Chocolate Revel Bars
Chewy, bar type cookies loaded with fudgy filling. A family favorite.
Chewy, bar type cookies loaded with fudgy filling. A family favorite.
I have made this many times since my family and colleagues like it. My primary complaint is that the fudginess of my revel bars was hit or miss, probably because the chocolate layer is very sensitive to cooking time. If I underbake to make it fudgy, it becomes difficult to cut into bars because the chocolate becomes very sticky, and it also results to an uneven top with cracks on it, i.e., not pretty. The best procedure I've tried so far is this: (1) reduce flour to 2 cups; (2) I've always used wider pans as suggested by many reviewers -- 14x10 for one recipe, 9x9 for half recipe; (3) refrigerate the oatmeal mixture for a couple of hours before baking as you would a cookie, with the bottom layer already in place. Then I crumble the remaining lump of oatmeal mixture and sprinkle on top of the chocolate layer; (3) use the least heat possible to melt the chocolate chips. It's better that small bits of chocolate remain rather than overcooking it; and lastly, (4) let the chocolate mixture cool quite a bit. I make the fudge right after putting the oatmeal mixture in the refrigerator, and assemble right before putting in the oven. Following these procedures have resulted to chewy revel bars but easy to cut.
Read MoreI dont know what the hype is about. I ended up throwing away all but the 1 piece each my family tried. Too heavy. Just okay.
Read MoreI have made this many times since my family and colleagues like it. My primary complaint is that the fudginess of my revel bars was hit or miss, probably because the chocolate layer is very sensitive to cooking time. If I underbake to make it fudgy, it becomes difficult to cut into bars because the chocolate becomes very sticky, and it also results to an uneven top with cracks on it, i.e., not pretty. The best procedure I've tried so far is this: (1) reduce flour to 2 cups; (2) I've always used wider pans as suggested by many reviewers -- 14x10 for one recipe, 9x9 for half recipe; (3) refrigerate the oatmeal mixture for a couple of hours before baking as you would a cookie, with the bottom layer already in place. Then I crumble the remaining lump of oatmeal mixture and sprinkle on top of the chocolate layer; (3) use the least heat possible to melt the chocolate chips. It's better that small bits of chocolate remain rather than overcooking it; and lastly, (4) let the chocolate mixture cool quite a bit. I make the fudge right after putting the oatmeal mixture in the refrigerator, and assemble right before putting in the oven. Following these procedures have resulted to chewy revel bars but easy to cut.
These were a great change from the standard bar cookie. I have made them twice, but the second time I used a bar pan (I think it is 15 x 2). I poured the entire oatmeal mixture on the bottom and then topped it with all of the chocolate mixture. I think they were much prettier and easier to cut.
My mom made these from her recipe from the 1970's for Christmas this year. What a hit! She made hers in a jelly roll pan which makes a big difference. Once they're cut, keep them in a cookie tin separated by wax paper to keep them fresh as plastic containers sometime don't "agree" with chocolate/fudge type cookies. If your batch is DRY - YOU'VE OVERCOOKED THEM!!
I've made these 3 times and it's a FAMILY FAVORITE! The first time I started making, but to my dismay I didn't have any chocolate chips on hand. I substituted 9 T unsweetened cocoa, 9 T sugar and 1/3 C butter to replace the chocolate chips. It was melt-in-your-mouth YUMMY! The 2nd time I used the chocolate chips the recipe called for, still good, but not as wonderful as we'd remembered. Last night I made again with the cocoa mixture and WOW!! We prefer it this way!
I've been making this for years and have yet to get a bad review. I add around 1/4 cup condensed milk to the oatmeal mix to make it chewier. When melting the chocolate, it is important not to get the flame up too high. Otherwise, the chocolate becomes too runny, making it very messy and impossible to cut into pieces.
These are great bars! I always make this recipe in a larger bar pan and I find that it turns out better than in a 9 x 13 pan.
These were delicious. I took them to an outing and everyone loved them. I did make one mistake that ended up making them taste even better. I accidentally put about 1/4 cup of the sweetened condensed milk in the cookie layer part. It ended up making them very chewy and good. I'll probably make this mistake again!
