Small Batch Chocolate Revel Bars

small batch oatmeal chocolate revel bars in an eighth sheet pan cut into diamond shapes.

This small batch recipe for chewy chocolate revel bars features the classic combo of chewy oatmeal cookie base, layered with a luscious ribbon of fudge in the center. This small batch oatmeal fudge cookie bar recipe can be baked in a pan as small as an eighth sheet pan or as large as a quarter sheet pan — it also works well in an 8" square or round cake pan, or even an 8" fluted tart pan! Yield: 20-40 bars, depending on the pan you use and how you cut them.

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Cooling 1

Total Time 1 50

Servings batch

Ingredients

oatmeal cookie mixture

90 grams unsalted butter
120 grams brown sugar
1 large egg
¼ teaspoon vanilla
120 grams quick-cooking rolled oats
120 grams all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
⅛ teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt (use half as much of any other type of salt)

chocolate fudge

140 grams sweetened condensed milk
120 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips
9 grams unsalted butter
1 pinch diamond crystal kosher salt (use half as much of any other brand)
50 grams chopped walnuts
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Combine dry ingredients (except brown sugar) in a large bowl. Set aside.
Cream softened butter using the paddle attachment on your mixer approximately 30-60 seconds on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl, add brown sugar and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, pausing to scrape down the bowl several times, until light and fluffy.
Add egg and vanilla together. Beat for 60 seconds on medium speed until smooth and glossy, scraping down the bowl after the egg has fully incorporated.
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients 1 cup at a time. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Stop the mixer as soon as no dry streaks of flour remain in the bowl.
Lightly grease a sheet pan with non-stick spray or a paper towel with a bit of cooking oil on it.
Use your hands to firmly press about ⅔ of the oatmeal mixture into a very thin even layer at the bottom of the pan, making sure to get into all four corners. Use a small offset spatula to prevent a lip from forming at the edges of the pan.
Make fudge filling. In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, stir together sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, salt, and butter. Continue stirring until no lumps left and remain and the chocolate is shiny and smooth. Adjust burner as needed, stirring frequently to prevent chocolate from burning. Turn off the heat, stir in walnuts and vanilla.
Pour chocolate mixture across the surface of the oatmeal layer in the pan, using a spatula to gently push it into all the corners right to the edge of the sheet pan.
Use your hands to tear, crumble, and pinch the remaining oatmeal cookie dough, dropping it in chunks across the chocolate fudge. Try to get some variety in size between chunks.
Bake in 350°F oven for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden brown on top. The chocolate fudge will have bubbled up slightly, rising to the lip of the sheet pan.
Let the tray cool completely before cutting into diamonds. To get the diamond shape: cut 7 straight lines lengthwise down the sheet tray about 1½" apart, then cut across those lines in a diagonal, starting with a corner-to-corner cut to make it easier to replicate the correct angle as you make the rest of your cuts. The diagonal cuts should be about 1½-2″ apart.
The bars can be a bit tricky and stubborn to remove from the pan. I recommend starting with the odd-shaped edge pieces and then working your way toward the center.

RECIPE NOTES

Regardless of what size pan you use — an eighth sheet pan, quarter sheet pan, 8" square or round cake pan, or fluted tart pan, the baking time will remain the same.
Use a sharp knife, and run it under very hot water (and dry it off) before slicing. The fudge gets sticky as it cools and a hot knife makes it easier to cut. You may need to wipe your knife off with a hot towel or under hot water a few times while cutting. Sometimes a serrated knife works better, but it's really up to you!
If the fudge cools at all before you need to pour it, return it to low heat and stir until it is melty and loose again.
If you accidentally bought old fashioned oats, pulse them in a food processor or blender several times before using and let the cookie dough sit for at least an hour or overnight before assembling your revel bars to give the tough oats time to soften.