Try this recipe for easy oatmeal bars your whole family will love! These healthy oatmeal breakfast bars are wholesome and delicious with no processed sugar. Amazing for an on-the-go breakfast, post-workout, or a midday snack!
Everyone who tries this recipe says this is one of the best homemade oatmeal bars EVER! If you want a snack or breakfast idea that is healthy and delicious, this Easy Oatmeal Bar recipe is wonderful.
We love Healthy Oatmeal Bars around here!! They're perfectly soft and chewy. They require simple pantry ingredients and are a great grab-and-go snack.
This recipe takes only a few ingredients and is customizable with your preference for 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!
If you want to take your baking to the next level, follow our tips!
Table of Contents
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 essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and heart-healthy!
We're always looking for 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 - Step By Step Instructions
Seriously, with one bowl and one pan, you can treat yourself to this wonderful and wholesome Oat Bar Recipe.
1.) LINE YOUR PAN - In the first step, line your 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper. This makes it easy to get your oat bars out when they're done cooking. Now, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
2.) COMBINE INGREDIENTS - Combine melted organic butter and honey (or sugar if using) in a large bowl. Now, add eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla, mixing well. Add the oats and flour (dry ingredients) 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.) BAKE - Press the easy oat bars into your lined baking dish. Finally, bake your bars in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the center is set and the outside is golden brown.
Your whole house should smell wonderful at this point!
Tips & Tricks for the Best Bars
- This breakfast bar recipe is best if you use old-fashioned oats, not instant oats. It will get too dense otherwise.
- We like using the healthy option of whole wheat flour, but regular flour or a combination of the two will also work.
- These bars aren't too sweet because they are made with honey, so bake them with brown sugar if you prefer a sweeter recipe.
- Some readers prefer these baked oatmeal bars to be thinner. If you do, too, use a 9x9 square pan.
- Readers like to substitute ½ of the butter with coconut oil and have good results. We use organic butter, which gives the best flavor!
- Every oven cooks differently. Your cooking time may vary.
Add-ins for Oatmeal Bars
The possibilities for delicious add-ins for these easy oatmeal breakfast bars are endless! Try any dried fruit, cinnamon or nutmeg, shredded coconut, chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, caramel, nuts like walnuts or pecans, and M&Ms will all work!
Vegan Bars
Make the bars vegan by replacing the egg with a flax egg, using maple syrup, not honey, and substituting coconut oil for the butter.
Tips for Storing
To Freeze: Bake your bars as directed and allow your healthy oatmeal bars 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 homemade bars between waxed paper in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring back to room temperature before serving.
Are Oatmeal Bars Healthy?
Oatmeal Bars are healthy because they contain fiber from the oats that fill you up and help reduce cholesterol. You make these bars with no processed sugar and whole wheat flour, so they're wholesome and delicous.
How Long Do You Cook Oatmeal Bars?
Cook oatmeal bars in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the middle is cooked through.
Can You Use Coconut Oil Instead of Butter?
Yes, you can absolutely substitute coconut oil for butter in this recipe.
Other Oatmeal Recipes
Crockpot Oatmeal - hearty and filling and made overnight in your slow cooker.
Baked Oatmeal Cups - packed with blueberries, these bites of goodness are perfect for meal prep.
Blueberry Crockpot Oatmeal - is a family-favorite recipe bursting with blueberries that takes only 5 minutes to prep.
Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Bars - yep, we added banana and created one delicious bar!
Other Healthy Breakfast Ideas
Cinnamon Bun Flaxseed Muffins - a nutritious recipe that's easy to make.
Metabolism Boosting Blueberry Smoothie - an easy-to-make and easy-to-clean-up breakfast recipe.
Mini Quinoa Frittatas - like a crustless quiche and totally delicious!
WE Love Hearing from YOU!
If you try this Healthy and Easy Oatmeal Bars Recipe or any other recipe on Suburban Simplicity, don't forget to rate the recipe and let us know how it went in the comments below. We love hearing from you! Better yet, use the hashtag #suburbansimplicity if you make the recipe.
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Easy Oatmeal Bars Recipe
Equipment
- 8x8 pan
- Spatula
- mixing bowl
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic melted butter (2 sticks)
- ½ cup honey (or ¾ cup brown sugar)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ 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
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and position oven rack to middle position.
- 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)
- Spread mixture in a parchment-lined 8x8 inch baking dish. Bake in a 350° F oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
We updated images for this recipe on February 28, 2018.
This post contains affiliate links. Disclosure policy here.
Supplies Used for This Recipe
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 us know how your bars turn out! What's your favorite Oatmeal Bar Recipe?
Happy Baking!
SaveSa
Abigail says
These are just oatmeal cookies haha. I should have realized with the flour and eggs but it was t until the end that I had just made cookies 😅
Erin Henry says
This recipe has whole grains and no refined sugar, so a bit healthier than a cookie.
Annie M. says
These look delicious, but a bit too high in fat for us. Can unsweetened applesauce be used in place of half of the butter?
Erin Henry says
Although we haven't tried it, applesauce has worked in similar recipes to reduce the fat, so seems like it would work here. Let us know how it goes!
Andrea says
Could I reduce the amount of honey used in this recipe? I would like them to be less sweet but do not want to alter the texture/quality of the bar.
Erin Henry says
Hi Andrea, this recipe is not very sweet as is, but you're certainly welcome to reduce the amount of honey. I would maybe substitute some sugarless apple sauce for the honey you leave out to make sure they don't get too dry. Let me know how it goes.
Roberta says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I make this all the time now, with Einkorn flour, adding in unsweetened coconut and chocolate chips. My husband eats these for breakfast now. Thank you!
Erin Henry says
We love hearing how much you enjoy the recipe, Roberta! Thanks for the 5-star review! Eat the recipe in good health, Erin
Mrs. Valerie A. Handleton says
Would it work to use a nut flour instead of the flour? Thanks!
Erin Henry says
It could possibly work. However, we have not tried it, so we can't guarantee the results. Let us know how it goes!
Janine says
Needed much longer than 25 minutes to cook
Erin Henry says
Oven temps can vary, so cooking time may need to be increased so that it cooks all the way through.
Janis says
Just yum! I made this a second time & it’s better being I didn’t leave it in the oven as long & I used the convection option in my oven instead of the regular bake. Again, I added walnuts, chocolate chips & cinnamon. Thank you so much for such a yummy oatmeal bar recipe. I want to add that I struggle to swallow & can’t taste much being I went through 35 radiation & 6 chemo treatments for tonsil cancer, but this goes down pretty good if I drink milk with it. I’m always looking for a good healthy recipe like this, so thank you so much.
Thank you.....
Janis says
I made the yummy oatmeal bars! I added walnuts, 4 grain oatmeal f chocolate chips. Although they took much longer to bake than the recipe says, they look awesome.
Tami says
This recipe is really delicious! When I made up the dough it looked like cookie dough to me...so I decided to make cookies out of it! I got about 50 small cookies out of the recipe. So we have oatmeal breakfast bites now 🙂 Love it! Easy to grab a few in the morning.
Thanks for the recipe!
Erin Henry says
What a unique way to use the recipe, Tami! We'll have to give it a try. Thanks for the tip!