Very tasty. At first I thought it might be too crunchy but turns out a little chewy. I decrease the amount of sugar and just used 1 3/4 for the dough portion. As for the fudge part, I find it too sweet if I add the entire can of condensed milk, so I just added maybe..5/6 of the can. I actually melt the chocolate first with the butter (using double boiler or just boil some water in a pot and put a glass bowl on top to melt the chocolate with the steam so you won't burn them) then add in the condense milk and stir till well mixed. One thing to keep in mind is that when you place the fudge onto the bottom layer, make sure you leave about 1.5cm space so it won't be too close to the side. Or else the fudge will burn and get stuck to the side of the pan. I didn't do that and I broke the bar because bits and pieces were stuck onto the pan. Not good. Overall, this is GREAT but very filling
These are very rich and tasty bars. The oatmeal layer could probably be reduced by half for the 13x9 pan-- it was thick and a little dry. Perhaps next time I will add less oatmeal. Also, I sprinkled the walnuts on top instead of adding them to the chocolate, which made a prettier presentation. The chocolate layer is delicious. With a little tweaking this recipe can be very good.
A winner! The one thing that may not make it 5 stars, these are very rich (if you don't like that don't make them). My only change was to leave out the nuts. I was surprised with how nice these looked; they're the sort of thing you would bring to a bake sale, if you can sneak any out of the house :-p Fixes your chocolate & oatmeal cravings in one dessert.
Use a Jelly roll pan (15 x 10 not 13x9) I make this recipe all time, it is chewy, chocolatey and delicious, durable and easy to cut into very small pieces and frozen.. BUT, it needs to be made in a jelly roll pan (15 by 10) not a 9x13 cake pan. Only bake 25-30 min and barely golden.
I dont know what the hype is about. I ended up throwing away all but the 1 piece each my family tried. Too heavy. Just okay.
This is one of my favorite recipes. It's like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie in bar form. It's so hard to not eat the entire pan myself. I follow the recipe to a T, wouldn't change a thing.
My sister gave me this recipe several years ago. The bars are THE best! My co-workers request them all the time! The only things I do differently are: use a 10x15 air-bake pan (this makes the filling get done "just right" without over-baking the crust); bake for 20-25 minutes; and I melt the chocolate chips, etc. for the filling in a heavy glass bowl in the microwave! Less messy, less chance of scalding it or burning it. (Also, I don't grease the pan....there seems to be enough butter in the bottom layer to keep them from sticking.)
My husband and I made this recipe twice before we got the taste that we like. We soaked the oatmeal in milk for a few minutes before we made the mixture, the result was better. Putting the whole oatmeal mixture at the bottom and the choco mixture on top also resulted to better taste and appearance. :D
Very delicious! They were a huge hit at a family BBQ! I used 3/4 of the can of sweetened condensed milk for about 1 cup of chocolate chips and the other 1/4 of the can for about 15 cubes of caramel. People seemed to get really excited when I told them the bars had chocolate AND caramel in them! :) Also, I would recommend using a larger pan, the bars were a bit too thick in a 9 x 13 pan.
This has been a family favorite since the 1970s when I was a kid. Sometimes we mix it up a little, and melt 8 ounces of raspberry jam with the chocolate chips instead of the sweetened condensed milk. It's delicious, but only if you have a serious sweet tooth.
I have been making chocolate revel bars for about 10 years and this is the best recipe that I have ever used. They were moist, chewy, and very tasty.
Growing up, my mom made these all the time. So whenever I get a little homesick this is what I make. I find that if I bake the crust for about 15 minutes alone before adding the chocolate it cooks better without being too mushy. Also, with this recipe you can really make the filling fun by adding Peanut Butter, mint chocolate chips, butterscotch, anything really. Very yummy!
These are one of the best bar cookies I've ever made. The combo of the gooey chocolate filling and oatmeal layers is amazing.
Yummy! I took these to a school function and they were a hit! Next time I would bake these in two shallow 9X13 pans as the bars were so thick in the baking pan. Also, I would skip the dollop of dough on the top because it baked up far too hard and crunchy.
This is absolutely delicious! I made these for a coworker's going away party and they were all gone by lunch time. I made them in a 9x13 pan and they turned out fine. I actually think it would be harder to do it in a flatter pan because it's difficult to spread so thin. I used rolled oats, cut the flour down to 2 cups, the sugar down to 1.5 cups and did what one of the reviewers said by putting about 1/4 cup of the condensed milk into the oatmeal mixture. For the fudge, I cut the vanilla down to 1.5 tsp. It turned out so good! For melting the chocolate, I heated the butter and the condensed milk in a pan before it boiled and poured it over the chocolate so the chocolate wouldn't burn, then added the vanilla and walnuts. The walnuts were such a good touch, without them it would have been too sweet I think. I would say I used about 5/8 of the oatmeal mixture on the bottom and 3/8 of it on top, covering most of it. They were so delicious, I couldn't stop myself from eating more than one. My thighs are going to pay for it. Next time I might use the full amount of flour or add more oats. But they were still delicious!!
