Chocolate Toffee Almond Bars

I quit the gym on Saturday. Burst through my apartment door after one final round of Andrea versus the treadmill and told Daniel, somewhat proudly,  “I’m not going back there. Not for a while anyway. They made me fill out a form to cancel my membership and in the section where they ask why you’re leaving, I told them I just didn’t love it anymore.”

Daniel looked up from his laptop, smiled, and said, “I bet the toffee bar smeared on your lower left lip told them for you.”

And so it goes.

These itty bitty squares will try to fool you. They will sit, innocent and gentle as a butterfly, on your countertop. They will tickle your nose with a rich, toffee aroma. You will lift one, sticky fingers and all, and raise it to your lips. Bite. Teeth sinking into sweet milky butterscotch, crunching through toasty almonds, a note of gooey fudge detected by your wisest taste bud, the gummy chew of buttery oat-graham crust. Sweetness, intensity, rush.

That one square inch of toffee almond oblivion will make you forget about your ever-growing to do list, your laundry pile, and the fact that summer is almost over. You may also forget about showering and paying the bills. At which point you should call Dr. Drew.

You are now an addict. Let these be your gateway to the dark, decadent world.

Chocolate Toffee Almond Bars (adapted from SevenSpoons)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) rolled oats
1/2 cup (125 ml) graham cracker crumbs (about 6 full cracker sheets, crushed)
1/2 tsp (1 ml) fine salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (250 ml) butterscotch chips
1 cup (250 ml) chocolate chips
1 cup (250 ml) sliced almonds
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Crush your graham crackers like a barbarian. Or use a food processor.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch (2 L) square pan with aluminum foil so that the paper hangs over the sides of the pan. Coat with nonstick cooking spray.

Stir the oats, graham crumbs and salt in a bowl to combine

Stir in the melted butter. Press the crumbly oat mixture into the prepared pan.

Sprinkle butterscotch chips evenly on top, followed by chocolate chips and sliced almonds.

Pour condensed milk evenly over pan (it will sink in as it bakes).

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Cool to room temperature in the pan, then chill for at least 4 hours before slicing into bars.

Store toffee bars in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Share:

Subscribe!

54 thoughts on “Chocolate Toffee Almond Bars

  1. Beth

    Oh my gooooooosh those look amazing!!! I am nervous to get a bag of butterscotch chips because I don’t know how long it will last in my cupboard…

    Reply
  2. runrantrealize

    Oh my… These look good. I’m stuck at home sick today and I’m thinking I may consider baking my workout.

    Gyms? Who needs gyms when I can run around the kitchen like a chicken with my head cut off? Admittedly my kitchen is very small, but I figured enough lengths of it will add up to a mile eventually…

    Reply
  3. Cindy

    yup
    magic bars.

    it’s the sweetened condensed milk that does it I think.

    YES, I think it’s what I need to make next. …I might add coconut…because I would have too.

    did you know if you take a can of the condensed milk and let it roll gently in boiling water (not sure how long) and you crack it open, you get caramel?

    My Mom used to make candy during the holidays when I was a kid and she did that. Made me NUTS.

    I simply do not have your amazing self control around things like this but I decided if living with 5 extra pounds (yeah right) means I can LIVE LIFE and eat things like this…than bring out the magic bars!

    Happy Wednesday

    Reply
  4. Ashley S

    Love your blog! I read it everyday. May I ask what in the world you do with all those desserts you cook all the time?? I have a family of 3 (me, the husband and 10yr old son) and I couldn’t imagine always having so many treats in our house all the time! As always, they look delicious!

    Reply
    1. Clarissa

      Resident Evil 2 il primo capitolo della serie al quale ho gactioo, ed attualmente il mio preferito. Senza dubbi. Premesso questo, la mia opinione una: per quanto il comparto grafico sia notevolissimo per il Wii, la moderna mania di creare sparatutto su binari odiosa. Ok, una categoria di gioco che piace, senza dubbio. Ma non per Resident Evil. Per chi si chiedesse il perch (non credo molti, ma comunque mai dire mai), ricorderei al mondo (e alla capcom) che resident evil un alternanza di zombie lenti e macchinosi ed enigmi, enigmi, enigmi. Ed proprio quest’altalenarsi di gameplay (nonch la tensione onnipresente) che dava spessore alla serie. Ora riducono tutto ad uno spara e ammazza. Banale.

