Shelly's Recipe

CARAMEL-PECAN OATMEAL BARS

Category: Bars

1 cup chopped pecans
1 (18.25-oz.) pkg yellow cake mix
2 1/2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 (11.5-oz.) pkg milk or semisweet chocolate morsels
25 caramels
1 tbsp water

Place pecans in a single layer in a 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 4 to 5 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Remove nuts from pan.

Line bottom and sides of pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inch to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.

Stir together cake mix and oats in a large bowl. Stir in butter with a fork until mixture is crumbly and dry ingredients are moistened. Press half of oat mixture evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle chocolate morsels and toasted pecans evenly over oat mixture in pan. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Microwave caramels and 1 tbsp water in a microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until caramels are melted. Drizzle evenly over warm bars in pan. Let cool on a wire rack 1 hour or until completely cool. Lift baked bars from pan, using foil sides as handles. Place on a cutting board, and cut into 24 bars.