A super-sexy bikini body? Meh – who needs one when you can have Gooey Chocolate-Caramel Oatmeal Bars? A chewy, comforting oatmeal bar saturated with delicious caramel and drenched in a velvet chocolate ganache – these bars are the epitome of chocolatey-caramel indulgence.

They’re not going to win any Weight Watchers awards but honestly, I couldn’t care less. When something tastes this good, I don’t care how many calories it’s packing, I’ll still happily eat the whole tin.

Which I almost did. Literally from the tin.

My poor Official Treat Taster didn’t really get a look in with this dessert because it was just too good to share. I think I must have eaten 1/3 of the pan just taking pictures of it.

Every time I opened the fridge I thought “I’ll just have a small nibble...” until I was just opening the fridge so I could eat more.

It’s not what you’d describe as a summer dessert, but then does that really matter? I’ve seen loads of ‘Christmas in July’ blog posts over the past month, so why not chewy comfort food in the heat of August?

Plus these bars are no-bake which is pretty much a rule in our house right now. I’ve got a huge shoulder of pork just sat in the freezer because I can’t bear the thought of leaving the oven on for hours and turning my house into a sauna.

Gooey Chocolate-Caramel Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients

Oatmeal bar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

4 tablespoons butter

2 cups oats

1 cup Rice Krispies

Caramel layer

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup cream

Chocolate layer

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup cream

Recipe

1. Line an 8”x8” baking tray with parchment paper and mix together the oats and Rice Krispies in a large bowl.

2. Melt the honey and butter together in a saucepan then stir in the sugar. Leave to cool slightly before mixing with the oats. Spread the sticky mixture in the baking tray and place in the fridge to set.

3. Now it’s time for the caramel layer. Mix together the sugar and water in a saucepan over a high heat until it begins to bubble. Leave to bubble furiously for about five minutes until it begins to thicken. When the caramel is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove from the heat and whisk in the cream. Leave to cool slightly before pouring all over the oat bars.

Don’t worry if it disappears – it will be absorbed by the oats and cereal making the bars super sticky and gooey.

4. We’re at the last hurdle – the chocolate layer. Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl and heat the cream up in a saucepan. The second it begins to boil, remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Leave for about five minutes.

5. When the chocolate has melted, whisk until there are no lumps and you’re left with a smooth, velvety ganache. Pour all over the bars and spread evenly with a knife. Put the bars back in the fridge for an hour or so to set.

You can keep these bars in the fridge or at room temperature, although if you’re making these during summer, it’s probably a good idea to keep them in the fridge.

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