Nutella Crumble Bars

A thick and rich layer of Nutella between buttery rich oats makes these Nutella Bars the perfect treat for the party. You only need one bowl to whip these crumble bars up! A simple recipe to bake up in no time!

This recipe was originally posted December 2018. Updated photos and copy to include process shots and other details to were included in March 2020.

One word: Nutella.

I love the rich, creamy chocolatey hazelnut goodness. It pairs so well with sooo many things. Pretzels and Nutella. Banana and Nutella. Graham crackers and, you guessed it, Nutella.

All the combos and so much more. And today, these Nutella Bars combine my favorite with my favorite: Nutella and oats.

I have made these Nutella Bars so many times and every time I make them I think, why would I EVER make any other dessert? They require only one bowl to make. These are a matter of mix and press–not much else beyond that.

Did I mention there is Nutella involved? Seriously, hooked with one word, that’s me.

What you need to make this recipe:

• You are more than welcome to use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour in these Nutella Bars. Use gluten free rolled oats as well in order to keep the entire recipe gluten free.
• I always use unsalted butter when making these bars.
• I have only ever used the Nutella brand when making these bars so I cannot say for certain how another brand’s chocolate hazelnut butter would work. I honestly imagine you would be just fine using another but don’t hold me to that!

All of these ingredients are staples in our house so this is my go to “Oh shoot I need to bake a sweet treat STAT” recipe–if you catch my drift.

We all need THAT recipe, right??

How to make these Nutella Bars:

• Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine. (steps 1 and 2)
• Add in butter and vanilla and mix until combined and crumbly texture. (steps 3 and 4)

• Place 3/4 of the oat crumble mixture into a parchment lined or well greased 8×8 in. pan. Reserve 1/4 of the mixture and set aside for the top layer. (step 5)
• Press the crumble mixture firmly into the pan. When I say press firmly, I promise you I mean FIRM. This part will make or break whether your bars hold up well and are easily eaten as finger food aside from the crumbles that fall off the top. Get it all in there and use all of your strength. You will thank me later! (step 6)
• Spread Nutella on top of oat layer. Spread it evenly. I go for a nice heaping 1/2 cup of Nutella most times which creates a good chocolate layer. If you find it does not seem to be enough, going up to about 2/3 cup should still be fine. (step 7)
• Top the Nutella with an even layer of the rest of the crumble mixture. Try your best to evenly distribute this layer. (step 8)
• Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown top and then allow to cool. If you want really nice cut Nutella bars, chill the bars for a few hours and then cut them. It makes it so much easier and much less mess. You can let them sit out for a bit after that to soften a bit.

Notes and Pro-Tips for making these Nutella Crumble Bars:

• For gluten free bars, just use gluten free rolled oats and a gluten free all purpose flour.
• You can store these bars in the refrigerator or at room temperature. I have done both. I enjoy them chilled as well as room temperature to be honest. Cutting them chilled is best for nice cuts so I have gotten used to eating them cold and straight after cutting.
• Make sure to really press the bottom layer into the pan. This will keep it from crumbling apart (pun intended, ha) when cutting the crumble bars up. The top layer does not need to be pressed down though.

Try these other simple sweet treats:

• NUTELLA STUFFED RITZ CRACKER COOKIES WITH PEPPERMINT WHITE CHOCOLATE
• ONE BOWL SMALL BATCH CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
• FLOURLESS NUTELLA MUG CAKE
• GOLDEN OREO TRUFFLES
• SNICKERDOODLE CHEESECAKE STUFFED CRESCENT WREATH

DID YOU MAKE ONE OF MY RECIPES? LEAVE A COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW! I ALSO LOVE TO SEE YOUR LEMONS + ZEST RECIPES ON SOCIAL MEDIA–TAG ME @LEMONSANDZEST ON INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK!

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