This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Oatmeal Breakfast Bars recipe is basically like oatmeal in bar form for on-the-go breakfast and snacking. They are more substantial and healthier than a packaged breakfast bar, and can be easily customized with different add-ins based on preferences. Made with staple pantry items, these are easy-to-make and can be stored for a few days or frozen for months!
RECIPE VIDEO TUTORIAL
How to make oatmeal breakfast bars
- Measure all the dry ingredients in medium bowl.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together using a fork.
- In another larger bowl, measure all the wet ingredients.
- Then whisk the wet ingredients together.
- Now combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and give it a good stir.
- Let the mixture set for 20 minutes so the oats absorb the moisture and the flavors of the oatmeal bars really blend.
Then fold in the walnuts and cranberries and transfer it to a baking dish lined with parchment paper. You want to bake it until it’s golden brown in color and firm when pressed against.
If you use a square 9×9 baking dish like I did, you can easily cut the breakfast oatmeal bars into 16 squares.
Tips for making breakfast oatmeal bars
- Let ingredients sit to absorb moisture. This is key to making the oatmeal bars recipe successfully and ensuring that it holds together without crumbling. The mixture needs to soak before baking, or it will be not stick together.
- Use a larger piece of parchment paper than necessary. This will allow some of the paper to hang on the sides, making it easier to lift the bars out of the pan and slice them neatly. Plus easier clean-up!
- Double the recipe for a bigger crowd. The recipe doubles just fine. But if you double the recipe, use a larger baking dish and add 10 minutes to the baking time, or bake in two separate dishes.
- Switch out the add-ins. The recipe is so versatile to make it based on your taste preferences and available ingredients. I love the combination of cranberries and walnuts with oatmeal bars, but you can use other nuts, chocolates or seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use frozen fruit?
Yes, this breakfast oatmeal bars recipe works really well with any add-ins you throw in there. Frozen fruit like blueberries or cranberries work great. There’s no need to thaw the fruit in advance.
How long can I store the oatmeal bars?
The oatmeal bars are great for meal prepping. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Then you can can enjoy them cold, at room temperature or warmed if you prefer.
Can I freeze the breakfast oatmeal bars?
Yes, the oatmeal bars freeze really well. Allow the baked dish to cool completely, then slice into 16 bars and store in individual portions in freezer-safe bags or containers. Thaw in the fridge overnight before enjoying.
More oatmeal recipes:
- How to make oatmeal
- Baked Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal
- Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups
- Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
More bars recipes:
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
- Pecan Date Bars
- No Bake Samoa Bars
- Vegan Protein Bars
- Easy Pumpkin Bars
- Caramel Apple Granola Bars
- Healthy Honey Oat Granola Bars
I love this homemade quick, grab and go breakfast for busy weekday mornings. The oatmeal bars are nutritious, filling and delicious, and it’s something the whole family can enjoy throughout the week. For me, it’s almost like a dense cake that slices and packs well for breakfast and on-the-go mornings!
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Oatmeal Breakfast Bars recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup almond milk
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup walnuts finely chopped
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper hanging over the edge.
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients including the rolled oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
- In another large bowl, combine the wet ingredients including the eggs, milk, applesauce, and vanilla extract. Transfer the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and set aside until flavors blend, about 20 minutes.
- Fold in the walnuts and cranberries, and spread combined mixture into prepared square pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing. Cut into 16 bars.
Equipment
Notes
- Make it your own: You can change up the milk, the fruit and the nuts to adjust it to what you have on hand or your taste preferences.
- Make it vegan: Replace the egg with a flax egg.
- Make it gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Make it sugar-free: Omit the cane sugar or used mashed or pureed fruit in the base recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
I used raisins and course chopped cashews and raw honey instead of apple sauce and it came so moist and yummy
That sounds yummy!!
These are amazing! Handy snack and you don’t feel guilty diving into them. I made mine with walnuts, pistachios, dark chocolate, olive oil, and peanut butter. I blended the nuts and dark chocolate into small chunks so I could evenly mix them in. The bars ended up tasting like moist nutty biscuits. Felt that adding some honey could have gave them a little more flavor but I liked their taste. Here is the recipe I did.
