Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars

Printable Recipe

Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars
adapted from Annie's Eats

Oatmeal layer:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups oats
1 cup honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Chocolate layer:
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. Beat butter at medium-high speed until soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Blend in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, blend in dry ingredients. Add oats and peanuts and stir with a rubber spatula. Reserve 1/2 cup of mixture. Place remaining in pan and press down.

Combine sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter, and salt in a heat proof bowl. Set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and peanuts.  Pour mixture over cookie layer and spread evenly.

Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture and scatter evenly over chocolate layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely and cut into bars.

Makes 24 bars