in our group – not sure why we leaned toward bars instead of regular cookies. Maybe it's because they're quick and easy to make. You can bake a whole pan of bars at once instead of baking in batches.
This Amish fudge bar recipe was a big hit and was served many times. It was popular, right up there with our beloved lemon bars. (I'll have to share that recipe someday.) Chocolate peanut butter rice krispie bars and chewy chocolate chip bars were also often found in our selection, as well as zucchini bars with cream cheese frosting.
There are so many amazing kinds of cookies and bars, and I love them all a bit too much! 😉
Ingredients
For the Oat Cookie Base:
- Butter adds moisture, richness, and flavor to the cookie base.
- Brown Sugar adds sweetness and moisture to the bars. Brown sugar also contributes to the chewiness and provides a slightly caramel flavor.
- Eggs act as a binding agent, providing structure and moisture to the cookie dough.
- Vanilla enhances the overall flavor, adding a warm and sweet aroma.
- All-Purpose Flour provides structure to the oatmeal cookie dough.
- Quick Oats add texture, chewiness, and a hearty quality to the bars.
- Salt enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness, contributing to the overall taste profile.
- Baking Soda helps the cookie bars rise.
For the Fudge Mixture:
- Butter adds richness to the fudge layer, complementing the chocolate.
- Chocolate Chips form the base of the fudge layer, providing a smooth and chocolatey texture. (Feel free to use your favorite kind: semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or even melting wafers.)
- Sweetened Condensed Milk adds sweetness and creaminess, and it helps bind the layers together.
- Salt balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract enhances the flavor of the fudge.
- Chopped Nuts (an optional ingredient) provide crunch and a nutty flavor. (I like nuts in cookies and bars, but I typically opt for leaving them out in this recipe.)
Each ingredient plays a role in creating a well-balanced and delicious combination of oatmeal cookie layers with a lovely layer of fudge.
How to Make Fudge-Stuffed Cookie Bars
Oatmeal Mixture:
- Mix room-temperature butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add this to the wet mixture and mix well.
- Grease a 10x15" baking pan and evenly spread about 2/3 of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of the pan.
Fudge Mixture:
- In a double boiler, melt butter, chocolate chips, and sweetened condensed milk.
- Stir in salt, vanilla extract, and chopped nuts if you like.
Assembly:
- Spread the melted fudge mixture over the oatmeal layer in the baking pan.
- Crumble the remaining cookie dough over the top, spreading it as evenly as possible.
- Bake in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for approximately 20 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and the bars look set.
Enjoy your delicious oat fudge bars!
Bar Recipe For Jelly Roll Pan
Baked in a jelly roll-size pan, this is a fudge cookie bar recipe for a crowd. The standard size for jelly roll pans is approximately 10x15 inches. However, not all pans are made to standard size. I discovered that some of my jelly roll pans are approximately 11x17 inches. So that spreads my bars out thinner than if my pans were standard size.
All that to say, if your pans are larger, the cookie bars will be a bit thinner. It still works, but you may have to adjust the baking time a bit. The thinner the bars, the less baking time they need.
Storage
Store the oat fudge bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three or four days.
For longer storage, I recommend freezing them as soon as they are cooled. I typically keep some out and also freeze some for later.
Many homemade baked goods start to dry out after three or four days. Freezing them helps to keep them fresh. Just pull them from the freezer a half hour to an hour before serving, and they will still be fresh.
Serving Cookie Bars
These fudge oat bars are great on their own for a snack or a simple dessert, and especially delightful when served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
I love using a mini spatula (affiliate link) for serving bars.
If you enjoy oatmeal cookie bars, you may want to try my easy sheet pan recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip bars as well. And if you try this oat cookie fudge bar recipe, I'd love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
Cookie Fudge Bars Recipe
Ingredients
Oatmeal Mixture:
- 1 cup butter, softened 2 sticks
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Fudge Mixture:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/4 cups chocolate chips
- 1 (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
Oatmeal Mixture:
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well-blended.1 cup butter, softened, 2 cups brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add them to the wet mixture and mix to combine.2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 3 cups quick-cooking oats, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Spread approximately 2/3 of the batter into a greased 10x15" baking pan (jelly roll size). The batter is thick, so it takes a bit of patience to get it spread.
Fudge Mixture:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a double boiler and heat to melt. Mix well and spread over the bottom oatmeal mixture. (If desired, melt the butter, chips, and condensed milk in the microwave at 30-second intervals, then stir in the salt, vanilla, and nuts if desired.)2 tablespoons butter, 2 1/4 cups chocolate chips, 1 (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
- Spread the fudge mixture over the top of the oatmeal mixture and then top with the remaining 1/3 oatmeal mixture. You won't be able to spread the oat mixture very well, just crumble it evenly over the top the best you can. It doesn't have to be completely covered.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges and the bars look set.
- Cool and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container. These bars also freeze well.
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