These Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Fudge Bars are the ultimate comfort snack when life feels out-of-control! Shout out to my sister Lara for finding this recipe on Pinterest. I adapted it to be gluten free and less sweet.
It's easy to make. The oatmeal cookie crust is loaded with butter and brown sugar for that satisfying oatmeal cookie taste.
To make the Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Fudge Bar less sweet I changed the fudge layer by substituting the can of sweetened condensed milk with a can of unsweetened coconut cream. The other major change I made was using 100% chocolate chips. That means they are sugar free. Pure dark chocolate. When the 100% Chocolate Chips melt in the warm coconut cream something magical happens. It sets up for a perfect soft fudge texture after a few hours in the fridge. You can purchase the Pascha brand 100% baking Chocolate Chips on Amazon here. Of course, you can use any chocolate chips that are in your pantry. You can see the dark chocolate fudge layer in the glass pan.
The other change I made was to substitute the 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour with 2 cups of almond flour and ½ cup of Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour. You can use all almond flour if necessary. I like adding a bit of GF flour since it contains some xantham gum.
The last tip for Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Fudge Bars to share is to use a 7 X 11 inch brownie pan. My sister Lara suggested it and it was a great idea resulting in thicker bars. You can use a 8x8 or 9x13 pan. The thickness of the bars will vary. It's good to have a 7x11 pan as an option.
Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Fudge Bars
Ingredients
Oatmeal Cookie Crust
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cups old-fashion oats
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ cup gluten-free baking flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Dark Chocolate Fudge Layer
- 12 ounces 100% chocolate chips, reserve 1 tablespoon of chips for crust
- 14 ounce can of coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 7 x 11 inch pan with baking spray. Line the pan with parchement paper, leaving enough paper on the sides for a handle to lift out the whole bar when cooled. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with a hand mixer together until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, beating well after each one is added. Add the vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients - oats, flours, baking soda, and salt and mix until well combined.
- Add the mixed dry ingredients to the whipped butter sugar mixture and with a stiff wooden spoon, stir and fold to combine all ingredients. The batter will be thick.
- In a small pan on the cooktop over medium heat, add the coconut cream and heat until warm. Add the chocolate chips and stir gently until they are fully melted and smooth. Stir in the salt and vanilla and mix well. Set aside off the cooktop to cool slightly.
- Dollop 75% of the oatmeal cookie batter mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Using your fingers and a spatula, spread the batter evenly in the pan.
- Pour the slightly cooled fudge mixture over the bottom crust and smooth out with a spatula.
- With your hands, crumble the remaining oatmeal cookie batter mixture over the fudge layer, covering as much of the fudge layer as possible. Sprinkle the reserved chocolate chips on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes until set and starting to turn golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool. It is best to store in the fridge for at least 4-8 hours to allow the fudge layer to firmly set.
- Once chilled, run a knife around the edge of the pan. Lift the whole bar out of the pan by the parchement handles. Place on a cutting board. With a large chef's knife, cut into bars and serve.
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