These bars are sweet, chewy, and crumbly. They melt in your mouth and are dangerously addictive.
Imagine a crunchy, oat crust, filled with a soft, chewy, caramel filling. Making the filling from scratch, instead of store-bought caramels, takes these to a different level. Sprinkling with sea salt adds that contrast that everyone loves.
I highly recommend the added chocolate chips for extra goodness, or use chopped peanuts, or pecans instead.
This cookie bar recipe bakes in a generous 9 by 13 inch pan, so you have plenty for a party, potluck, or holiday occasion.
It’s also easy, you will make this recipe again and again. No mixer or fancy equipment!
Rachel’s Tip: Brown your butter (I did), and the depth of flavor is over the top 🙂
You may also love:
- Low-FODMAP Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
- Low-FODMAP Chocolate Chunk Blondies
- Low-FODMAP Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting
- Low-FODMAP Twix Bars
- Low-FODMAP Tahini Fudge Oatmeal Bars
- Low-FODMAP Chai Spiced Oatmeal Chocolate Cookie Bars
Or check out over 600 more low-FODMAP recipes on the blog. IBS-friendly!
Be healthy and happy,
Rachel Pauls, MD
Brown Butter Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Bars with Chocolate & Sea Salt; Low-FODMAP & Gluten-free
Sweet, creamy, crunchy and chewy. Low-FODMAP and gluten-free Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Bars are easy and delicious. Brown the butter, sprinkle chocolate, and add sea salt for gourmet flavor. IBS-friendly!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cool Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 24 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup unsalted butter,*
- 1 & 1/2 cups quick oats (not rolled oats)
- 1 & 1/2 cups low-FODMAP, gluten-free flour*
- 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Filling:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter*
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup low-FODMAP milk (I used LF whole milk)*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons low-FODMAP, gluten-free flour
- 1/2–3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, optional
Garrnish:
- Flaked sea salt
Instructions
- Grease a 9 by 13 inch pan and line with parchment, and preheat oven to 350F
- In a large bowl, combine quick oats, LF flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt until well mixed
- In a medium saucepan, place 1 & 1/4 cups butter (you will use this for the crust and filling)*
- Over medium heat, while stirring, warm the butter until lightly simmering
- After about 3-4 minutes, the butter will start to form brown flecks, darken, and have a deep aroma
- Quickly remove from heat, and pour the butter into a measuring cup to avoid burning
- Add 1 cup of the browned butter to the flour mixture until combined. Use a spatula or your hands, to form a soft dough
- Press about 2/3 of the crust dough mixture in the bottom of the pan. Use a spatula, and your hands, to make an even layer. Set pan aside for now
- Next, replace the remaining 1/4 cup browned butter to the medium saucepan over low heat (the butter should still be very warm)
- Mix in the 1 cup brown sugar until dissolved
- Stir in the LF milk, vanilla extract, and LF flour
- Increase heat as needed to allow this to simmer, while stirring well with a whisk
- After about 3 minutes it should begin to thicken
- Remove from heat to cool slightly (about 10 minutes)
- While cooling, place crust in the oven, and bake the base for 10 minutes
- Remove from oven, and pour the slightly cooled caramel over your crust, tipping the pan gently to cover it all
- Sprinkle with optional chocolate chips (if using)
- Drop the remaining 1/3 of the crust dough over the caramel layer, in order to cover as much as possible
- Replace the tray in the oven for another 20 minutes, until lightly brown and fragrant
- It may seem ‘loose or jiggly’ but it will firm up as it cools
- Garnish with sea salt after baking
- Allow to cool in pan, then slice and serve
- Store leftover bars in the refrigerator
Notes
- Although this recipe has not been lab tested, a single serving should be low-FODMAP based on the ingredients (using available FODMAP data at time of posting)
- Quick oats are low-FODMAP in 1/4 cup (23g) servings
- Butter is low in carbohydrates and naturally low in lactose and FODMAPs
- Dr Rachel’s Tips for browning butter:
- Firstly, this is not as hard as it sounds! However, if you don’t have the time to do this, simply melt your butter for the recipe steps
- Browning butter ‘toasts’ it, and deepens the flavor (rich and nutty)
- Using a light colored saucepan makes checking the butter easier (recommended if you haven’t done this before)
- The butter will start browning suddenly, so watch closely. At that point you will want to remove it from the heat to prevent burning
