Chocolate and Caramel Oatmeal Bars

Transform golden cake mix into irresistible bars brimming with crunchy nuts and oats as well as creamy chocolate and caramel.

Ingredients

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1

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, letting foil hang 2 inches over short ends of pan. Spray foil with cooking spray.
2

In small bowl, mix caramel topping and 1 tablespoon of the cake mix; set aside. In large bowl beat remaining cake mix, butter and egg with electric mixer on low speed about 1 minute or just until crumbly. Stir in oats, using hands if necessary. Reserve 1 cup oat mixture. Using a piece of plastic wrap on crumb mixture, press remaining oat mixture in bottom of pan; remove plastic wrap. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown.
3

Sprinkle chocolate chips and walnuts over hot crust. Drizzle caramel mixture evenly over chocolate chips and walnuts to within 1/2 inch of edges. Crumble reserved oat mixture over top.
4

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Using foil to lift, remove bars from pan. Remove foil. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered.

Be sure to check your oats to see if they are the quick-cooking kind. Don't use instant oatmeal, which will become mushy when it's baked in dough.
Not a nut lover? Go ahead and leave them out. The bars will be just as gooey and delicious.
It’s best to bake bars in the exact pan size called for in a recipe. Bars baked in a pan that is too large will overbake and be hard. Those baked in a pan that’s too small can be doughy in the centre and hard on the edges.