Heartland Oatmeal Turtle Bars
Chewy oatmeal turtle bars layered with pecans, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and homemade brown sugar caramel. A rich dessert bar for parties, holidays, or snacking.
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Servings: 24 bars
Ingredients
For the Oatmeal Base and Topping
- 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 c dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 3/4 c rolled oats
- 1 c unsalted butter melted
- 1 c pecans chopped into large pieces
- 1 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the Caramel Filling
- 1/2 c light brown sugar firmly packed
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Prepare the baking pan.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch metal baking pan. Line the pan with a long piece of parchment paper, allowing the parchment to extend up two sides and overhang slightly on both ends. Butter the parchment.
Combine the dry ingredients.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda until evenly combined.
Add the dark brown sugar.
- Add the firmly packed dark brown sugar to the flour mixture. Rub the sugar into the flour mixture with your fingers until the sugar is evenly distributed and any large clumps are broken apart.
Add the oats.
- Stir in the rolled oats until evenly combined.
Add the melted butter.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture is fully moistened and combined.
Form the crust.
- Spread two-thirds of the oatmeal mixture evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan. Press gently to form an even crust.
Bake the crust.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool slightly while preparing the caramel filling.
Prepare the caramel.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the light brown sugar and cubed butter. Cook, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the mixture comes to a boil.
Boil the caramel.
- Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. The caramel should darken slightly.
Finish the caramel.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla extract until the caramel is smooth and fully combined.
Add the pecans and chocolate.
- Sprinkle the chopped pecans and semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly over the cooled oatmeal crust.
Add the caramel filling.
- Pour the warm caramel mixture evenly over the pecan and chocolate layer. Use an offset spatula to spread the caramel evenly across the surface.
Add the topping.
- Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal mixture evenly over the caramel layer.
Bake the bars.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.
Cool the bars.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Allow the bars to cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Chill before slicing.
- Transfer the pan to the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour, or until the caramel layer is firm.
Cut and serve.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the bars from the pan. Cut into 24 bars and serve.
Notes
To make these Heartland Oatmeal Turtle Bars gluten free, replace the all-purpose flour with a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Use certified gluten-free rolled oats, as regular oats may be cross-contaminated with gluten. Confirm that the chocolate chips, vanilla extract, baking soda, pecans, heavy cream, and brown sugars are certified gluten free or processed without gluten cross-contamination. Allow the bars to chill fully before cutting, as gluten-free bar desserts can be more delicate.