Oatmeal Revel Bars

These Revel Bars are a favorite in our family. Seriously, this is one of my top requested desserts by both my immediate and extended family.

Fun Fact: A revel bar is called a revel bar because everyone who eats them revels in delight. The word revel means to enjoy oneself. We guarantee that you will revel in delight while eating our delicious Revel Bars.

They’re filled with delicious chocolate and healthy rolled oats. They’re the perfect Christmas cookie bar for a cookie exchange or to bring to holiday parties.

Revel Bars are easy to make to make with little prep time, they’ll be your new favorite holiday dessert. Our Revel Bars have a gooey chocolate layer in between layers of oats.

I love the different textures in these – the top and bottom are a little crunchy, and the center is creamy. All layers are absolutely delicious!

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we like to provide our readers with helpful tips on the recipes we write. In this article, you’ll find detailed instructions, info on ingredients, and recipe tips.

If you’d like to skip past all of that you can scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find the easy to print Revel Bars recipe!

Ingredients in these Revel Bars

Oatmeal Layer

• Butter: We prefer using unsalted butter in this revel bar recipe. We found that using salted butter made the revel bars a bit overpowering with a more salty flavor.
• Brown sugar: We use packed light brown sugar for this recipe. But dark brown sugar will also work. We prefer the lighter flavor of the light brown sugar.
• Baking soda:
• Eggs: You’ll add eggs to this recipe, but i’m sure an egg alternative would also work, just note we haven’t tested the recipe using an egg alternative.
• Vanilla: make sure to use real vanilla extract.
• Flour: I use all purpose flour. If you want to make these a gluten free Christmas cookie recipe, you could switch this for a GF flour.
• Oats: We prefer using regular rolled oats, instead of quick cooking oats or instant oats. The regular oats, or old fashioned oats work better for this recipe.

Chocolate Filling

• Butter:
• Milk chocolate chips or pieces: Milk chocolate chips are perfect for this recipe, we prefer them over semi sweet chocolate chips for a less bitter flavor of chocolate chips.
• Sweetened condensed milk: Look for condensed milk, not evaporated milk. Condensed milk includes sugar which helps sweeten our revel bars.
• Vanilla extract:

How to Make Revel Bars in the Oven

Oatmeal layer:

1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter for about 30 seconds.
2. Add brown sugar to the large bowl and mix the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla to your sugar and butter mixture. Mix to combine.
4. Mix in the baking soda and as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour and the oats.

Chocolate layer:

1. In a medium saucepan combine condensed milk, butter, and chocolate pieces.
2. Cook over low heat until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Assembling the chocolate revel bars:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Press 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of an un-greased 15×10 inch baking pan or baking sheet using your hands.
3. Pour/spread the chocolate mixture over the bottom layer.
4. Add the remaining oat mixture to the top of the chocolate layer in small dollops.
5. Place the baking pan in the oven and bake at 350ºF for 20 – 25 minutes, or until lightly browned in color.
6. Cool completely to room temperature. Seriously, let the bars cool completely otherwise it’s a mess to cut.

Recipe tips

• I like to put a little flour onto my hands when pressing the oat mixture into the pan. It helps to keep it from sticking to my hands.
• This recipe makes 60 bars. SIXTY. So think long and hard before you decide to double it! It is hard to stop eating these delicious revel bars, but 60 is a lot of dessert to have on hand.
• You can make these into peanut butter revel oatmeal bars by substituting 1/2 cup of peanut butter for the 2 tablespoons of butter in the chocolate filling.
• I’ve found that using a plastic knife (not a disposable one, but a large lettuce knife) is easier to cut through these bars and the chocolate doesn’t stick as much.
• We freeze revel bars during the holiday season. I try to make these in early December to stock up my freezer, then just pull them out when I make cookie trays. I usually cut them before I freeze them in an airtight container, but you could also cut them after they’ve thawed. You could also put wax paper in between the cookies so they don’t stick together while freezing.
• You could add chopped walnuts or pecans to the top of the revel bars to add a little extra crunch. Just be mindful if any of your guests have a nut allergy.
• These may not be the prettiest Christmas cookies, but pop them onto a red and green platter and you’re good to go!

Healthy Eating Plan Points

Weight Watchers Points

8 Blue Plan Points | 8 Green Plan Points | 7 Purple Plan Points. The points for the new 2023 points plan is 13.

While this isn’t a plan I’d recommend for someone wanting to lose weight, treat meals are a plenty during the holidays. Focus on the veggies, keep your dessert portions small, and enjoy these Revel Bars!

More Dessert & Drink Recipes

• 3 Ingredient Lemon Bars Angel Food Cake
• Fireball Baileys Kahlua Cinnamon Dolce Latte Shots
• Skinny Cranberry Margarita
• Gluten Free Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

Healthy holiday recipes

• Turkey Breast Recipe
• Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole
• Veggie Tray Ideas

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