Try this recipe for delicious easy oatmeal bars your whole family will love! With no processed sugar, they’re wholesome and delicious and amazing for breakfast or a midday snack!
Images for this recipe updated on February 28, 2018.
Easy Oatmeal Bars Recipe
The hubby says this is one of the best recipes, EVER! He says these oatmeal bars are heavenly. If you want a snack or breakfast idea that is healthy and delicious, this Easy Oatmeal Bar recipe is wonderful. We just love Easy Oatmeal Bars around here!!
This recipe takes only a few ingredients and is customizable with your preference of yummy add-ins. {Tip – it’s also good with vanilla ice cream 🙂 }
We’re also fans of Strawberry Oatmeal Bars and Blueberry Oatmeal Bars. The fruit makes them taste like a baked crisp, but so much healthier!
For the peanut butter lovers at our house, we’ve recently added these easy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars into the mix! So, so yummy and protein packed!
The Benefits of Oatmeal
Did you know? Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. Cool, huh! They’re a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants – and heart healthy too!
I’m always looking for a healthy alternatives to packaged food, so when you bake oats into a bar and it tastes this good, you can’t go wrong!
How to Make Healthy Oatmeal Bars
Seriously, with one bowl and one pan you can treat yourself to these wonderful and wholesome oatmeal squares.
1.) The first step, line your 8×8 pan with parchment paper. This makes it easy to get your bars out when they’re done cooking.
2.) Next, in a large bowl combine melted organic butter and honey (or sugar is using). Add eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla, mixing well. Add in oats and flour and mix until well combined. (Add any optional mix-ins. See recipe notes for suggestions.)
Pro Tip: spray your measuring cup with non-stick spray before putting your honey in – it will slide right out!
3.) Then, press into your lined baking pan. Finally, bake your bars in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Your whole house should smell wonderful at this point!
Tips for Making the Best Oatmeal Bars
- This recipe is best if you use old fashioned oats, not instant oats. It will get too dense otherwise.
- I like using the healthy option of whole wheat flour, but regular flour or a combination will also work.
- With the honey, these bars aren’t too sweet, so bake with the brown sugar if you prefer a sweeter recipe.
- Readers have substituted 1/2 the butter with coconut butter with good results. I use organic butter, which gives the best flavor!
- The possibilities for delicious add-ins for these bars is endless! Dried fruit, cinnamon, coconut, chocolate, caramel, nuts and M&Ms will all work!
Tips for Storing Homemade Oatmeal Bars
To Freeze: Bake as directed and allow them to cool completely. Cut into bars, then wrap individually in foil or plastic. Place wrapped bars in a freezer bag for later. Thaw for at least one hour before eating.
To Store: Layer the bars between waxed paper in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring back to room temperature before serving.
If you’ve tried these delicious Oatmeal Bars or any other recipe on Suburban Simplicity, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food, fun crafts + DIYs and what I’m up to on a daily basis!
Easy Oatmeal Bars
Try this recipe for delicious oatmeal bars your whole family will love! It works great as breakfast or a midday snack! Delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic melted butter
- 1/2 cup honey (or 3/4 cup brown sugar)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups old fashioned oats (not instant)
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (or a combo of white and whole wheat depending on your preference)
Instructions
-
In a large mixing bowl, stir together melted butter and sugar. Add eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla, mixing well. Add in oats and flour and mix until well combined. (Add any optional mix-ins. See notes for suggestions)
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Spread mixture in a parchment lined 8x8 inch baking dish. Bake in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Optional Add-ins: 1/2 cup chocolate chip, peanut butter chips, Heath Bar chips or dried fruit. Cinnamon, coconut and nuts are also good in this recipe.
You can either cut then to make 9 or 16 squares depending on your preference.
Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
This post contains affiliate links. Disclosure policy here.
Supplies Used for This Recipe
8×8 Baking Pan
Parchment Paper
If you love baking healthy oatmeal bars, try these:
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars make a great snack!
Cherry Oatmeal Streusel Bar – So, so good!
Chocolate Oatmeal Bars – Two great tastes in one!
Enjoy! Let me know how your bars turn out! What’s your favorite Oatmeal Bar Recipe?
Happy Baking, Erin
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I love oatmeal, so I suspect I will also love these oatmeal bars. I have some oatmeal mixes that have dried fruit and nuts in them already. I’m thinking that could be a great addition.
My husband says they are heavenly, so hopefully you will too 🙂 Any type of fruit/nut would be good in them as well.
Such a simple idea – but it sounds delicious!
Yes, it’s pretty simple and the whole family loves them! Thanks for visiting, Diane.
