Chocolate Oat Dulce De Leche Bars

Hello, chocolate.  Nice to see ya.

Oh, and you brought dulce de leche with you?  How kind.  And tasty.

Ladies and gents, you won't regret making these rich, gooey, chocolate-y, oat-y, yummy bars.  Again, they are rich...so much so that you definitely need a cup of coffee and/or a scoop of vanilla ice cream to balance out the richness.  I certainly do not object to coffee or ice cream, so no issue for me.

Overall, this recipe is simple, and with the exception of the dulce de leche, all ingredients were in my relatively well-stocked pantry.  I did try to figure out a substitution for the dulce de leche, and while you could use a really thick caramel, I would just stick to the prescribed ingredient.  Never heard of it?  Don't know where to find it in your local grocery store?  Look in the Hispanic foods aisle (the can I bought is made by Nestle).  My only complaint is that I experienced an epic fail in cutting these in nice, straight lines.  I'm blaming that on my waning geometry skills.

Thanks to Jen @ Beantown Baker and Kerstin @ Cake, Batter, and Bowl for sharing the recipe of this uber-decadent treat.  Chocolate and dulce de leche are officially welcome in my kitchen anytime.

Chocolate Oat Dulce De Leche Bars
makes 16 bars

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 13.4-ounce can dulce de leche
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. Place flour, oats, brown sugar, cocoa powder, instant coffee, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and mix well.
3. Place butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute or until butter and chocolate are melted, stirring after 30 seconds.  Mix melted butter into dry ingredients until crumb forms.
4. Reserve 1/2 cup of crumb mixture.  Place remaining crumb mixture in a greased 8x8-inch pan and press down evenly.  Bake crust for 10 minutes.
5. Place dulce de leche and milk in a small bowl and mix well until smooth.  Evenly spread dulce de leche over partially baked crust.
6. Top evenly with remaining crumb mixture and chocolate chips.  Bake an additional 12 to 15 minutes or until set.
7. Cool 1 hour at room temperature and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set.  Cut into 16 bars and store in the refrigerator.

Printable Recipe: Chocolate Oat Dulce De Leche Bars