1 Cup Walnuts (16pro, 720 cal)
1 Cup Pistatios (16pro, 720 cal)
2 Cup Oats (40pro, 1200 cal)
1 Cup Milk (8pro, 150cal)
2 Tbsp Peanutbutter (8pro, 200 cal)
2 Tbsp Olive oil (Xpro 240c)
1 Bar Dark Chocolate (2pro 150 cal)
4 eggs (28pro, 280cal)
2 tsp of baking power (Xpro, Xcal)
_______________
Total: 138 protein, 3620 calories
Cut into 12 Bars: 11.5 protein 301 calories
Thanks so much for sharing!
Love this recipe! First time I made it with blueberries and pumpkin seeds. I add ground flax chia seeds as well as unflavored protein powder. I use almond/coconut milk, and add about 1-2 tablespoons more. I only use about 1/4 c of honey to sweeten it.
This time it’s fresh apples cut very small, walnuts and maple syrup to sweeten it.
Next time I am going to use pumpkin puree instead of apple sauce. I just love versatility of this recipe!
Thank you so much, Amy! Love the suggestions too!
I just found this recipe and make it all the time. I always double it. I was looking for a lower sugar alternative than what the stores offered. I only use half the sugar, and then I use honey for half of this. They are chewey but I freeze them and use the toaster oven for my morning breakfast. I literally make and freeze these every week. I use cranberries and pecans that I chop finer plus some mini chocolate chips, I add in chia seeds. I use oat bran in place of a small amount of oats and leave out one egg yolk.
Yum! Thanks for sharing!
If I wanted to sub maple syrup for the sugar, would I omit or reduce the almond milk?
Hi Erin, I have not tried to make this recipe with maple syrup. You need the almond milk to soak into the oats, and I don’t think the maple syrup will do the same thing, so I wouldn’t omit the almond milk. It might take some trial and error, and I would start with 1/4 cup of maple syrup and the rest of the recipe as written. Hope that helps!
I make it with 1/4 cup maple syrup and it’s delicious! I keep everything else the same except I add in a little extra oatmeal.
Interestingly, I learned in a baking class that sugar is considered a liquid in terms of baking chemistry so you should not need to worry about compensating for the liquid quality of a substitution like maple syrup or honey.
Great insight, Kristen! Thanks so much for sharing!!
I love how simple these are to make and they come out so good each time even with substituting what you have on hand. I do like extra fruit and nuts so I increase those to 1/3 cup and add a dash of nutmeg. A few tablespoons of shredded coconut is good too. I like the softer texture of these rather than a hard or chewy crunch. Family really enjoys them too!
So glad you like them, Jan! Great additions!
I have all the ingredients except for applesauce. Can I substitute something for the applesauce? Thanks.
You can use mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, or even yogurt at a 1:1 ratio. Oil or butter would work here as well in a 1:1 ratio. Hope you enjoy it!
A very nice base recipe. I’ve tried a few oatmeal bar recipes and they just end up so dry I have to drink water just to swallow them.
I did use flaxseed eggs to cut down on calories and it worked just fine. I had some of that pre-made salad toppers of candied pecans and craisins so chopped those finely and tossed in a few semi sweet chocolate chips. Next batch I’ll definitely cut back on the sugar. Thank you for this recipe
Oh yum! The craisins, pecans, and chocolate chip combo sounds amazing! So glad you enjoyed the bars!
Was hoping for a chewy bar and mine turned out pretty spongy…any tips for a better consistency?
Oh no! I am sorry to hear that! I am happy to help troubleshoot. How long did you let the mixture sit before adding it to the pan? When you pulled them out were they golden brown in color and firm to the touch? Every oven is different, so it may be that they needed some extra time to bake.
Made them yesterday for the work week. Added some dark chocolate morsels to it. Delicious
Ooo Yum! I love dark chocolate, great idea! Glad you enjoyed them!
Hello,. I’m wondering how chewy these are? I’ve made granola bars before and they were crunchy instead. Now I’m looking for a chewy recipe.
Hi Ginny, these are not as chewy as, say, a quaker oat bar, but they aren’t hard either. More like in the middle. Hope that helps! You’ll have to let me know what you think of them when you make them!