Those look delicious and I love all of the ingredients. I will have to give these a try!
Wholesome and delicious! My family just loves these!
Those look so delicious! I love all oatmeal bars. The bars I normally make only have the oatmeal sprinkled on top,…so this will be different! Thank you!
These look delicious! Can’t wait to try them with the kiddos. Thanks for linking up at Merry Monday!
Thanks for visiting, Marie! They are great…kids love ’em!
I can’t wait to make those bars with my grandchild!!! Thank you so much! I enjoy visiting your site! Maria.
Your grandchild will love them. I couldn’t believe how much my kids liked them. Thanks for visiting.
Thanks Erin! I’m always looking for tasty but wholesome recipes and this one fits the bill. Great way to use oatmeal which is so good for us. #Waywow
Yep! Tasty and wholesome! Thanks for stopping by, Sue.
Yum, these look amazing! I love making my own cereal bars, will definitely have to put these on the list! Do you think I could use half butter, half coconut oil? Thanks for sharing!
Visiting from the WAYWOW link party
Yes, I totally think you could substitute coconut oil for some of the butter. I like that idea…think I’ll try it too!
I substituted half the butter for rape seed oil (canola in the US) and was just as good. However I missed the salt out as the first batch was too salty for me. Thank you! Fabulous recipe!
I’m so glad you found the recipe, Suzanne! I like your substitutions! Enjoy your bars!
These look delish! Would never have thought to use wheat flour. Can’t wait to try!
The kids didn’t even notice the wheat flour! Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by!
These looks super delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us at Merry Monday.
Of course! I appreciate you stopping by and saying hello!
Erin, I am so pinning this! They look delish and I’m sure hubby knows best! LOL I am planning to sub in gluten free oats and flour, and I’m sure they will be yummy and fit into my gluten-less diet! So excited to try these!!!
MMM these look so yummy. Thanks for sharing your talent.
Thank you, Charlene! I love to bake and these make a wholesome treat for the family.
These look so good! Oatmeal is one of our house favourites and as a runner I always love making energy bars with oatmeal! thanks for sharing your recipe they look delish!
Thanks, Charlotte! I like that I can substitute whole wheat flour and the kids didn’t even notice! 🙂
These look great! I am constantly spending a fortune buying shop bought cereal bars for my boys after school snacks, but I think I will get them to help me make these instead now! Thanks for sharing.
#yumtum
I know! The store bought ones are expensive and often have questionable ingredients. The kids would prefer these for sure!
These look great!! I love chocolate and oatmeal combos! Will put on my list to try..thanks for sharing!
They are easy and delicious, so definitely try them and see what you think! Thanks for stopping by!
These are perfect for adding whole wheat flour. They look so delicious. I’m wishing I had a pan of them upstairs right now. Pinning this.
Yes, you don’t even taste the whole wheat! Thanks for the pin!
I love how easy these are and that I always have these ingredients on hand! Thanks. Pinned and sharing!
Kati – I usually have the ingredients on hand too, so they are easy to whip up when the kids want a snack! Thanks for the love XO
Hi Erin
Thanks so much for linking up to Thriving on Thursdays last week. These oatmeal bars will go well in my children’s lunch box. They just returned back to school for the year. I’ll be sure to give your recipe a try. I’m featuring this post at tomorrow’s party. Hope to see you again.
Anne
Thanks for popping by, Anne! Thanks for the feature! I appreciate it. XO
I just made these and they are great!! How should they be stored?
Oh, yeah! I’m so glad. To store, layer bars between waxed paper in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator 3-4 days. Let them come to room temperature before eating.
Hi I just made these and they are delicious. If I vacuum seal them would they last longer than 3-4 days at room temp? Or should I refrigerated them ?
I think they will last 3-4 days at room temperature. I’ve done it before, they they’re still good. For longer, I would vacuum seal.
Hi Erin, you roped me in with those whoopie pies and then you shut the door with these oatmeal bars. What is it about oatmeal cookies and oatmeal bars…they just say ‘home’ and ‘cozy’…and in this case also ‘delicious!’. Thanks for adding to my recipe box…I’m putting them in my tailwind queue for future reference.
Hugs, Lynn
They do say home and cozy…and just taste good! Thanks for coming by and saving the recipes! They are pretty easy to make too!
Made it this morning and it was extremely dry. Like, crumbly dry. The only difference from the recipe was I used gluten free flour. Would that have change the recipe that much?
