Toasted Oatmeal Pecan Bars with Chocolate and Caramel
Toasted oats and pecan base topped with chocolate and caramel. Caramel topped with additional toasted oats and pecan halves. Dessert bars baked until top is golden and oats mixture is baked lightly crispy.
Ingredients
- 270 grams old fashioned rolled oats (3 cups)
- 290 grams all-purpose flour (2-1/4 cups)
- 55 grams chopped pecans (1/2 cup)
- 5 grams fine sea salt (1 teaspoon)
- 226 grams unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
- 300 grams brown sugar (1-1/2 cups)
- 100 grams egg (2 large)
- 80 grams heavy cream (1/3 cup)
- 5 grams vanilla bean paste (1 teaspoon)
- 250 grams dark chocolate chunks (2 cups)
- 1 each can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces)
- 2 cups soft caramel candies, about 40 unwrapped candies
- 80 grams heavy cream (1/3 cup)
- 55 grams pecan halves (1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang, or extra foil along the sides to help lift the bars from the pan after baking. Butter the bottom and sides of the foil lined pan. Set aside.
- Spread old fashioned rolled oats in single layer on large baking sheet. Toast in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once after about 5 minutes. Oats should be lightly golden.
- Remove toasted oats from oven and cool completely.
- Add toasted oats, chopped pecans, fine sea salt, and all-purpose flour to medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add unsalted butter and brown sugar to stand mixer. Beat on medium until smooth. About 4 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla bean paste, and heavy cream to stand mixer bowl. Beat about 1 minute or until well incorporated.
- Remove bowl from stand mixer. Add toasted oats mix to stand mixer bowl. Stir well with a wooden spoon or your hands.
- Spread about 2/3 of the toasted oats mixture evenly onto the bottom of the baking pan.
- Add dark chocolate chunks and sweetened condensed milk to small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the oat pecan base. Spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Add soft caramel candies and heavy cream to small saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the caramels have melted and the mixture is well combined and smooth.
- Pour melted caramel over chocolate layer. Spread evenly with an offset spatula.
- Dollop toasted oats mixture over caramel, leaving gaps. Place pecan halves, ridges facing up, randomly across the top of the caramel and oats.
- Bake 30 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack. Remove bars from pan using foil overhang. Remove foil and cut bars into desired shapes.
Notes
Although not necessary, I will often place the baking pan in the refrigerator after pouring the warm chocolate over the oat pecan base. The caramel layer spreads easier over the cooled chocolate.
I like to turn the broiler on and brown the top of the dessert bars after they have finished baking. It adds nice color and toasts the pecans. It is an optional step and one that needs to be watched carefully as the pecans can burn pretty easily.