This next recipe is a favorite passed down from my mother’s mother. They’ve always been referred to in my family as “Revel Bars,” though a few years ago I found eerily similar recipe in Joy of Cooking called “Chocolate Oat Bars.” In any case, a quick google shows that this name (and basic recipe) is pretty ubiquitous, so maybe a few of you have had the joy of tasting these bars before.
I have no words for how excellent these are. They have density and heft; their oatmeal layers are buttery, rich, and cookie-like, and the smooth chocolate center is reminiscent of fudge.
When I was little, my mother would make these for picnics, sealing half the big batch in the deep freezer in the basement. Of course, this didn’t stop me and my brothers from eating them. When no one was looking, we would creep down the creaky stairs to this electric vestige of our Iowan roots, quietly crack the lid, and grope around until we got our hands on a frozen cookie bar. (I’m pretty sure my mother was none-too-impressed with the way those tupperware containers mysteriously emptied themselves.) To this day I love these bars straight from the freezer — it gives their fudgy middles a toothsome chew. Don’t tell my dentist, okay?
Be forewarned that, in true church cookie-hour style, this recipe yields approximately one billion servings. You’re looking at a 9×13″ pan’s worth of really rich 2.5″ tall bars. Not that anyone will complain! You could halve the recipe, but since you’re going to be putting a fair amount of work into it anyway, you might as well just make the whole batch and freeze half of it. Or you can just mail the rest to me. I’m always happy to help out!
- ------------ Oatmeal Mixture
- 1 c margarine
- 2 c brown sugar
- egg replacer for 2 eggs, prepared
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2½ c flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 c quick oats
- ------------ Filling
- 1¼ c soy powder
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- ½ c sugar
- ½ c boiling water
- 12 oz chocolate chips
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 c chopped walnuts
- 2 tsp vanilla
- Grease a 9×13″ baking pan with shortening.
- Cream margarine and brown sugar together ’til light and fluffy.
- Add egg replacer and vanilla and mix well. In another bowl, sift together flour, salt, and soda; add oatmeal and stir. Add dry mixture to wet and mix well.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Press ⅔ of oatmeal mixture into prepared pan.
- Next: on to the filling. Combine soy powder, 3 Tbsp vegan butter, sugar, and boiling water in a blender until smooth.
- In a double-boiler, melt together this mixture, chocolate chips, 2 Tbsp vegan butter, and salt, stirring occasionally to evenly distribute the heat.
- When smooth, remove from heat and add walnuts and vanilla.
- Pour over oatmeal base and spread until it’s distributed evenly across the pan.
- Using your hands, dot with the remaining oatmeal batter.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top oatmeal layer is golden. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
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15 comments
Leslie says:
May 21, 2013
What kind of soy powder do you use? Is there something else I can use in place of it? These sound amazing!!
Eeee says:
May 21, 2013
What do you mean by soy powder, is it the same as soy milk powder?
Would you recommend a brand too 😀
These seem super-delicious (all of your recipes seem that way) and I’m excited to try these; I’ll have to share with others too so I don’t eat too many!
couleewind says:
May 21, 2013
I really wish I hadn’t peeked at this. These look SO good, and I can’t make them until the next major holiday, because well, I’ll eat them ALL 😛
claryn says:
Jun 1, 2013
Hey, I’m serious, just send your leftovers to me! I’m always glad to help out. 😉
Chantal says:
May 27, 2013
These look excellent! What do you usually use as egg replacer? I am always a bit stumped by that one when it is not specified.
Thanks!
claryn says:
Jun 1, 2013
It depends on the recipe! When I veganize non-vegan recipes, I like to think about it in terms of what the egg’s function is in the original recipe. In drop cookies, bars, and many quick breads, eggs are often used just as a binder, so you can usually replace them with applesauce, pumpkin, mashed banana, or ground flax seeds mixed with water. Sometimes you can get away with just adding a little extra liquid and omitting the egg altogether. If the egg is used as a thickener, as in pudding, you can use a powdered starch (like corn or tapioca) instead. If the egg is helping leaven a recipe, you can omit it and use a little extra baking powder. And if the egg is adding color to a dish, you can use a pinch of turmeric instead. And then of course there are a couple of different commercial, boxed egg replacers that you can buy, which are mostly made up of powdered starch and a chemical leavener (like baking powder).
I don’t mean to make it sound complicated, because it isn’t really! There are just a lot of different ways to replace eggs in any given recipe, and it’s just a matter of experimenting and finding what you like best. Good luck!
Chantal says:
May 27, 2013
One last question before I jump in… by “soy powder,” you do mean “soy milk powder” and not “soy flour,” correct?
Thanks again!
claryn says:
Jun 1, 2013
Indeed, soy flour is an altogether different thing from soy powder. But “soy milk powder” sometimes contains sweetener, thickener, and flavoring, so I’m not talking about that, exactly, either. I use Fearn’s “Soya Powder,” which can be used to make soy milk, but soy beans are the only ingredient.
Ed says:
May 29, 2013
These look sooooo good! I’ve never heard of them before, maybe it’s a regional thing. Is soy powder the same thing as soy protein powder? Or something else?
Jacquie says:
Jun 1, 2013
Hi there, steps 5 and 6 both mention margarine. Could you clarify when to include it? Also, is there a reason for including both margarine and butter? Just curious.
Thanks so much. My husband saw these and immediately started clamoring for them. 🙂
Jen says:
Jun 14, 2013
When do you add the boiling water?
claryn says:
Jun 30, 2013
Proofreading is my friend! I fixed it. 🙂
bee says:
Sep 22, 2013
Hello. I’d LOVE to make these but since I’m sugar conscience is there any way to SUB OUT the brown sugar for another type of sweetner. Thank you!
Annette says:
Sep 2, 2013
Is it really necessary to use margarine vs. a vegan butter?
Mamachandra says:
Sep 10, 2013
oh wow. These sound (and look!) amazing. Suddenly I’m glad the holidays are around the corner to have occasion to make these! Already added ‘soya powder’ to my Amazon wishlist. 🙂