I have read that purely subbing in gluten-free flour doesn’t always work. Because gluten is a structural protein, the products are often very tender and even crumbly if you just replace the flour that’s called for in the recipe with gluten-free flour. Many people use xanthan gum as a binder when baking gluten-free. I don’t know much about, but how that helps.
Do you by chance have the nutritional info on these? We have made two batches so far and just love them…I’ve been using regular flour though bc I didn’t have any whole wheat ?
Im gonna give these a try! I have never made oatmeal bars but they look yummy! I would love for you to share at my Monday of Many Blessings Link Up! http://ourhomeofmanyblessings.com/
Great! Let me know how they turn out! Thanks for the invite to your party!
Looks delicious! I have been looking for recipes to make our own bars. Will be try your recipe!
Great! Let me know how it goes. They seem to disappear a little too quickly around here!
I love your simple oatmeal bar recipe! And I also love how there’s a good amount of oats! Makes me feel like I’m eating healthier. I add chocolate chips and chopped walnuts and it’s a delicious dessert! Thank you!
Oatmeal bars seem like a simple treat, much can be so much more! Depending on what you put in they can be healthy too! Thanks for coming by Lianne.
These look truly amazing! I want to make them, but I would probably have to make a 1/2 batch, because I will want to eat them all at one time!
Yes, they are dangerously good, so a half batch may be the way to go 🙂 My husband asks for these all the time, so I know they’re good…and healthy 🙂
I love these! We have made your exact recipe before and we all can’t get enough! Thank you for sharing at FTAF!!
This recipe is a family favorite. They get gobbled up so fast, I usually make a double batch. They take the place of packaged bars really well.
Made two batches yesterday. First one as you described, it was delicious. Second batch made with 1/3 cup of each, raisins, diced cranberries and walnuts, this was fabulous. Very versatile snack/dessert. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it is a hit with my family.
You’re welcome! That’s so great! Loved that you tried it twice now and customized the second batch to your liking. It sounds delicious! I agree, it’s a very versatile snack or dessert. My husband was just asking for it again yesterday! 🙂
These sound great and I love that they’re so simple and healthy! I’m going to make them today, planning on using half ww flour and half almond meal. 🙂
That sounds great! You’ll have to let me know how it comes out. I’ve never tried it with almond meal, but that’s a healthy alternative to white flour for sure.
Thanks, Beth. They are so, so good! Love these flavors in one tasty bite.
Could you make the batter at night, refrigerate and then cook them in the morning?
Great question, Shannon. I would think it would be fine. It may increase the cooking time slightly unless you bring it to room temperature first. Other than that, I’d say give it a try!
Delicious! For the 1 cup of butter I used half butter and half of sugar free homemade apple sauce. I have made this twice in 7 days. 1st batch. For the fruits I added .5 cup of fresh diced cranberries and .5 cup of diced walnuts. 2nd batch for the fruits I added 1 cup of diced fresh peaches and 3 tablespoons of sunflower seeds. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Oh, my goodness, Carole, I love your substitution of apple sauce and your fruit/nut/seed choices!! They sound amazing. Since you made it twice in a week, I’m guessing the apple sauce worked out well. I’m going to try that!
Can you use quick oats instead of old fashioned??
Hi Asra, I image you could. The old-fashioned oats seems to add the right amount of texture to this recipe, but the flavor should be the same if you used quick cooking oats. Let me know how it goes! Erin
These look delicious. i LOVE IT 🙂
Yes, total yum! Thanks for stopping by!
Just took them out of the oven and the house smells amazing! These are dense and thick and delicious! Almost like a hearty cake; I added mini chocolate chips, dried cranberries, cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. I might try them in a slightly bigger pan the next time. Great recipe ?
I love your combination, Julie!! I’ll have to try it. Thanks for sharing. Yes, these do make the house smell amazing. Since they are so dense, they make a good breakfast 🙂 Enjoy!
I used rolled oats because I didn’t have the old fashioned. I also had the quick oats and in retrospect, I should have used the quick. Anyway, they were edible but a bit on the dry side and not very sweet but I prefer that. However, I made them for my son and he said they were okay so feel bad about making a substitution that didn’t quite work. Use the old fashioned per recipe or I think the quick would probably work but no rolled oats for anyone who is reading this.
Will try again when this batch is gone.
Good advice! I like this recipe because it’s not so sweet too, but for someone looking for something more sweet, they could definitely sub out the honey for the brown sugar. Also, it is on the drier side, but still very yummy in my opinion. You could try adding 1/4 cup apple sauce if you want it more moist. Enjoy!
