Here’s the thing…Andrew…who has the cleanest diet known to man…could not stop eating these bars.
Andrew is always a good sport and samples my sweets…but when I made these bars, he was eating entire bars every time I turned around. Ultimate compliment.
They’re moist and chewy, full of caramel and chocolate…and simple. And since they have oatmeal in them, I totally count them as healthy, right? Girl math. Oatmeal in anything makes it healthy!
I really loved Bar #20 (and so did my hubby!)!
Note, these bars are baked in an 8×8 baking dish.
Shopping List
1 box of yellow cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup oatmeal (not quick cooking)
1 cup caramel pieces (see below for details)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease (I use Pam) your 8×8 baking dish.
In a bowl, combine cake mix, oil, and eggs with an electric mixer. Stir in your oatmeal.
Press 2/3 of the batter into the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine caramel pieces, chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together. Pour the milk mixture on top of your bars (spreading evenly). Crumble the remaining 1/3 of your batter on top of your bars.
Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing into squares. Store remaining bars in the fridge.
Now, if you can’t find caramel pieces on the chocolate chip aisle (they come right next to the chips), you can take a package of candy caramels and just roughly chop them into pieces. Simple!
Enjoy!
Anna @ On Anna's Plate says
Yum! I'm doing my best to lay off the sweets now that the holidays are over…but I might have to make an exception for these. 😉
Mix and Match Mama says
Hey Jenny!
I don't serve a lot of carbs with my entrees. Click on "beef", "Chicken" or "Turkey" on the sidebar for a lot of hearty protein meals. If you see something like meatballs that are served with a starch, simply serve yours with greens instead! Happy eating!
Piper Street says
These look amazing and are calling my name! Gonna try these for sure!!! Thanks!
Jenni
http://www.foundinmycloset.blogspot.com
Brandyn | Southern Distinctions says
These look delicious! I'll have to give them a try!
hallegracesmama says
Love reading your blog. Every recipe we have tried has been great. Would love if you transitioned to sharing some of the cleaner meals that you prepare for your family!
Mix and Match Mama says
I use the basic 14 oz can! Enjoy!
Jodi says
I love caramel! These bars look like they are right up my alley!
Mix and Match Mama says
Andrew eats all of the entrees I prepare each night! I only use lean cuts of protein and whole grains plus I always include a veggie. You'll notice that I never cook with butter or shortening and I never fry. We include all of my entrees as part of our healthy diet!
Jaren says
These look so fabulous!!
Traci says
Would love to see more clean meal plans!! My hubby does not eat pasta or taco shells or corn….well, hardly any carbs which makes it so hard for this Mama!!
Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says
WOWZA. These look DIVINE!
Megan Bonert says
Shay,
These look so yummy! Have you heard about the Great American Cookbook Competition from Rachel Ray? I heard about it today and it just totally reminded me of you! You should enter! You would be great! Thanks for sharing such yummy recipes!
Anonymous says
Hi Shay! Thanks for the fabulous recipe! These are super yummy!! I made these to go along with a meal I am dropping off for a friend tonight. But… Here's my question. I had a hard time getting the bars to cut cleanly. I cooled them for a full 30 & even popped them in the fridge for a bit longer. Any other tips or are these bars just a bit gloopy?
Laura says
I made these this weekend and they tasted just like the paradise pie from Chilis! So yummy
Rachel Harrison says
Made these tonight! AMAZING! You have such a great variety of recipes and flavors! Love 'em!
Laurie says
I made these and they were so gooey in the middle I could not cut them into squares…and they were for a bake sale…so I had to start all over again with another recipe…they looked so good…what did I do wrong???
Mix and Match Mama says
If they were too gooey to cut into bars, then you didn't cook them long enough. Always cook them until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Sometimes, people open the oven door too many times to check on the bars and that lets all of the heat out. Make sure you don't let the heat out either.
AmyRay says
I had a hard time making these too. I could not get them to set in the middle. I didn't check them until 25 minutes in, then let them go for another 5 minutes. I let them cool for 45 minutes (pure torture!), and when I cut into them, the sweetened condensed milk was completely liquid still. The cake part was completely baked, so I know I let them cook long enough, and I know my oven was hot enough, because the whole pan was nicely brown. The only things I can think of are either a 14 ounce can is too much, or maybe it's because I used Fat Free SCM? (It's all I had on hand.)
I'm going to try again, because these NEED to be eaten by me!
Mix and Match Mama says
I never use fat free anything! Fat free products like sour cream and cream cheese especially do alter the baking process. I bet that's what went wrong. Sorry!
Katie Compton says
Any alternatives if all I have is quick cooking oats??? Would love to make these today, but don't want to run to the store. 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
You can just omit them and carry on with the recipe. Enjoy!
Katie Compton says
Thanks for the quick response, Shay! You are so good to your fans. 🙂