Mini Egg Oatmeal Fudge Bars

Does anyone else remember when this was the only time of year you could get Mini Eggs?? Why oh why did it take so long for those delicious eggs to be available year round. Personally they are one of my favourite chocolate treats; they are incredibly addictive so I try not to buy them too often. Just before Easter last year I tried a Mini Egg Oatmeal Fudge Bar at a local coffee shop. After having this tasty treat, I knew I had to recreate it at home. The end result definitely did not disappoint!

With the thick layer of fudge these squares are quite sweet, so I would recommend cutting them quite small. This recipe would be delicious with other chocolates added to it as well – think Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers Bites, anything really! If you love Mini Eggs as much as I do, this is the perfect dessert to share with friends and family this Easter. But now that Mini Eggs are available year round, this is a tasty treat that can be enjoyed anytime.

Recipe adapted from Taste and Tell

Ingredients

1.5 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. butter, softened, divided
2 tsp vanilla extract, divided
2 eggs
3 cups large flake oats (original recipe calls for quick cooking oats, so whichever one you have on hand)
2 1/2 cups flour (I use a mix of 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt, divided
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chocolate chips
1 bag (188 grams) Mini Eggs, whole or lightly crushed (I prefer whole. You could definitely use more Mini Eggs if you wanted)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Combine the brown sugar with 1 cup of the softened butter and beat until light and fluffy. Add in 1 tsp of the vanilla and eggs. Beat until combined.
3. In another bowl combine the oats, flour, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir until well combined.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture until just combined.
5. Press approximately two thirds of the oat mixture into your prepared pan. Reserve the remaining third to drop on top.
6. In a small saucepan, combine the sweetened condensed milk, 2 tbsp. butter, and chocolate chips. Stir constantly over low-medium heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp salt.
7. Spread the chocolate mixture over the bottom layer of the oat mixture and sprinkle with Mini Eggs. Drop remaining third of the oat mixture over the chocolate mixture. There’s no real technique to this – I like to drop around a tbsp. of dough at a time to give the finished product a more rustic look and to allow the colour of the Mini Eggs to come through.
8. Bake in preheated oven until it just starts to brown, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly before cutting into squares.

Lauren