Hi Erin, I just made these bars and must have done something wrong. The only thing I did differently was half butter and half coconut oil and cut back a little on the flour because the mix seemed way too dry. Oh, and my pan was 9×9. They tuned out really dry. I’ve never been the best at baking in my 56 years lol and I really try to stick to the recipe as much as possible. I’m thinking if I add a splash of milk and blueberries in a dish they’ll be good and if nothing else my dog likes them lol.
Thanks for the recipe,
Heidy
This recipe is on the dry side, so depending on your elevation, maybe it cooked too long. You could always add some applesauce to the batter to make it more moist. I like your idea o blueberries and milk! That would be wonderful 🙂
Brown sugar can be replaced by honey equally, up to 1 cup in a recipe. If more than 1 cup of brown sugar is required, you may need to add only 2/3 to 3/4 per cup of sugar (i.e. if the recipe calls for 2 cups of brown sugar, use only 1 3/4 cups of honey).Honey contains more fructose than sugar or brown sugar, and has a much higher water content, which means the end product could be a bit sweeter and more moist when using honey. I suggest reducing the amount of other liquids by 1/4 cup for every 1 cup of honey to keep balance in the recipe.Foods made with honey will brown quicker, so lower the cooking temperature by 25 degrees or so to avoid burning. For baked goods, add 1/4 tsp. of baking soda per cup of honey to reduce acidity and decrease the food’s density.
I am a newbie to your website. I found it while searching for healthy snacks and meal ideas for families. I just made the oatmeal bars with half butter/half coconut butter and I’m over the moon! They are just delicious! I have a feeling you will be my new go-to site for healthy recipes! Thanks for the great recipe and blog!! Looks like I could lose a day or two just enjoying time reading through it!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoy the blog, Polly! I hope you come back soon to see what I’m cooking up!
These were good. They would have been better with a sprinkle of course sugar or sea salt on top, perhaps.
Good tip, Ariel. Thanks for sharing.
Hello!
Is it possible to substitute the butter with canola oil or coconut oil? Will it still taste the same?
Thanks
Yes, Emma, many readers have substituted a different oil and they seems to turn out great. No dramatic difference in flavor.
Love these oatmeal bars!! I have had them pinned for a while and have made them more times than I can remember and have never been disappointed!! When I am trying to eat a little better I will use coconut oil instead of butter and have also used almond flour or coconut flour in place of some of the whole wheat flour. So so good!! I always crave oatmeal and grainy things while pregnant and nursing so these have been great!! My 2nd baby is 16months old and I am due in 3 months so I have enjoyed these bars quite a bit!! Thanks for the awesome recipe!! One this family if defiantly keeping!!!
I so thrilled to hear you’ve been enjoying these bars, Lyndsay. My family devours them and I too use coconut oil sometimes and they turn out great. I haven’t tried Almond Flour, but I like that idea too. Congrats on your second baby!!
This looks like a great basic recipe to experiment with. Curious about the nutritional data–I assume it’s for one square, but it’s impossible to tell what that means if the recipe makes anywhere from “9 to 16.”
Good question Brady. The nutrition calculator used 16 squares for it’s calculation, so it’d be slightly more if you cut your bars into 9 squares.
This recipe looks tasty, and the nutritional information is helpful. I never take the time to figure that out! The optional add-ins are a great idea, and I was thinking of adding dried cranberries and chocolate chips.
I love your add-in ideas for these oatmeal bars, Kristin! I’ve tried many combos, but not this one….yet! Enjoy the bars!
These look so tasty! pinning for later, and shared. Thanks
Hi, thanks, Theresa! Appreciate the share! These bars are so good, I know your followers will love them!
My family and I made the easy oat meal snack bar, we loved them! Not to dry, yet the right texture. So glad I came across your page, thanks for sharing. Blessings to you!
Yay! Glad you enjoyed them. We just love this recipe. Blessings to you too!
I’m wondering if you could double in a 9×13 pan?? Would it still bake ok?
Good question. I think it would be close to working out okay, but they might come out a bit thick. However, I’ve never tried it to know for sure.
Hi,
Can the butter be substituted with either coconut oil or coconut butter? If so what would you recommend for amounts?
Thank you
Deb
I have had readers substitute the butter for coconut oil with good results, however, I’ve haven’t tried it my self. The amount should remain the same. Thanks!
im a student and will be using the recipe for an assessment
the pics look delicious
Good luck Kurt. This is a fairly simple recipe you should be able to do 🙂 Erin
These are my favorite oatmeal bars! I add chocolate chips and chopped walnuts—they are delicious! I freeze them and they thaw out just perfect, I especially like to heat them and melt the chocolate a little! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you, Lianne! You made my day 🙂 I love hearing that these bars are people’s favorite! They are nutritious…and I agree, with the add ins, pretty incredible 🙂
I just popped these in the oven. I added mashed banana, unsweetened coconut, chocolate chips and some flax seed. They smell yummy, ant wait to try them!
