Decadent Sweet Chewy Turtle Bars (Printable version)

Chewy oat bars layered with melted chocolate, caramel, and pecans in a buttery crumb crust.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crust & Topping

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup rolled oats
03 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

→ Filling

08 - 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
09 - 1 cup chopped pecans

→ Caramel Layer

10 - 1 cup caramel sauce
11 - 1/4 cup heavy cream

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan with butter or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, salt, and baking soda. Mix until crumbly.
03 - Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture evenly into the bottom of prepared pan to form the crust.
04 - Bake crust for 10 minutes until slightly golden.
05 - In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine caramel sauce and heavy cream. Stir constantly until smooth and well combined. Remove from heat.
06 - Remove crust from oven. Evenly sprinkle chocolate chips over warm crust, then sprinkle chopped pecans on top.
07 - Pour warm caramel sauce evenly over chocolate and pecans.
08 - Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture evenly over caramel layer.
09 - Return pan to oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until topping is golden brown.
10 - Remove from oven and cool completely in pan on wire rack. Once cooled, cut into squares.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Every bite delivers that perfect contrast between chewy oat crust and silky caramel without any tricky candy thermometer work.
  • You can make them start to finish in just over an hour, and they taste like you spent all day in the kitchen.
  • They hold up beautifully in a tin, so you can bake them ahead and still serve something that feels freshly made.
02 -
  • Don't skip the par-bake—without it, the bottom crust stays pale and soft instead of developing that crisp, cookie-like texture.
  • Let the bars cool all the way before cutting, or the caramel will ooze everywhere and you'll end up with a delicious mess instead of neat squares.
03 -
  • Toast your pecans in a dry skillet for a few minutes before adding them—it deepens their flavor and makes the bars taste almost professional.
  • If your caramel sauce is thick, warming it with the cream makes it pour smoothly and soak into all the right places.
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