Candy-coated Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Since a few of you don’t jump up and down drooling for peanut butter and chocolate, and some of you are allergic to peanut butter, I made you a peanut butter-less version of Reese’s P.Bitty Bars. You get the same gooey chocolate middle and crumbly oatmeal layers, minus the peanut butter. Besides, I really needed to use up a bag of red and green M&M’s before I bring home Halloween candy.
Sweet wishes,
Candy-coated Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Here is a great way to use up lingering M&M's candies. Bars with a gooey chocolate middle and a crumbly oatmeal topping.
Equipment
- 1 9×13 pan
Ingredients
Creamy Chocolate Filling
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Oatmeal Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, 2 sticks
- 1¼ cups brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats or quick-cooking oats
- ½ cup mini M&M's chocolate candies , or regular M&M's chopped
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9 baking pan with non-stick foil, letting ends extend over edges. Or spray with cooking spray.
Creamy Chocolate Filling
- Over low heat in a small saucepan, slowly melt chocolate and sweetened condensed milk, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside to cool while you make the dough.
Oatmeal Dough
- In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat softened butter and brown sugar.
- Add vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Beat until fluffy.
- Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating just until combined. Stir in oatmeal. Mix will be crumbly.
- Firmly press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of the pan.
- Spread chocolate filling evenly over dough.
- With a pastry blender or a fork, mix M&M's baking bits into remaining dough and then sprinkle over the chocolate filling. Lightly press the mixture into the chocolate so it bakes into the bars.
- Bake 25-30 minutes until lightly brown. Cool completely. If you used a foil-lined pan, pull the bars out and cut into squares on a cutting board. Otherwise, cut bars in pan. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 274kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 4gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 137mgPotassium: 154mgFiber: 2gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 290IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 2mg
All text and images © Staci Mergenthal • Random Sweets
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This is a treat that I could eat at least once a day!
Me too, Paula. They are just the right sweetness and oatmeal is good for us. I don’t think it matters if there is chocolate involved…but I’m far from a nutritionist. *wink wink*
I think I might need these in my life.
I made the mistake of searching “baking” in my WordPress reader and landed here and now I’m a little upset that I don’t have any sweetened condensed milk!
Hi Heather! I’m glad you landed here. 🙂 Did you go get a can of condensed milk and make these yet?