Often during the week, the Mr is in “go mode.” He’s at work early in the morning and coaching soccer in the evening. Somewhere in between, he somehow finds time to hit the gym. Sometimes when he’s blowing through on his way to his next adventure, he doesn’t have time until much later to stop for a full meal. I usually have pre-packaged, processed, oat-based snacks on hand. Those aren’t always great for you, so I figured I may as well take a stab at making some homemade oat-based snacks for him.

I came across a recipe for Chocolate Revel Bars in my copy of Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and thought it would be perfect. Those pre-packaged snacks always have enough surgar and/or chocolate too, so I don’t really think it matters. He’ll burn it off chasing kids around a soccer field anyway. Plus the oats present good fiber.

This recipe called for semi-sweet chocolate, but I was all out from making chocolate chip cookies a week ago. I did have his favorite on hand (milk chocolate) and mine (dark) however and opted to go with the milk for his sake. When I say the filling tasted like Easter candy, I’m not stretching the truth! Apparently, when you combine milk chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, and butter; you get a sauce that tastes like a Cadbury Crème Egg!

I’ve noticed often these recipes will list a portion size so small it’s literally a bite. From the book, these “bars” are supposed to make 60. We go (20) approximately 2″x2″ squares out of the pan. Any smaller and they would be a mushy mess and no longer bars. This is definitely not a low-calorie snack by any means, but we believe in enjoying life at our house. My advice on this is to always make concessions somewhere else in your day if you want to enjoy a snack like this or dessert after dinner. Whether that includes a walk after lunch (or dinner depending on your own personal schedule, eating a lighter lunch, or even a lighter dinner… Everything in moderation.

These were incredibly rich and hearty. They were so good, I plan on retrying them with the semi-sweet just for comparison. When they were completely cooled, I cut them into individual portions and bagged them for easy grab-and-go.

What is your go-to on-the-run snack to tide you over until a proper meal?