Oatmeal Nutella Bars

This past month it has been fun to experiment with recipes that help us use the oats in our food storage. Here is a quick list of some of my favorite oat recipes I have posted in the past couple of years.

Oatmeal Waffle and/or Pancake Mix
Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins
Butterscotch Oatmeal Muffins
Homemade Granola Bars
Steel Cut Oats with Brown Sugar Crumble
Homemade Granola
Peaches & Cream Bars
White Chocolate Craisin Granola Bars
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Breakfast
Oatmeal Apple Cake with Caramel Nut Frosting

Besides these recipes I am excited to share one of my last oat recipes with you. These Nutella (or fudge) bars are ones that I have been making for nearly 10 years. A friend gave me this recipe many years ago and I have always made them with milk chocolate chips until this past month. I love Nutella and wondered how it would taste in the filling for these bars and the result was even more creamy and had more flavor than the chocolate layer, I don't think I can ever go back to the chips. Don't get me wrong, both versions of this recipe will be gooey and yummy, but if you want a new flavor and twist on an old favorite, try Nutella as the filling for these bars. They are a quick and easy recipe to take to your next gathering. They will be a HUGE hit and are a great way to use the oats in your food storage ;)

Oatmeal Nutella Bars
Crust:
2 sticks butter
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3 c. oats (I used quick oats but regular would do to)
1 c. white chocolate chips
Filling:
2 c. nutella hazelnut spread (or 12 oz. milk chocolate chips)
1 can sweetened and condensed milk
2 t. melted butter
1/2 t. salt

For the oat crust, cream butter, sugar and eggs together. Then add the flour, baking soda, salt and oats. Add in the white chocolate chips (optional). Put 1/2 of the dough flat on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan and spread evenly to all sides. For filling, add together in a bowl the Nutella, sweetened condensed milk, butter and salt and mix until smooth. (If using chocolate chips instead of Nutella, add ingredients together in a sauce pan and cook on low heat until chips are melted). Pour filling on top of the bottom layer of the oat crust. Flattened out pieces of the remaining oat dough on top of the fudge filling. There will not be enough dough to cover the entire top of the filling layer, and that is okay. As the crust bakes it will spread throughout the bars. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until the top of the bars is a light golden brown color. Let bars cool and then cut into pieces and serve. These bars are delicious warm out of the oven with vanilla ice cream!