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On the third day of Homemade Christmas, we made Chocolate Revel Bars
When my grandma passed away I took her recipes and my plan was to type them all up and create a family cookbook. One day I will get it finished and it will be beautiful but today is not that day. For now I go through her recipes from time to time and that is where I found this recipe for Chocolate Revel Bars.
Growing up I did not live near my grandma so many of her recipes are things I never tried. Then there are other recipes that I have never heard of. These bars fall into both categories.
I did a little research to try to learn more about the bars and discovered that Chocolate Revel Bars have been around for a while and no one really knows where their families recipe came from. Each recipe was just a bit different from the next. I am sure this is due to tweaks that their families have made over the years.
Chocolate Revel Bars are a fudgy oatmeal cookie bar. They have a layer of oatmeal cookie followed by a layer of fudge that is then dotted by more of the oatmeal cookie dough. 
They may look labor intensive but they are really easy to make, even the fudge layer. The fudge layer is 4 simple ingredients, chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, a little butter and then some vanilla. Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk made by Borden is one of my must-have pantry supplies. It works in so many recipes and is perfect in fudge. The sweetened condensed milk is not only sweet but it is smooth and creamy and that helps you avoid the grainy texture that you sometimes have with some fudge recipes.
The bars are made in a smaller sheet pan (15 1/2 x10 1/2) instead of the typical 13×9 pan and are perfect for a crowd. I made them for a cookies and cocoa Christmas lights run the local running store held and they were a huge hit. I didn’t even get one! Revel bars are also perfect for packaging up to gift to friends and neighbors.
What is your favorite family recipe? Share below!
- 3 cups quick cooking oats
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 12 ounces chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark chocolate)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 15½x10½ inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, beat together 1 cup butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt; stir into butter mixture. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, heat sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons butter, and ½ teaspoon salt over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
- Pat ⅔ of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over the top, and dot with remaining oat mixture.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven. Let cool on a wire rack, then cut into bars.