These were delicous. It made so many that I passed them around to a lot of people and they drew raves from all.
My 16yr old daughter made these for a party...they were awesome!!! Will make again
I recently made these to take on a large family vacation and they were LOVED by the children and adults!
Oh, Boy-o-Boy! These scrumptous morsels the best treat I have baked in a loooong time. CAUTION!! Have a big glass of ice cold milk ready for everybody. Without a doubt, your friends and family will all ask for the recipe, so go ahead and print up some right now,to have them handy.
I make these bars frequently for potlucks and picnics and I'm always asked for the recipe. They travel well and are always a hit- I always keep the ingredients on hand for a quick batch!
I make this for every potluck and get RAVE reviews. If you have sweetend coconut around, omit 1/4c b. sugar and add 1/4-1/2c coconut to oatmeal batter. YUM! For chocolate layer, I omit salt and walnuts. 9x13 pan is perfect for thick bars, then cut into small squares when cooled. I like them best out of the refridgerator. Makes them nice and chewy.
this recipe was a hit to my friends! after i baked it and cooled for a few minutes, my friends cant help but munch on them! i just hav a question.. because after a few hours, the revel bars became so hard! very hard to bite on! how can i prevent this from happening?
Just made these to go with my other Christmas cookies and they are very tasty. My only suggestion is to make them in a jelly roll pan intead of a 9X13 pan. Chocolate lovers won't be disappointed!
I used dark chocolate instead of semi sweet and it made them quite tastey and not nearly as ultra sweet. Moist, chewy, the whole crowd ate them up fast! Just like my mom used to make years ago, thanks for the recipe.
This recipe is tremendous! I made it for work and people were eating the crumbs! This makes a lot...a wonderful recipe. I use salted better, so I left the salt out, and it worked perfectly.
This recipe is very original and delicious. I loved the fudge filling. I noticed, however, that the bars will not taste fresh for more than several days, so eat them in a hurry!
I made these last night but I had to split the recipe in half since I only had one egg left. They were great. I also add a layer of carmel to them. I made sure not to over cook so I only cooked for about 25 min. They are very chewy, sweet and gooey. The kids loved them of course. My self I think I would like a lady finger for the crust. Oh, they were easy to get out of the pan too. I think this was because I did not over cook. Just fun to expermint. Thanks for the recipe.....
Very good. Made them for husband to take to work. Even leaving out some ingredients because of the "assistance" of my 2 1/2 year old. They were still so yummy. My husband's coworkers raved about them. Thank you for the recipe.
Super! The whole family enjoyed these. Two comments: I didn't have quick cooking oats, just regular, and they worked fine. Also, the better quality chocolate chips you use, the better these bars. Ghiardelli chips worked great.
This recipe is sure to OOOH & AAAH! These cookies are THE BEST! Slightly crunchy on the top, moist & chewy on the inside -- Anyone who posts differently, messed up somewhere. These have been a family favorite since I was a young girl (then called Fudge Nut Jumbles by my mother). Enjoy!
I saw a recipe similar to this in a Woman's Day magazine back around 2001. I used it so much! It takes a small amount of work and they have that chewy homemade taste. I used to bring them to work all the time. They didn't last 10 minutes. Good for ALL AGES!
Very, very yummy. I'm almost out of white flour, so I used 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour with great results. Used whole rolled oats and unsalted butter. I also cut way down on the salt in the recipe, and cut out 1/2 cup of sugar. Easy to assemble and makes a lot.
Made this recipe for my husband and mother in law, and they loved it. Seems like it would be easy to overbake these though, so be careful. I nixed the nuts and it was great without them. The bits of crunchy oatmeal on top is great paired with the fudgy filling.
These were good, but not great. Don't know if I will make again.
I followed this recipe to a "t" These looked great but tasted just "okay" - too much vanilla for my taste - ruined the chocolate flavor for me - made it taste pretty bland - also, I would never cook them in a 9x13 pan again - they turn out way too thick - and it's so rich that a thick bar is a bit much - i would use a jelly roll pan if i were to make them again and try a different recipe for the chocolate filling - or just use 1 tsp of vanilla?
These are so incredible!! I made them for a bridal shower and everyone devoured them. Even my husband who won't normally eat things with lots of butter raved about them. I'll definitely make these again, but with a few substitutions to make them a little less fattening.
I can still remember my mom making these when I was growing up. I loved them then, and still enjoy these now with my own kids.
