This oatmeal bars recipe is a perfect meal prep breakfast! Easy to make in one bowl, the bars are soft, chewy, and filled with walnuts and dried fruit.
On busy mornings, I love having a stash of these oatmeal bars on hand. They’re a perfect grab-and-go breakfast, packed with hearty oats, walnuts, dried cranberries, and eggs to hold them together. They have a delicious soft-baked texture, and brown sugar and cinnamon fill them with sweet, spiced flavor. With two kiddos in the house, I rarely have time to make actual oatmeal on a weekday, but lucky for me, these oatmeal breakfast bars are even better!
I adapted this oatmeal bars recipe from my baked oatmeal. When I started working on them, my goal was for them to have one key difference from the baked oatmeal recipe: I wanted them to be cohesive enough to eat by hand. It took four tests to get there, but I couldn’t be happier with the results.
These oatmeal breakfast bars are chewy, flavorful, and easy to make in one bowl. And best of all, they keep in the fridge for the better part of a week. If you need meal prep breakfast ideas for back-to-school season, these yummy bars are for you!
Oatmeal Bars Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this oatmeal bars recipe:
- Whole rolled oats, of course! Also called old fashioned rolled oats, they make up the base of these bars. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you need the bars to be gluten-free.
- Eggs – A key ingredient in this recipe, they bind the oats together. Fun fact: I originally tested these bars with 2 eggs, but I found they needed 3 to hold together!
- Brown sugar and unsweetened applesauce – For sweetness. I’ve also made these bars with pure maple syrup instead of brown sugar for a 100% naturally sweetened option. They just need to bake for an extra 5 minutes to account for the extra liquid.
- Milk – For moisture. Feel free to use whatever kind you keep on hand. Regular milk, oat milk, and almond milk all work well.
- Melted coconut oil – It adds richness and helps the bars brown in the oven. If you don’t keep coconut oil on hand, feel free to substitute another cooking fat. I’ve successfully used avocado oil in this recipe, and I think vegetable oil and melted butter would work too.
- Baking powder – It helps the oatmeal bars rise.
- Cinnamon and vanilla extract – For warm depth of flavor.
- Dried cranberries and walnuts – My go-to mix-ins! Any combination of dried fruit and nuts would work well in their place. Try adding dried cherries, dried blueberries, or raisins, or use pecans or pepitas in place of the walnuts. You could even add mini chocolate chips.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
This baked oatmeal bars recipe is easy to make in one bowl:
Start by whisking together the wet ingredients—the eggs, applesauce, brown sugar, milk, coconut oil, and vanilla.
Then, add the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle them over the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
Next, add the oats, chopped walnuts, and cranberries. Stir to coat in the egg mixture.
Let the oat mixture stand for 20 minutes. Don’t skip this step! It’s crucial for hydrating the oats, giving the bars an even moisture level throughout. It’s also a great opportunity to grease an 8×8-inch pan, line it with parchment paper, and preheat the oven.
After 20 minutes, you’re ready to bake the bars. Transfer the oat mixture to the prepared pan and spread it in an even layer. Bake at 350°F for about 35 minutes, or until the center is set.
Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into 16 bars or 9 bars, as desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Chop up the mix-ins. In my early tests, I found that whole dried cranberries and large walnut pieces were difficult to cut through when I was slicing the bars, which made parts of the bars crumble off. Now, I always chop the cranberries and nuts into small pieces to help the bars hold together.
- Let the batter stand for 20 minutes. I skipped this step the first two times I tested this recipe, and I found that the bars had an overly moist, gummy layer underneath. Letting the batter rest for 20 minutes gives the oats a chance to soak up some of the moisture before baking so that they don’t end up with that too-wet bottom layer.
- Let the bars cool completely before slicing and serving. These bars hold together best if you let them cool to room temperature before serving. If you serve them sooner, they’ll have a soft, crumbly texture similar to this baked oatmeal.
How to Store and Freeze Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
To store:Â Allow the bars to cool to room temperature. Seal them in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make sure to let the bars cool fully first. They’ll fall apart if you seal them in a container while they’re still warm.
- They’re best kept in the fridge. They get even firmer and chewier. By contrast, they soften if you store them at room temp.
To freeze:Â Let the bars cool completely, then seal in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, quickly defrost one bar at a time in the microwave, or transfer them to the fridge to thaw overnight.
More Oatmeal Recipes to Try
If you love these oatmeal breakfast bars, try one of these delicious oatmeal recipes next:
Looking for more healthy breakfast inspiration? Check out these 60 Healthy Breakfast Ideas!
Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar*
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- â…“ cup milk
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups whole rolled oats
- ½ cup chopped dried cranberries or cherries
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, applesauce, milk, coconut oil, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt on top and whisk until smooth. Add the oats, cranberries, and walnuts and mix with a spatula to combine.
- Set the mixture aside for 20 minutes to hydrate the oats. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8-inch square baking dish. Line the bottom and two sides with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Spread the oat mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 32 to 37 minutes, or until the middle is set.
- Allow to cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.
- Store cooled bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
