Chocolate Revel Bars
These Chocolate Revel Bars are a classic, heart-warming treat that layers a thick, buttery oat dough with a rich, fudge-like chocolate center. Inspired by traditional Amish baking, these bars are filling and satisfying without being “knock-you-down” sweet, making them a perfect companion for a cup of coffee or an afternoon snack.
A Treat Worth Keeping a Secret
Lately, I’ve finally gotten around to trying a few recipes I’ve had on my “must make” list for well over a decade; today is one of them. I first read about Revel bars shortly after I got married, when I was reading an Amish romance. I’m pretty sure it was a Beverly Lewis one. If you’ve never checked out any of her books but enjoy reading, I think you’ll be very pleased. I love it when I can read something just for the pure pleasure (not because it is required as part of my job) and come out of it with a little wisdom to add to who I am.
I don’t remember which book this was, but in the story, the main character got her family out of the house so she could make these secretly as a surprise for her mother’s birthday. I remember thinking, “Now those must be some kind of good.” I sure wasn’t disappointed.
The thing I like about them is that they are sweet in the center, but have a nice balance. Of course, with the hearty dough, they are filling as well, which is another thing I really like in my cookies and treats, because you get into a lot less trouble that way! You might also be interested in my delicious No-Bake Scotcharoos!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vanilla
- Brown sugar (light or dark)
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Baking soda
- Eggs
- Butter
- Salt
- Quick oats
- Chocolate chips
- Instant coffee granules (optional)
Note: I added the instant coffee part in order to help me get my recommended daily requirement of caffeine. It was delicious and just added a hint of somethin’ somethin’ to the bars, but all of the original recipes leave it out, so you just do whatever is easiest for you here. The bars will be yummy either way.
How to Make Chocolate Revel Bars
1. Cream the Base
Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together your butter (minus those 2 tablespoons) and brown sugar until it’s nice and fluffy.
2. Mix the Dough
Add in your eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, salt, and oats. Beat the tar out of it until it’s well combined.
Once you’ve got that all creamified, add in your other dough ingredients.
Take 2/3 of this mixture and pat it into the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish.
3. Melt the Fudge
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine your chocolate chips, the sweetened condensed milk, the 2 tablespoons of butter you saved, and the coffee granules.
Here is a top view of the bowl, in case you just really wanted to see it.
Heat in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until it’s smooth and dreamy.
4. Layer and Drop
Pour that chocolate goodness over your bottom crust and spread it all the way to the edges. Take the remaining 1/3 of your dough and drop little clumps of it all over the top of the chocolate. It doesn’t have to be perfect; the chocolate peeking through is what makes them look so good!
Spread that over your crust. Isn’t that pretty?
5. Bake to Golden
Pop them in the oven for 25–30 minutes. You’re looking for the oat crumbles on top to be a light, golden brown. Let them cool entirely on the counter before you start cutting.
These bars stay fresh for up to a week in an airtight container, and they actually get a little fudgier by the second day. They also travel really well and are perfect treats to send to work, school, or as gifts for friends.
Of course, you’ll need to sample a couple yourself first!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter or margarine I use whichever I have
- 2 cups light or dark brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups quick oats can use old fashioned
Filling:
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips can use milk chocolate
- Optional: 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
Instructions
- Take 2 tablespoons of butter and set aside to use in filling.
- In large mixing bowl, place remaining butter and brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add all other dough ingredients and mix again until well combined.
- Pat 2/3 of mixture into bottom of greased 9×13 pan.
- Place all filling ingredients (including the 2 tablespoons of butter you set aside in step one) in a microwave safe bowl and cook at 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is completely melted. If adding instant coffee granules, stir well to make sure coffee granules are dissolved. Pour over crust and spread to the sides.
- Drop remaining dough in teaspoon sized drops over the chocolate.
- Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.
Made these and took them to work Friday. Everyone loved them. Thanks for a great recipe.
I am so glad to hear that you liked them Gretchen!
I wanted to tell you that I posted this recipe of yours, on to “Just a Pinch”
Justapinch.com, giving you all the credit They were so good I had to Share!
I have been asked to make it over and over! My Family loves them!
Thank you so much! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you giving me credit, too! Just A Pinch is notorious for not giving website credit and they tend to siphon off a good bit of traffic (which costs a good bit of money). I’ve contacted them several times about cases where they have taken my photos and recipes, sometimes entire blog posts, and posted as their own with no credit or permission and never got a response. When bloggers post recipes and they’re reposted, google penalizes us in the search rankings, so having credit given is a huge help when it comes to paying the light bill on our websites!
Gratefully
Christy
I made this today and it taste heaven! my kids love it so much they cant wait to cool it down first! will gonna make this again…soon! thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂
I am so glad to hear everyone liked them Monette!!
Hi, I hope you’re still reading these comments…where do you find Korean dramas on tv? I was in an Asian-owned place today and the best looking show was on but the subtitles were in …whatever language they were in.. in whatever alphabet that was…and no one spoke enough English to tell me what the show was…but the show looked so interesting. Are you watching Korean tv with English subtitles, or do you hit your subtitle remote button and get English subtitles? It’s so funny, I saw the Asian actors and started getting interested in what was happening and I thought of you and this post.
Anyhoo, if you’re still reading, I’d love to figure out how to watch that show and understand it, and of course it goes without saying that I love your blog! I haven’t tried the Revel bars yet but I know if I do they’ll be fantastic. 🙂
Hey! I watch them with English subtitles on viki.com. It’s free and there is also a great app from them for your ipad!
The first kdrama I ever watched was Faith. The first couple of episodes were hard to get through but it paid off big time after those!
Second drama I watched was Rooftop Prince. Also very good.
Then City Hunter, which I loved.
Also Queen in Hyuan’s Man was great.
Just finished Boys Over Flowers and I just don’t know where to go after that one, I got so addicted I may need a twelve step program since I finished the entire series! ~wails for Jin Hoo, Gun Pyo, and Jan DI~
I’m also watching Hundred Year Inheritance on Viki but its still ongoing (and its excellent!). They air new episodes (2 of them) each weekend but it takes until Tuesday or wed for the subtitle folks to get English subs on them.
Hope this helps and thank you so much!
Thanks so much!!! I wonder if you know the one I was (trying to) watch. It had a good looking youngish guy who seemed to be the good guy, and two girls who seemed to by spys? spy-ish? And the bad guy was a little older with a thin mustache and a real chain smoking problem who seemed to like one of the girls, or at least he kept ending up where she was and she kept telling him to get lost.(I think) At first I thought it was set during WWII, but then it seemed modern so go figure. It looked so interesting but even the subtitles were Asian so no help to me! I’m definitely going to look up the ones you mentioned–you’re right, most of American tv isn’t worth watching.
Oh, and I meant to add on my first post that I made the tater tot casserole the other night and my picky eaters loved it. It was a tasty, easy recipe–thanks!
Wow Christy! These sound really yummy . . . of course, I will try them very soon (like this week end!). Thanks for sharing 😉
I have made these twice and they were awesome both times. We love them so much. Wonderfully delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
I am so glad to hear that you are enjoying them Ann!!
HAHAHAHHAA!!!! Come on now Christy!!! I thought you were going to leave us with a couple Korean phrases!!! 🙂 Lovin’ these bars, maybe I’ll make this weekend….mmmm