These were quite good, and my husband raved about them, but I've had better. I think the topping is a bit too thick, and overwhelms the chocolate part. Still 4-star worthy, however!
The only thing I changed was to make this in a jelly roll pan instead of 9x13. It was a hit at two offices and at home! They were rich and chewy...but I agree that I won't be able to make them often; they're hard on the waistline! Thanks for a popular recipe.
These were quite nice. I thought they were pretty bland, though my mom and her friends thought they were awesome. I think the 9X13 pan is too small, and the bottom layer of the dough came out too thick for my liking.
my friends love this!!! i used 2 cups APF and added 1/2 cup shredded coconut (if it's sweetened, it really won't matter) to the dough. reduced brown sugar to 1 3/4 cups and omitted the walnuts. 13x9 pan makes the bars too thick. use 14x10 pan but make sure you leave enough oatmeal dough for the topping. if it's not enough, the chocolate layer will easily be gooey and melt if left in room temperature (harder to handle and quite messy!). also, make sure you don't underbake because the chocolate layer will be hard to handle too!
Easy! I made as directed and they turned out perfect. Will make again soon.
My husband and his coworkers went crazy over this! Very rich and chocolatey. I've already been asked to make it again
Hands down the best cookie. I added choc. chips to the cookie layers and omitted the nuts in the fudge filling. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Did not like these at all. They tasted great when the came out of the oven but once when they were cool they did not taste good at all. I tried to warm them up in the microwave and that didnt help either.
Just a way too thick bar cookie! I actually brought them to the graduate student area of the University department where I work. I wandered by the drop-off site several hours later and a good bit of the bars were still there. I followed the recipe to a T.
Very good! I have a recipe like this called "Fudge Jumbles". The only difference is using the whole bag of chocolate chips...why not??? Also a good idea to pat down the topping just a bit after sprinkling it on.
Excellent recipe. I replaced the 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour with 2 1/4 cups whole wheat. Also coarse chopped old fashioned oats. Did not use the nuts and baked the bars in a 10x15 pan. They turned out wonderful.
I enjoy these, and everytime I make them the neighbors come running.
I used to make these many years ago - got the recipe out of an oatmeal box (this one has been a keeper all these years). That's what I like about this site - I forget about some of these recipes until I start looking for something different to make. I do not bake this for 35 min. - more like 25 min. otherwise they get too brown.
I made these for work and they were a hit! I did add a quarter cup of sugar to the chocolate because I wanted it a little sweet. I also used a jelly roll pan to make them. They turned out great!
Very sweet with a good balance of crunchy topping and smooth filling. Makes a very thick bar though in the 9x13 pan. Next time I'll either use two pans or one larger one.
This recipe is WONDERFUL!!! I made it for a baby shower, and was asked for the recipe several times. I was suprised to see that all I brought home was the empty pan! Per other reviews I did only add 2 cups of flour and I also pressed the mix into a Jelly Roll pan and placed in the fridge for 2-3 hours. I then made the fudge, poured over batter, dropped the extra batter mix and baked for 30 minutes! I let it cool until the next morning, cut and was on my merry way! Will defintley make this recipe again, per my husband's request!
The kids absolutely loved this. Super sweet and satisfying. Thanks for the recipe!
These were wonderful! The only thing I did different was add some chocolate chips to the semi-sweet, only because I didnt have quite enough. I doubled the recipe and put them in little larger pans than the 9X13 as suggested. I did not put nuts in one of them. Put the nuts on top of the other and it made a nice presentation. Great recipe!
This turned out very nicely. It is rich but not more than I like. Lovely with a glass of red wine...or milk. : ) Makes a large pan full. I used a 10X14 glass pan and baked it at 325 for 40 minutes then turned off the oven and left it in for another 5.
I don't know what I did wrong when I made these, but they did not taste good at all. It was not sweet and the chocolate had a wierd taste to it-maybe because of the condensed milk. I was excited to eat some yummy chocolate bars, but unfortunately they did not turn out as I hoped.
These are good and actually better the next day. I do however think I will add more brown sugar next time.
Way too good...groan, I ate too many. I was making them for a school function, so omitted the nuts. I made them in a 10"x 15" jelly roll pan, and think they would be too thick in a 9x13" pan. As it was, there was almost too much fudge. Next time, I will experiment with halving the recipe and using a smaller pan -- this recipe makes a huge amount! Too much for a family treat. I will also experiment with working some peanut butter into the filling...that would be incredible!
Well I guess if you could consider my husband a kid, he truly enjoyed these bars. They were easy to make and fun to eat!