      Reply
  5. Paige @ Running Around Normal

    Holy crap that looks freaking amazing. Sounds like you’re pretty happy you quit the gym – so congrats! You shouldn’t keep going somewhere you don’t love:) Unless well, it’s that place we have to go to that let’s us have a roof over our heads and food to eat ;)

    Reply
  6. Kat (My Fruity Life)

    I have no words…why does everything you make look so freaking good?! I had your s’more recipe printed off to make for a party this weekend, but I think this one just replaced the s’mores…

    Do you bake and then give a lot of your treats away to neighbors, family, etc?

    Reply
  7. homecookedem

    Oh my goodness, I don’t know how you don’t eat all of those at once!! I’m all about intuitive eating these days, but omg, these would not be safe around me!!!!! ;)

    Reply
  8. kelly

    LOL @ like a barbarian. These look fabulous. I’ve got this recipe saved on my computer because they look like they’d be perfect for a bake sale. Who doesn’t love toffee and chocolate and it seems like you could easily omit the almonds for those who don’t like or are allergic to nuts.

    As a sidebar, I’m a finalist in a recipe contest! I’d love your support. To vote, see my video here: http://bit.ly/bXKr5j and then click that you “like it.” (Note that you will have to log into your youtube account to vote and if you don’t have one, you’ll have to create one. I promise it only takes a minute!) If nothing else you get to see me look awkward on video. :-S

    Reply
  9. Meg

    Mmmm! You always post the BEST recipes. I might try these out for a friend’s baby shower soon. (You know, so I don’t have to face the entire pan alone.)

    Reply
  10. Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down)

    These. Look. Amazing. I’m drooling. :D

    I’m not much of a gym goer, myself either. I’ll do it for one or two months in the coldest of the winter months, but then I’m ready to head outdoors for some fresh air again. I just can’t force myself to run on a treadmill for very long. ;)

    Reply
  11. Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine

    Oh dang these look good. I should start keeping a bucket next to my computer to catch the drool when I read your blog. By the way, if the gym doesn’t make you happy, good for you for having the conviction to stop it!! Exercise is supposed to be fun :)

    Reply
    1. Can You Stay for Dinner

      Years of just having one of something, rather than 3, has taught me to be satisfied with a serving. Generally, when I have more than one, I’m just chasing a feeling of fullness and the richness of the baked good isn’t as sweet.

      Thanks!

      Reply
  12. Pingback: Housewarming Treats « Second City Randomness…

  13. Pingback: Blog Bake Sale « Carrots 'N' Cake

  14. Chanteuse Designs

    This was such a great idea, and one that I had just recently made via the Sweetened Condensed Milk Can!! So, I added the coconut that was on that recipe but I love how you put the milk on last, and the oats!! Just DE-LISH!
    Thanks for sharing.
    Kathleen

    Reply
  15. Pingback: The Woman’s World Cover « Can You Stay for Dinner?

  16. Pingback: Super Bowl Snacks and Sweets « Can You Stay for Dinner?

  17. Honey @ Honey, What's Cooking

    HAHAHA… Unfortunately i have to pay for my gym whether i use it or not.. but for now i barely go, maybe once or twice a week, i hate it. i only do it so i don’t get fat. this recipe looks so incredibly good.. condensed milk – damn!
    you’ve got me salivating, i need a birthday recipe!

    Reply
  18. KJ

    I didn’t bake mine quite long enough, but they are still SO friggin delicious. Thank you for another winner!

    These are my favorite…until I make some other kind of sinful dessert (which I then portion out and pack in my lunches, as to ease at home indulgences)

    Reply
  19. Pingback: Easter Dishes » Then Heather Said

  20. Pingback: The Woman’s World Cover | Can You Stay For Dinner?

Leave a Reply to Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.