I Tried Broma Bakery’s Copycat Starbucks Oat Fudge Bar Recipe and I May Never Buy Granola Bars Again

I am a serious fan of chocolate. For many, many years, I wouldn’t even try a dessert if it didn’t involve chocolate. As I’ve gotten older, though, my pastry palate has expanded. Chocolate, however still remains my main thing — especially when it’s paired with a food or dessert I wouldn’t have tried otherwise. Case in point: oatmeal cookies. I was never a fan of them until I discovered oatmeal chocolate chip cookies — and then they quickly became a favorite. 

The Starbucks Oat Fudge Bar somehow feels like it elevates the chocolate chip cookie to a sturdier pastry. Personally, I think it’s something I would pair with my morning coffee for a quick on-the-go breakfast, or even as a post-workout treat. And being that I’m always looking for ways to be more budget-conscious, I was excited to try Broma Bakery’s copycat recipe of the coffeehouse behemoth’s Oatmeal Fudge Bar as a DIY alternative.

Get the recipe: Broma Bakery’s Copycat Oatmeal Fudge Bar

Start by heating your oven to 350°F and line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter (warmed to room temperature) and granulated sugar, along with brown sugar, until light and fluffy. Once you’ve reached the right consistency, scrape the bowl down, add vanilla extract and egg (also at room temperature), mixing until completely combined. 

In a separate bowl, mix oatmeal, all-purpose flour, both baking soda and baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with your wet ingredients, mixing until combined. Separate your oatmeal cookie dough in half, and press the first half into an even layer, fully covering the bottom of your lined pan.

To make your fudge layer, add sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and butter to a medium saucepan before whisking together until completely smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt.

Spread the fudge mixture over the layer of oatmeal dough, then crumble the reserved dough over the chocolate, leaving some areas of fudge uncovered. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the top oatmeal layer is golden-brown. Allow your oatmeal fudge bars to cool completely before slicing into 16 equal rectangular pieces.

These oatmeal fudge bars can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a week, or for up to three weeks in the freezer.

These gave me the exact comfort food feeling I was hoping for on a cool fall morning. The oatmeal layers offer a nice bit of crunch and texture, with the fudge adding gooey moisture that makes the bars feel warm — even after they’ve cooled.

I was worried that they might come out too sweet, but the combined teaspoon of salt added during the process balanced the flavors perfectly. The finished product really reminded me of a hearty granola bar like CLIF Nut Butter Bars, which is why I think I will be keeping some of these oatmeal fudge bars on hand as a quick on-the-go snack or breakfast.

1. Be sure to bring your ingredients to room temperature. If you’re short on time or forget to plan ahead, there are a few simple tips you should have handy to speed up the process. For your egg, place it in a cup of warm to very warm water for about five minutes. Make sure the water is not hot to avoid cooking the egg. While your egg warms up, cut your stick of butter in half lengthwise, then flip it to the other side and cut lengthwise again. Holding your four spears of butter together, cut into cubes then place the butter in a microwave safe dish. Heat in 10-second intervals at 20-percent power until the butter begins to soften. My butter was ready right as the five-minute timer for my egg went off.
2. Don’t overcook your oatmeal fudge bars. Once cool, you should still have a soft, gooey center. The crunch in the oatmeal cookie part of your bars should mostly be coming from the oatmeal itself.
3. Enjoy your oatmeal fudge bars as a frozen treat: I haven’t had a chance to try this myself just yet, but according to Broma Bakery, these can be eaten straight out the freezer — no thawing or heating required.
4. Make more for later: If you’d like to make a larger batch, double the ingredients in the recipe and bake in a 9×13-inch pan for 30 minutes.