Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Total Time Prep: 25 min. Bake: 25 min. + cooling
Yield 20 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
These oatmeal cookie bars include a simple caramel sauce hack. The recipe comes together so fast that it will instantly become your go-to fall treat!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
  • FILLING:
  • 4-1/2 cups coarsely chopped peeled tart apples
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 package (11 ounces) caramels
  • 3 tablespoons butter

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add flour, oats, salt and baking soda; mix well. If desired, stir in pecans. Set aside 2 cups. Press remaining oat mixture into an ungreased 13x9-in. baking pan.
  2. For filling, toss apples with flour; spoon over the crust. In a saucepan, melt the caramels and butter over low heat; drizzle over apples. Top with the reserved oat mixture.
  3. Bake at 400° until lightly browned, 25-30 minutes. Cool before cutting into bars.

Nutrition Facts

1 bar: 250 calories, 10g fat (5g saturated fat), 18mg cholesterol, 241mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate (24g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.

These bars make an excellent fall dessert. We like to warm individual servings in the microwave and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It quickly became a family favorite; maybe it'll become one of your family's, too. —Carol Stuber, Osawatomie, Kansas
Recipe Creator

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