Berry Baked Oatmeal Bars

4.35

65

Save to FavoritesPrintJump to Recipe

This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

These baked oatmeal bars are such an easy and convenient way to enjoy oatmeal for breakfast or as a snack. They’re easily customizable and great for kids and adults!

Everyone has been going wild over my baked oatmeal recipes so I thought I would create a new variation to get you hooked on… baked oatmeal bars! I love these bars because they’re perfect for meal prepping, portable and who doesn’t love bars?! The best part? They’re super similar to my regular baked oatmeal recipes or my baked oatmeal cups… I just modified the ingredients a little bit so you get bars that hold their shape better and are easier to package up and take on the go. They’re basically a mix between a bowl of oatmeal and a soft granola bar.

Oatmeal bars made with strawberries and blueberries stacked on a plate.

Like most of my baked oatmeal recipes, these oatmeal bars are vegan and gluten-free. Prep them ahead of time and take them for on-the-go breakfasts and snacks!

This is a great recipe to get your kids involved with! If they’re old enough, they can help measure out the ingredients otherwise you can measure and the kids can dump everything into a large bowl! Stir it all up and pour into a pan.

Berry oatmeal bars cut into squares.

What You Need + Common Substitutions

  • oats – make sure you grab gluten-free oats if needed!
  • maple syrup – you can also use honey.
  • baking powder – to help the bars rise.
  • cinnamon – for a little spice.
  • salt – just a pinch.
  • almond milk – I like using unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but any milk will work. Use whatever you have on hand.
  • applesauce – I prefer using unsweetened applesauce. If you don’t have any applesauce on hand or simply not a fan you can use 1/4 cup mashed banana instead of the applesauce.
  • coconut oil – butter will work too.
  • vanilla – the perfect flavor enhancer.
  • ground flaxseed – if you don’t have flaxseed, you can use 1 egg instead.
  • berries – both fresh and frozen work for this recipe, but I prefer fresh because they don’t release as much liquid as frozen berries do. I used a blend of fresh blueberries and strawberries for this recipe, but any berries will work.

I love berries in this recipe, but feel free to experiment with different mix-ins… most fruits should work and chocolate chips would be delicious as well.

Glass mixing bowl with the batter for berry oatmeal bars.

Storing & Serving

I’ve tried so many different ways of storing and serving these bars. Here’s what I recommend:

  • Let the bars cool completely. They can cool in the pan or on a wire rack if you want to speed up the process. I can’t stress enough… be patient and make sure they are 100% cool!
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Place your cooled bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week or the freezer for 2-3 months. I don’t recommend storing these at room temperature.
  • Pop them in the toaster oven! You can absolutely eat these bars cold, but I prefer to reheat them in a toaster oven before eating. The bars get a little crispy around the outside and perfectly heated throughout! You can also heat them up in the microwave. Just wrap in a damp paper towel and cook for 20-30 seconds or until warm.

Oatmeal bars made with strawberries and blueberries stacked on a plate.

More Fun Oatmeal Recipes to Try

More Bar Recipes to Try

Want to save this recipe? Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes every week!
4.35 from 95 votes

Berry Baked Oatmeal Bars

These baked oatmeal bars are such an easy and convenient way to enjoy oatmeal for breakfast or as a snack. They’re easily customizable and great for kids and adults!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Set oven: Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Mix ingredients: Combine all ingredients except for the berries in a large bowl. Stir until combined and gently fold in 1 cup of berries.
  • Spread batter: Pour into a 8×8 square baking pan lined with parchment. Evenly spread batter in pan and top with remaining berries. I think it looks really pretty with sliced strawberries on top.
  • Bake: Cook for 30-35 minutes or until bars are cooked through and hold their shape.
  • Let cool+ enjoy: Remove from the oven, cool and then cut into 6 bars and enjoy.
  • Store: Store leftover bars in the fridge for up to 1 week. Enjoy cold or reheat in a toaster oven.

