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.
Excellent for an on-the-go breakfast on busy mornings, post-workout, or a great snack idea! Just like our Blueberry Oatmeal Bars!
Everyone who tries this recipe says this is one of the best homemade oatmeal bars EVER! No electric mixer required! If you want a snack or breakfast idea that is healthy and yummy, this Oven Baked Oatmeal Bar recipe is wonderful.
This recipe takes only a few ingredients and is customizable with your preference for yummy add-ins. {Tip - Oatmeal Squares are also good with vanilla ice cream 🙂 }
We're also fans of Strawberry Oatmeal Bars and Raspberry Oatmeal Bars. The fruit makes them taste like a baked crisp but so much healthier! If you're a peanut butter lover, try our Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars!
Why We Love These Oatmeal Bars
We love Healthy Oatmeal Bars around here!!
- They're easy to make and taste incredible!
- They're perfectly baked and soft and chewy.
- They require simple pantry ingredients like whole grains and are a great grab-and-go snack.
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
- Melted butter - the butter gives these bars a nice rich flavor, but you can also use coconut oil.
- Honey - you use honey in place of processed white sugar. Agave or maple syrup can also be used as a sweetener.
- Eggs - eggs act as a binder in the recipe, and large eggs are best.
- Baking soda
- Salt - we like sea salt or pink Himalayan salt.
- Pure vanilla extract - we always say the better the ingredients, the better the end result 😉
- Old-fashioned oats - traditional rolled oats bake up the best for a chewy texture. Quick oats tend to get too dense.
- Whole wheat flour - you can use all-purpose flour or a combination of regular whole wheat and white flour.
PRO TIP: If you prefer a moist oatmeal breakfast bars recipe, add ½ cup of apple sauce to the wet ingredients.
Variations
VEGAN Oatmeal 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.
GLUTEN-FREE: Make the bars GF by using certified gluten-free oats and using a 1:1 flour substitute.
Add-ins
The possibilities for tasty add-ins for this soft-baked oatmeal breakfast bar recipe are endless!
- Dried Fruit: Try any dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc.).
- More Spice: Add up to a teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg.
- More Texture: Shredded coconut will do the trick!
- Chocolate: Dark chocolate chips or chocolate chunks. Or you can make our Chocolate Oatmeal Bar recipe.
- Rich Flavor: Try caramel chips.
- Nuts or Seeds: Chia seeds, sunflower seeds, or try nuts like walnuts or pecans.
- Sweetness: Add in M&Ms or Reese's Pieces.
You can also drizzle some pure maple syrup or almond butter over the top for a real treat!
Step-By-Step Instructions
Seriously, you can treat yourself to this wonderful and wholesome Oat Bar Recipe with one bowl and one pan.
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 mixing bowl. 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!
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Oats: This recipe is best if you use old-fashioned oats, not instant oats. It will get too dense otherwise.
- Flour: We like using the healthy option of whole wheat flour, but regular flour or a combination of the two will also work.
- Sweetness: These bars aren't too sweet because you make them with honey, so bake them with brown sugar if you prefer a sweeter recipe.
- Thickness: Some readers prefer these baked oatmeal bars to be thinner. If you do, too, use a 9x9-inch square pan.
- Oil or Butter: Readers like to substitute ½ of the butter with coconut oil and have good results. We use organic butter, which gives the best flavor!
- More Moisture: If you prefer a moist bar, add ½ cup of unsweetened apple sauce to the wet ingredients.
Note: Every oven cooks differently. Your cooking time may vary.
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 at room temperature 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. You can wrap individual bars in plastic wrap for lunches.
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!
Recipe FAQs
Oatmeal Bars are a healthy breakfast 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 delicious.
Cook oatmeal bars in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the middle is cooked through.
Yes, you can absolutely substitute coconut oil for butter in this recipe.
More Oatmeal Bar Recipes
If you love oatmeal, try Crockpot Oatmeal. It's hearty and filling and made overnight in your slow cooker. Or make Baked Oatmeal Cups. They're packed with oats and blueberries!
Love this healthy and Easy Oatmeal Bars recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down.
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Printable Recipe
Easy Oatmeal Bars Recipe
Equipment
- 8x8 pan
- mixing bowl
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
I updated the images for this recipe on February 28, 2018.
Janet says
I added butterscotch chips to the top of the batter before baking. These are really tasty and healthy too!
Erin says
Awesome, Janet! What a great add-on to a delicious and nutritious bar!
Jenny says
These look so good! What a great idea to make oatmeal bars, can't wait to try them. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday!
Erin says
Thanks for stopping by, Jenny! The wholesome ingredients make this a winning recipe any day of the week!
megan says
I added abit of milk to the batter with chopped nuts and drizzled with melted nutella for a treat!!
Erin says
Oh, my gosh! How lovely. I love your addition of Nutella!
Heather Naugler says
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.
Erin says
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.
Sana says
Hi -are these chewy? I only like chewy ones. Also can I substitute rolled oats with steel cut oats?
Erin says
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.
John Woodard says
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).
Erin says
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.
Floyd says
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.
Liset says
How long can I store in fridge for?
Erin says
You can store these Oatmeal Bars for about 5 days in the fridge.
A says
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
Erin says
I hope they're delicious! You can definitely modify this recipe and it turns out well! Enjoy!
Danielle says
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!
Erin says
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!
Staci says
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!
Erin says
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!
Lianne says
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!
Erin says
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 🙂
kurt says
im a student and will be using the recipe for an assessment
the pics look delicious
Erin says
Good luck Kurt. This is a fairly simple recipe you should be able to do 🙂 Erin
Deb Auld says
Hi,
Can the butter be substituted with either coconut oil or coconut butter? If so what would you recommend for amounts?
Thank you
Deb
Erin says
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!
Crystal says
I’m wondering if you could double in a 9x13 pan?? Would it still bake ok?
Erin says
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.