Fantastic recipe! I followed the recipe. I've made this several times and it's always delicious. I prefer making it in the larger jelly roll pan.
Very good recipe. Essentially an oatmeal cookie but in bar form. Recipe was easy and fast to make. One piece of advice for first timers. Don't be alarmed if you think they aren't set. I have made them a couple of times and I always think geez are these done because they don't seem set - but they are:) Also these are even the day after. I almost think they should sit for a day as I think they chocolate sets. My husband brings to work and everyone always ravs about them.
Very good and easy to make! I used peacans instead of walnuts as that is what I had. Will definitely make again.
It didn't taste very good at all. It was dry and not flavorful.
I misplaced this recipe a few years ago and was so sad!! Thank you for putting them on here--These are by far my favorite cookie bars!! I love them!!!
This is a perfect dessert to bring to a bbq or party. It's rich and delicious, but unhealthy enough that you're better off sharing it with others. I love the chewy, gooey, chocolatey filling. This is an easy way to get people to ask, "Who brought this dessert?" :)
Wow! I was browsing for a recipe that would utilize the ingredients I had in the cupboard. I starting making this not even knowing what they'd end up like, but I knew it would satifsy a craving. Much to my surprise, these were AMAZING!! I took awhile to prepare, but it was well worth it. I had to take them to work to get rid of them otherwise I would have eaten the whole pan myself. YUM!
This had such great reviews I was excited to try something new. I was disappointed though. I had several guests and I ended up throwing alot of these away. They don't cut very nice for presentation. I also found them very bland. Just chocolate and plain flavor batter. Maybe next time some carmel and nuts??
These were good, but not outstanding. (Don't get me wrong, I'm EATING them!) There are many other sweet treats out there that are better, so I doubt I will make these again.
good bars, chewy and easy. also healthy, what with milk and oats and nuts...only a bit difficult to cut- maybe next time I won't wait till they are cool.
My friend gave me this recipe 6 years ago. I'm not sure where she found it(could have been here) but, i've been making it every year for the holidays since then. I always get GREAT reviews! The only difference is that I don't put any salt in the mix and double the amount of walnuts to 1 cup. Hope you enjoy these as much as me and my family and friends.
Made these for work and they were a huge hit! Easy and delicious..YUM!
Took them to a party and made some changes based on the reviews: used a jelly roll pan and baked the crust for 10 minutes before adding the chocolate. I felt they were a little dry, but they were a big hit so no matter! Perhaps I'll try the original way or lessen the baking time when I make them again.
Loved the chewiness of the oat mix and the chocolaty pudding-like center. I was expecting a *very* sweet bar (because of 2 cups br sugar & the condensed milk)but this was not *too* sweet. I forgot to add the nuts but,won't even bother putting in next time,they were so good without. This is now a definite FAVORITE!
Will never need to buy oat fudge bars from a coffee shop again! A couple tips: like others, I also cut the flour to 2 cups. I used ALL whole wheat flour, no all-purpose. It adds a great wholesome taste. I cut the sugar in half, using only 1 cup of packed brown sugar and it was still sweet enough due to the filling. Also used less vanilla extract, can't tell the difference anyway. I used 60% cocoa Ghiradelli chips and melted the chocolate over low heat. really enjoyed the bars, great texture, nice and chewy, homemade taste. These are bake sale worthy!
very easy to make and very yummy!!! could easily omit walnuts and still turn out great! I like to use less oat mixture for drop topping (makes it more fudgey)
Well, I don't know if kids like it, but the people I cook for at work love things like this and rice krispy bars, so it's similar tastes...They have a ton of calories, though, so cut them small and don't eat too many! Very tasty bars.
What a sinfully delicious desert! I was so happy to find this recipe and even happier to eat them! Again I read several of the comments and took some of their advise to make them so delectable! I put half the sweetened condensed milk in the batter and half in the chocolate mixture. I also melted that concoction in the double boiler method which was perfect! I also used an 11x13 pan which was a great fit, not too thick! :)
I LOVE this recipe. They are so delicous! One of my favorites.
If you're making this, make sure it's for a lot of people... It's really sweet and I can only eat a bit at a time (and I've got a sweet tooth). The condensed milk will really satisfy any sweet cravings you're having.
I've made these many times and they always turn out great. Will cure a chocolate craving!
Baking for my co-workers is my job, so I was pleased that these were such a big hit. The chewy bar and soft, chocolatey center are a great combination.
EXCELLENT! My sister has a recipe for something similar, but I think these are even better. Soooo chocolately and wonderful!
this recipe gets rave reviews every time i make it. easy to make and it makes ALOT!
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