OMGosh! I LOVE hearing that! They sound amazing! And way to go with the flax seeds…always good to get a little more fiber in your diet!
Hi. I know this is an older post but I wanted to leave my review. This recipe is perfect. Simple, delicious not too sweet and easy to customize.
I made some changes to make it a bit healthier for a good breakfast. I substituted the butter with olive oil to reduce cholesterol. I substituted half of the flour with unflavored protein powder ( I use bariatric fusion powder). I also substituted the honey with maple syrup just for a different flavor.
The results:
A delicious oatmeal bar with 14 grams of protein per bar. It has the same amount of protein as a bar you buy at the store. It tastes way better, has no artificial sweeteners (most store bought bars are too sweet in my opinion) and it’s super filling!
Thank you so much for the great recipe!
This is awesome, Danielle! I love your substitutions to make it a great bar for a protein fueled breakfast! Although this recipe is older, it’s one of my top! People just love it! Enjoy and thanks for the review!
I am baking these rn, added a lil unsweetened Coco powder to AP flour and used BS instead of honey, also didn’t have vanilla so added a touch of soy milk. Thought it would be a dry batter but seemed perfect hoping these turn out good to go along with my morning coffee
I hope they’re delicious! You can definitely modify this recipe and it turns out well! Enjoy!
How long can I store in fridge for?
You can store these Oatmeal Bars for about 5 days in the fridge.
These oatmeal bars turned out very well and my wife loved them. Usually when i am looking for quick recipes i end up here, and the recipes are so well laid out that I can easily see where I can modify them to my liking. This recipe I did half butter and half coconut oil. I also left out the honey and used half a cup of xylitol instead. I plan to make them plenty more times abd will definitely add some fruit and nuts. Thanks again.
I made these last night (Brown Sugar variant). They’re good, but I sometimes taste raw wheat flour that detracts from the overall experience. Where did I go wrong? I mixed it pretty thoroughly (by hand).
Hi John, Unless your whole wheat wasn’t fresh (when it goes bad it has a stronger flavor), I don’t know why you’re tasting raw wheat. Sounds like you mixed it well.
Hi -are these chewy? I only like chewy ones. Also can I substitute rolled oats with steel cut oats?
They are definite on the softer side, so more chewy. I haven’t tried using steel cut oats, so I don’t know if that swap would work.
I swapped out the honey and sugar for Almond Butter instead. Less sugar and more buttery goodness. Could also use Peanut Butter as well.
I found the recipe really dry and I only added 1 1/4 cups of flour. Not sure if it was because I added dried cranberries, organic pumpkin seeds and chia seeds. Next time I will add milk or water to make the mixture moist.
I make these in my mini bar ban so they are already to eat and enjoy in the perfect serving size.
I like your swaps, Heather, but the chia seeds could definitely have made these bars more dry as they soak up moisture. Also, cooking them in a mini bar pan can dry them out if you didn’t decrease the cooking time.
I added abit of milk to the batter with chopped nuts and drizzled with melted nutella for a treat!!
Oh, my gosh! How lovely. I love your addition of Nutella!
These look so good! What a great idea to make oatmeal bars, can’t wait to try them. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday!
Thanks for stopping by, Jenny! The wholesome ingredients make this a winning recipe any day of the week!
I added butterscotch chips to the top of the batter before baking. These are really tasty and healthy too!
Awesome, Janet! What a great add-on to a delicious and nutritious bar!
Hi, sorry if this has been answered already. I followed the instructions and used the same ingredients but the bars are very dry. Which ingredient should I increase (or add a new one) to make them more moist:?
Hi Chris,
Yes, these bars tend to be on the dry side. I would try the following if you’d like them a little more moist:
-Add 1/4 cup applesauce to the recipe.
or
-Reduce flour by 1/4 cup.
The nutrition label for the oatmeal bars does not say the serving size. Is it based on the 9 servings or 16 servings? For diabetics counting carbs it makes a big difference.
Hi Terry, The nutritional information is based on the 16 squares listed on the recipe card. Hope this helps! Thanks!
Tried this recipe for breakfast this morning. Kids and I loved it! We’re excited to try the bars with berries next time!
Yes, definitely try them with berries. We love them both ways.
This is so scrumptious!!!!!!!!!!!!
So glad you think so, Sarah! We love them! A great breakfast for busy mornings!