Revel Bars

Sooo underrated!

Any oat-based dessert is an underrated dessert IMO. We’ve shared our homey oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, but how about revel bars this time?

Buttery oat bars layered with dark chocolate fudge and topped with extra oat crumble (or chopped pecans, walnuts, you name it!)—what’s not to love? 

They’re rich and textured, chewy and chocolatey all at once. A great dessert to make at home or gift to friends and family. Plus, we’ve added a hint of coffee to introduce a balanced bitterness to the typically sweet fudge. I hope you love it, too!

See the full recipe below, with extra-extra tips for a successful bake.

Need a step-by-step tutorial? Gotcha—check out this TikTok!

INGREDIENTS

Bars

• 160g all-purpose flour
• 150g rolled oats (not instant)
• 3g baking soda
• 3g salt
• 200g dark brown sugar
• 113g unsalted butter, softened
• 55g eggs (1 large)
• 5g vanilla extract/paste

Fudge

• 200g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
• 250g condensed milk
• 60g unsalted butter
• 3g salt, plus more to taste
• 5g vanilla extract/paste
• 3g instant coffee powder

For Assembly

• chopped pecans or walnuts, optional
• 1-2 cups water for double boiler

METHOD

Bars

1. MIX. In a bowl, mix all-purpose flour, baking soda, and rolled oats. Set aside.
2. CREAM. In a separate large bowl or in a stand mixer, combine brown sugar and softened unsalted butter. Whisk on low until combined, then increase to medium-high for 3-4 mins. or until lightened in color.
3. EMULSIFY. To the butter-sugar mixture, add salt, vanilla extract/paste, and egg. Whisk on low-medium speed until well-combined.
4. FOLD. Gradually fold the dry mixture onto the wet mixture in batches, until just combined. Do not overmix.
5. SET ASIDE. Set dough aside until assembly.

Fudge

1. COMBINE. In a large heat-safe bowl, combine dark chocolate, condensed milk, unsalted butter, salt, and instant coffee powder.
2. MELT. Set a medium saucepan with 1-2 cups of water over medium heat. Once simmering, lower heat and place the bowl of chocolate over the pan, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir constantly with a spatula until fully melted, then remove from heat. Add vanilla extract/paste and stir. Adjust to taste. See tips.

Assembly & Baking

1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two greased 7×7-inch baking pans with parchment.
2. DIVIDE. Divide prepared dough into 3. Add 1/3 into each baking pan, saving the last 1/3 for the topping. Press dough to an even layer on the bottom of the pan. If needed, add extra dough to fill any gaps. See tips.
3. POUR. Divide and pour the chocolate fudge over the dough layer. Spread evenly.
4. TOP. Add flattened pieces of the reserved dough on top to create a marbled effect, covering at least 50% of the fudge. If desired, add chopped nuts.
5. BAKE. Bake for 30-45 mins. or until the crumble topping is golden. Total baking time varies. See tips.
6. COOL. Set pans over a wire rack to cool for 15-20 mins, then in the chiller overnight to fully set before slicing. Enjoy!

TIPS

*Never* over-mix.
Fold your dry mixture until just incorporated, a.k.a. until there are no large dry patches. Over-mixing leads to gluten development, which can make your bars tough and dense.

Baking time varies.
Total baking time is affected by your oven and pan size used. To know when they’re done, it’s best to go by visual cues (golden brown crumble topping, matte fudge) and not by time. If you don’t have two 7×7-inch pans, you can try the following:

• One 8×12-inch pan — makes very similar portion sizes
• Two 6×6-inch pans — makes thicker bars
• One 8×8-inch pan — makes fewer but larger, thicker bars
• One 9×13-inch pan — adjust recipe quantity to 1.5x to fill the pan

Adjust fudge according to taste.
The better the chocolate, the better the fudge—and the better the revel bars. Use quality dark chocolate you enjoy! If you’re finding the fudge too sweet, feel free to add an extra pinch of salt or extra instant coffee powder after melting. It’s all up to you!

To make the fudge extra smooth…
Strain after melting, before pouring over the bars. (But tbh, I don’t mind the coffee granules!)

Overnight chill?
I know, I know. I also hate waiting overnight for a sweet treat! But, trust—it’ll lead to the cleanest cuts, with a fudge layer that’s well-set. If you can’t bear the wait, allow to chill for at least 4-8 hours.

Customize if you want!
Add extra toppings like chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, and more for added texture.

Thank you for checking out my recipes! Let me know when you try them out. If you have any questions, comment below or reach me on TikTok / Instagram!