Old-Fashioned Fudge Nut Bars
Straight from my great-grandmother's recipe box, these old-fashioned fudge nut bars layer a buttery oatmeal crust, a thick fudgy middle, and just enough walnut crunch in every bite. They come together with simple pantry staples and taste even better the next day, so they're an easy make-ahead pick for potlucks and holiday trays. Fair warning, don't expect leftovers past the first afternoon.
Servings 24
Equipment
Ingredients
Oatmeal Bottom and Top
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 cups light brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups quick oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease 9x13 glass baking dish.
- Cream butter (1 cup) and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla (2 teaspoons) until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, stir flour, baking soda, and salt (1 teaspoon). Stir in quick oats.
- Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in small amounts. Mix in between until all of the flour mixture has been added.
- Use a double boiler to melt chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, butter (2 tablespoons) and salt (½ teaspoon).
- Stir walnuts and vanilla into fudge mixture.
- Spread 2/3 of the oatmeal mixture into greased glass pan. Spread fudge mixture evenly over the top, completely covering the oatmeal layer. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining oatmeal mixture on top of the fudge layer.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown.
- Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.
Notes
Helpful Tips
- Don't overmix the oatmeal dough: Mix just until everything comes together so the layers stay tender instead of tough. Overmixing develops the flour too much and can make the crust dense.
- Press the bottom layer firmly into the pan: A solid, even base keeps the fudge layer from soaking through and helps the bars hold together when you slice them.
- Melt the fudge layer low and slow: Keep the heat gentle and stir often so the chocolate stays smooth and doesn't scorch or turn grainy.
- Let the bars cool completely before cutting: This is the step people skip and regret. The fudge needs time to firm up as it cools, so cutting too early means soft, messy slices instead of clean bars.
- Line the pan with parchment for easy removal: A parchment sling lets you lift the whole batch out in one piece, which makes cutting neat, even bars much easier than slicing inside the pan.