Video

Notes

oats – make sure you grab gluten-free oats if needed!
maple syrup – you can also use honey.
almond milk – I like using unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but any milk will work. Use whatever you have on hand.
applesauce – I prefer using unsweetened applesauce. If you don’t have any applesauce on hand or simply not a fan you can use 1/4 cup mashed banana instead of the applesauce.
coconut oil – butter will work too.
ground flaxseed – if you don’t have flaxseed, you can use 1 egg instead.
berries – both fresh and frozen work for this recipe, but I prefer fresh because they don’t release as much liquid as frozen berries do. I used a blend of fresh blueberries and strawberries for this recipe, but any berries will work.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 296mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 13g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: oatmeal bars
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
Chicken fajita filling on a sheet pan with a wooden spoon. Tortillas are resting on the bottom of the sheet pan.
Get Your FREE High-Protein Meal Plan
Struggling to eat enough protein? Subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you a 3-Day High-Protein Meal Plan with a Shopping List!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




65 Comments

  1. Would this recipe work without any sweetener? I do not eat any sugars or flour of any kind. Thank you for you input.

    1. Hey Pat, I think it’d be fine to leave out the maple syrup. Let me know what you think if you try these bars. 🙂

  2. This recipe sounds delicious! My family is planning a day trip to the river. Do you think these would be good to keep in a cooler and eat as a snack or would you suggest the protein balls? Thanks! I look forward to trying out this new variation!

    1. Both would be a perfect snack to keep in the cooler! 🙂 Can’t wait to hear what you think of these if you try them!

    1. They should work just fine, you might just need to cook them longer because the frozen berries will release more liquid.

  3. 5 stars
    Looks great. I enjoyed them at my friend’s house. It was delicious so I found this recipe from you. I will try to make it for my kids, hope them like it.

  4. 5 stars
    Mine are in the oven right now! I hope I can wait for them to cool before digging in! I absolutely LOVE your oatmeal recipes. I have made SO many of them and they have all been awesome!

    1. Yay!! So glad these bars turned out for you, Kate. Thanks for trying my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂

    1. Sure! You can totally add brewer’s yeast. I’d start with a small amount (maybe 2 Tablespoons to 1/4 cup) since brewer’s yeast has a strong flavor. You might need to add more maple syrup to balance it out. Let me know if you try adding it in.

  5. 5 stars
    These were yummy! My kids ate half the recipe in one sitting! I grated apples because I didn’t have apple sauce. They were a bit too moist so they were falling apart a little. Any suggestions? I also covered them after they cooled, maybe I should not have covered them in a sealed container so quickly?

    1. Hey Katia – How much grated apples did you use? And were the bars completely cool when you covered them? If they weren’t it could have caused extra moisture in the container.

  6. 5 stars
    These are delicious! I doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 pan, which worked great. Thanks for your recipes, Brittany!

    1. Yay!! So glad this recipe turned out for you, Joann! Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. 🙂

  7. 5 stars
    I love your regular baked oatmeal so it wasn’t surprising that I ended up loving these bars as well! I ended up subbing honey instead of maple syrup and olive oil instead of coconut, and they turned out delicious!

    1. Yay!! So glad you loved these bars, Amy! Thanks so much for making my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂

  8. I haven’t tried yet so I can’t rate but I am very excited to make these! They look delicious and I love that you mentioned heating them up when you are ready to eat them, I wouldn’t have been sure if they would survive being warmed up if you hadn’t mentioned it! So excited!

    1. Hey Liz – Yes, that should work just fine. 🙂 Let me know how these bars turn out for you if you try them.

  9. 5 stars
    We’ve been loving these so much that we now make a x3 batch every time (which fits perfectly in a half-sheet pan btw). We subbed mashed banana for the applesauce and added a few tablespoons of peanut butter… so good!

    1. Ahh yay! That makes me so happy to hear. I’m so glad you’ve been loving these baked oatmeal bars. Thanks for making my recipe and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me. <3

  10. FAB!! These came out tasting more like cake than breakfast. Will definitely make again. I had to make applesauce from scratch when I saw it in the recipe (they don’t sell it here) and I think I added too much, as they don’t hold shape very well but that’s not really a problem since I’m expecting them to be gone by tomorrow..

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed these bars Beata! In the future, you can used mashed ripe bananas instead of the applesauce. 🙂

  11. 5 stars
    My first EBF recipe! 😊 I did not have rolled oats so I substituted them for quick oats. I used blueberries and peaches for my fruit in this recipe. They turned out amazing! Now just to figure out which recipe I want to try next!

    1. Ahh yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Sarah. I’m so glad these bars turned out for you. Thanks for sharing the subs you made and for coming back to leave a star rating. It’s super helpful for other readers. 🙂

  12. 5 stars
    These came out amazing!! I subbed mashed banana for applesauce and an egg for the ground flax, and my husband and I love them. Made with strawberries and a few chocolate chips on top, and they’re perfect for a snack, breakfast or dessert.Thank you for this recipe- I’m already planning to make them next week!

