Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Updated May 31, 2026
Simple oatmeal breakfast bars with walnuts and cranberries. Make a batch on Sunday and have breakfast covered for the first half of the week.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Jump to Section
My Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Are Soo Good!
This oatmeal breakfast bars recipe is basically like oatmeal in bar form for on-the-go breakfast and snacking. I make a batch on Sunday, cut them into 16 bars, and we have breakfast covered through most of the week. The batter is fast! About 10 minutes to mix, and the oven does the rest.
They remind me of Bobo’s Oat Bars. These oatmeal breakfast bars come out chewy and hold together well, which matters when I’m grabbing one on the way out the door. The walnuts and cranberries are my combination, but this is an easy recipe to modify once you have made it once.
Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Ingredients
- Rolled oats: Use old-fashioned rolled oats, not quick. Quick oats make the bars denser and mushier.
- Dry ingredients: Granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Make sure your baking powder is fresh and aluminum-free so there is no aftertaste in the finished bars. If you want, you can substitute cinnamon for a warming spice blend, like pumpkin pie spice.
- Wet ingredients: Eggs, almond milk, unsweetened applesauce, and vanilla extract. Use unsweetened almond milk since the recipe already has sugar. Any milk works as a swap if that is what you have. Use unsweetened applesauce if yours is sweetened; pull the granulated sugar back to ¼ cup.
- Mix-ins: Walnuts, finely chopped, and dried cranberries. Chop the walnuts fine so they spread evenly through each bar rather than clumping in spots. Toast the walnuts for extra flavor. Raisins, chocolate chips, or blueberries all work as swaps if you want to change things up.
How to Make Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
These photos show each step of the process. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below or jump straight there → Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Recipe
1. Mix the Dry Ingredients
Combine the rolled oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir until everything is evenly distributed.
2. Mix the Wet Ingredients
Beat the eggs, almond milk, applesauce, and vanilla together in a larger bowl until the mixture is smooth and everything is fully blended.
3. Combine Rest the Batter
Add the dry ingredients to the wet bowl and stir until no dry pockets remain. Set the bowl aside. This rest is important; it gives the oats time to absorb the liquid and helps the batter hold together in the oven.
4. Fold in the Mix-Ins
At this point the batter should look noticeably thicker. Add the walnuts and cranberries and fold them through until they are evenly distributed.
5. Spread Oat Batter Into the Pan
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer, pressing it into the corners so the bars bake up at the same thickness throughout.
6. Bake the Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
The bars are done when the edges are clearly golden brown, and the center looks set, not shiny on top. Let them cool on a wire rack, then use the parchment overhang to lift the whole slab out of the pan before slicing into 16 bars.
Recipe Video Tutorial
Full Homemade Oatmeal Breakfast Bar Recipe
Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large 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 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before slicing. Cut into 16 bars.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars. Whisk 2 tablespoons of peanut butter into the wet ingredients before combining, and swap the cranberries for chocolate chips. Almond butter works the same way.
- Banana Oatmeal Bars. Mash one ripe medium banana into the wet ingredients and reduce the applesauce to 2 tablespoons. The banana adds natural sweetness, so you can also pull the sugar back to ¼ cup.
- Apple Cinnamon Bars. Swap the dried cranberries for ¼ cup of finely diced peeled apple and increase the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon. Keep the apple pieces small, so they distribute evenly.
Recipe Tips
- Use a larger piece of parchment paper than necessary. This will allow some of the paper to hang over 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. This 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.
- Press the batter flat before baking. If the edges are thinner than the center, they will overbake before the middle is done. Take a minute to even it out and push the batter all the way into the corners.
FAQs
The two most common reasons are that the batter didn’t rest long enough before baking, or the bars were cut before they had time to cool and set. Make sure the batter sits the full 20 minutes and give the bars a few extra minutes on the rack before slicing.
They probably needed a few more minutes. Every oven runs a little differently. Look for the edges to be clearly golden and the center to look dry on top, not shiny, before pulling them out.
Comments
If I doubled the recipe, would it work in one 9×13 baking dish, or would I need to modify the baking time?
Hi! Yes, that should work well. Since the batter will be spread a bit thinner than in two 8-inch pans, you may not need to double the baking time. I’d start checking around 25 minutes and expect it may take closer to 25 to 35 minutes total. Look for the edges to be golden brown and the center to look set. If needed, they can add a few extra minutes, but I’d avoid overbaking so the bars stay soft and chewy. Hope that helps!
Can I substitute dried cranberries for frozen cranberries? If so, how much would I need?
Hi! Frozen cranberries work great in this recipe. I’d use the same amount, ¼ cup. And there’s no need to thaw the cranberries in advance. Hope you enjoy!
I don’t understand, am I being dense.. I cannot see measurements for ingredients on this ?
Not being dense at all! You can find the ingredient measurements in the recipe card.
I am obsessed with these bars. I do make a couple of modifications. I exclude the dried cranberries, but I add flax and hemp seeds. I’ve added coconut before, as well as almonds. It’s so versatile. Definitely recommend this recipe to everyone!
Love those recipe tweaks, Jordan! Sounds so good. Thank you for sharing your experience making it!
These were so easy to make I substituted pumpkin seeds as we have a nut allergy person in the household
Pumpkin seeds sound like a great substitution for these bars! I’ll have to try that!
I want to make these to take on vacation (pack in suitcase). Do they have to be refrigerated?
Hi! They can stay at room temperature for about 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days for a longer shelf life.
Hi! I’m excited to get this recipe! Do you have any advice on how to add peanut butter to make them peanut butter, chocolate chip, oat bars? Thank you!
Hi! You can add a couple tablespoons of peanut butter directly into the batter. That’s worked very well for multiple commenters. Some have even added up to 1/2 cup. And then I’d start with 1/4 cup chocolate chips, stir, and add more if you like. Hope you enjoy!
See All Comments