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
- 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
I updated the images for this recipe on February 28, 2018.
Sandi
Just made these. Was looking for a simple oatmeal bar recipe. Added some pecans, almonds, chocolate chips and dates. They smell fantastic! Will definitely be checking out your other recipes =)
Erin Henry
Wonderful, Sandi! This recipe is so easy and you can include all your favorite add-ins!
Julia
I was on the hunt for an easy to prep and grab breakfast item for myself (I hate breakfast) but they've been a hit with the whole family. I like it with pecans and apricots to up the nutritional variety but the family favorite is with a bit of dark chocolate chips. As a regular item, we swapped to brown sugar (adds up as honey) but cut the sugar in half and they're still delicious. My kids now beg me for them.
This morning, I told my hubs I made a double batch. "Good. Except you should have made a quadruple batch.)
Erin Henry
Our family begs for these bars too, Julia! I love that your family is good with less sugar, it's so much healthier for you. The apricots and pecans sound wonderful!
CF
Added a little baking powder, made it "cake-ier". Also used half molasses, half honey. Awesome flavour! Added dried cranberries, cinnamon, allspice. Used half butter, half coconut oil. Used steel cut oats and gluten free flour. It came out amazingly well.
Erin Henry
Nice substitutions, CF! We're so glad you liked it so much! This is a staple at our house.
Sofia McHugh
These are amazing. Super easy to make, smell INCREDIBLE, and they come out so soft and buttery and delicious. I was going to add cinnamon but tried some of the raw mixture and it tasted so good as it was that I didn't dare - why change a perfect recipe?
Erin Henry
That's exactly how we describe them, Sofia! We're making the banana version today!
Linda S Hall
I really liked these. I added slivered almonds and dried cranberries. My husband's thought they were too dry. More for me!!
Erin Henry
We're so glad you like them, Linda. Make sure not to cook them too long as they do tend to get dry. Enjoy!
Leslie Wooten
Yummy! I added raisins, coconot and walnuts...half cup of each. What a GREAT breakfast for kids! And a lovely dessert for all.
Erin Henry
Thanks, Leslie! This recipe is so versatile and wonderful for breakfast!
Sarah Lenz
I made these this afternoon and when I cut them in half, the middle was still gooey! I threw them back in the over so hopefully they cook through the middle.
Erin Henry
Depending on how hot your oven gets, you'll need to monitor cooking time. If they are a bit gooey in the middle, putting them back in the oven is a good idea. Just keep an eye on them as they tend to continue cooking after they come out of the oven. You don't want them to become too dry.
Marlene
Thank you for the recipe! Made them today and they are delicious! I used half a cup of butter and 1/2 cup of coconut oil, also added semi sweet chocolate chips and a drizzle over the top and my kids loved them!
Erin Henry
We love this recipe with chocolate chips. So glad your kids loved them! Thanks for the 5-star review!
Nada
Made this today -- added in 1\2 cup of Apple pulp and 1\2 cup carrot pulp from juice my husband made. I also doubled the batch and baked it i n a 9x13 own for 30 mins and used white flour and margarine. It puffed up quite a bit but it is cooked through and delicious!
Erin Henry
Love your nutritious substitutions, Nada! Glad it come out wonderful and smart thinking to double the batch. It freezes nicely!
Angela M McNulty
Hi,
Not sure what I did wrong. Mine came out very dry. Almost like saw dust. 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of oatmeal seems like too much dry ingredients. I love the ease of the recipe. Just need to figure out how to make it moist.
Thanks,
Angela
Erin Henry
You can always try adding a little apple sauce to the recipe to make it moister.
Tara
If I want to add in ground flax, chia, and wheat germ, does it change the recipe at all?
Thanks!
Erin Henry
If adding all three, I would decrease the oats by just a little bit to make sure it isn't too dense.
Don
added ground almonds like i put in am porridge. my mom would approve!
Dusty
These are DELICIOUS!! I used brown sugar and added lots of cinnamon and 1 cup of butterscotch morsels. YUMMMMM!
Erin Henry
Sounds AMAZING, Dusty!! Love butterscotch! Nice job.
Christine McLaughlin
Good, simple recipe. I would definitely define this recipe as a dessert or treat, not a breakfast or snack. It contains far too much sugar and fat for that. Whole wheat flour or white, even with the oats, this is anything but healthy. Tasty though for a cheat treat or a carb load post training. 😄
Julie
This is one of my go-to oatmeal bar, grab and go recipes. Love it even when dense when I only had quick oats!
Erin Henry
So glad you enjoy the recipe (with or without old fashioned oats) 🙂