    1. That makes me so happy to hear, Allie! I’m so glad these bars were a hit. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. <3

  13. 5 stars
    These were good! I only put blueberries in it since I didn’t have any strawberries or other berries. I did add some grated lemon peel which is something I like as in a muffin and I used bananas instead of applesauce. They came out good. Matter of fact, I cannot stop eating them. I am going to put them in the freezer and forget about them for a while.

    1. Ahh yay! I’m so pumped that you’re loving these bars, Betty. I so appreciate you making them and coming back to leave a comment + star rating. 🙂

  14. 5 stars
    This was a HUGE hit during the summertime with the abundance of fresh berries! I loved how sweet it was, yet kept me so full due to the oats. Very very delicious.

  15. 5 stars
    I made these but I am in the cooling stage so I haven’t tasted them yet. I adore your kids!! 1 question, in the FB post it used baking powder but in your listing it said baking soda. ??

    1. Hey Deborah – Are you talking about the video? Both the video and ingredient list use baking powder, so I’m not sure where you saw baking soda.

      1. 5 stars
        It was in the October 16th kid’s recipe listed as the 2nd ingredient. They have cooled and they taste great!

  16. 5 stars
    I absolutely loved these! So easy to make and so yum! I drizzled mine with some peanut butter 🙂 thank you for sharing this recipe! 💛

    1. Yay!! So glad you loved these oatmeal bars, Lauren. Thanks for making them and coming back to leave a review. It means the world to me!

  17. 5 stars
    Love these berry bars 😋 I used strawberries and blackberries as that’s what I had on hand, great for a snack or my favorite, for breakfast served with some greek yoghurt, yummy 😍

    1. I’m so glad these oatmeal bars have a been a hit, Angela! Thanks so much for trying them and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!

  18. Hey I don’t know if I will get a response but I am wondering if you had recommendations on how to make these a bit crunchier? I’ve tried a couple of baked oat recipes and I enjoy them but can’t help but wonder if they could be crunchy (like a biscuit or bar of some kind) without burning. I am not very experienced at baking so I thought I would ask. Thanks!
    x

    1. Hi Lia! These are meant to be on the softer side (like a soft-baked granola bar) but if you’re looking for something crunchy I think you might like my granola bar recipes. Here’s my basic recipe for chocolate chip almond granola bars and within that post I have links to other flavors like fruit and nut bars and my apple granola bars. Hope this helps!

  19. 5 stars
    These are amazing, a great healthy breakfast for someone who’s on the go in the morning! I just wondered do you know how many calories there are per serving. Thanks in advance xxx

  20. This recipe looks great and I am excited to try these bars out! I am wondering if you have any insight on how they might do in the freezer to possibly extend their life? Been loving make-ahead freezer foods recently for their convenience! Thanks in advance!

    1. So pumped to hear these oatmeal bars were a hit, Erica! Thanks for the review and star rating. It means so much to me.

  21. 5 stars
    Wonderful recipe! It is great as is but also so easy to make adjustments for whatever you have on hand. This is my #1 go to when making breakfast for my grandma, she loves it!

    1. Yay! I’m happy to hear this recipe is a hit! Thank you for making these bars and coming back to leave a review and star rating, Amanda. I really appreciate it!

  22. 2 stars
    I made these with the egg. The bars came out gluey and soft. If using an egg, the milk and strawberries (which I dried thoroughly) there is simply too much moisture to bake properly. Complete failure. The taste was good but the texture awful. Your site has too many ads and pop ups.

    1. I’m sorry to hear the recipe did not work out for you, Linda. Thank you so much for this feedback in regard to the ads. I realize how frustrating that must be. I will reach out to my ad network and have them do some testing on the backend to see if we can fix this issue.

  23. 5 stars
    I’ve been making an oatmeal bar recipe every couple weeks for years but decided to try this one for comparison: Your recipe is my new favorite. The texture was particularly good. I used frozen blueberries with no problem and because I didn’t have syrup or honey, I put an extra 1/4 cup of almond milk in the blender with some whole dates. It all came out perfect. So good, that I think I may make these with chocolate chips when I’m craving sweets.

    1. Oh yay!! So pumped to hear that you loved this recipe, Sophie. Thanks for giving it a try and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!

    1. Ah yay! I am so excited to hear that you are loving this recipe, Fazia. Thank you so much for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!

  24. 2 stars
    Flavor was very good. However it was not hardened very dough like. I followed with all the same ingredients. Wondering what the final consistency should be?

    1. Hi Jan – These should have a softer, but not crumbly, bar consistency, not to doughy. It might also be a bit more moist depending on whether you used fresh or frozen berries. How did it taste?