Soft and chewy oatmeal cookie bars loaded with ooey, gooey Rolo caramels!
Rolos are definitely one of those classic candies that’ll never get old. They’re like the perfect chocolate caramel–super soft caramel centers that aren’t the least bit runny all encased in creamy milk chocolate. Not to mention, the perfect ratio of caramel to chocolate. Honestly, I’d pick a Rolo over a fancy schmancy Himalayan salted, lavender, bourbon blah-di-blah caramel ANY day.
Not only are they delicious on their own, but they bring life to baked goods as well. As is definitely the case with these Rolo Oatmeal Cookie Bars…
I must note that the main reason why I decided to make these bars in the first place was to use up all the Rolos I had from a holiday event last month. Therefore preventing me from merely pigging out on an entire bag of them while watching an episode of “My 600-Pound Life.” However, I can’t say that baking them into cookie bars helped either because instead of straight up pigging out on the Rolos, I’m now pigging out on a pan of buttery, chewy, gooey Rolo Oatmeal Cookie Bars instead.
Oh well, I tried…
These Rolo Oatmeal Cookie Bars are GLORIOUS. Soft, buttery, and packed with chewy oats, chocolate chips, and ooey, gooey caramels, these bars have such a comforting blend of flavors and textures.
While they’re not brownies, these bars are pretty fudgy and dense thanks to the oats. To ensure their soft chewiness, I added a box of instant butterscotch pudding to the dough. Originally, I was going to use simple vanilla pudding, but I didn’t have it in my pantry. Surprisingly, the butterscotch flavor isn’t too obvious in these bars. It basically adds a nice little hint of sweetness.
There is absolutely no shortage of candy in these bars. The chocolate chips were actually an afterthought since I was only planning on using the Rolos. There’s really no such thing as too much chocolate though.
What I love about adding Rolos to baked goods is that they don’t leak or melt into a runny mess as opposed to some caramels. They’re perfect for these bars. And depending on how long you cool these bars after baking, they’ve got varying degrees of soft and gooey deliciousness. I would, however, recommend waiting at least an hour before cutting into the bars. Not only do the caramels need a little time to firm up, but the bars will continue to bake a little from the residual heat once removed from the oven.
As seen in these photos, I prefer my bars to be almost oozing with caramel. So if I’m eating one a day or two later, I’ll nook them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds until they’re just warmed and the the caramel has begun to soften. Yummmmmm…..
Rolo Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant butterscotch pudding mix (dry)
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup quick cook oats
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 40 Rolos unwrapped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, use a fork or whisk to stir flour, baking soda, and salt together; set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition, followed by the vanilla. Add the pudding mix and continue beating until combined. Stir in the flour mixture, then add the oats, mixing on low until combined.
- Dump 3/4 of the dough into the pan, and smooth it out. Evenly press the Rolos into the dough. Spread the remaining dough on top. If a few Rolos peek out, that's totally fine.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until the top is set, and the edges are lightly browned; do not overbake. Allow pan to cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing into squares. Bars will remain fresh and soft when stored in an airtight container for up to one week.