These oatmeal breakfast bars are perfect for breakfast, but also work as a snack any time of the day. Added bonus: they’re nut-free so they can be packed for school lunches!
As you know I love all things oatmeal and I especially love when I can take oatmeal on-the-go. This recipe is similar to my berry baked oatmeal bars, but these breakfast bars are a bit more dense and have pumpkin seeds and chocolate chips throughout.
The recipe actually comes from Dreena Burton’s cookbook, Plant-Powered Families. She sent me a review copy when the cookbook first came out and let me share this recipe!
If you’ve made my baked oatmeal before, this recipe is super similar. Basically a mix between a bowl of oatmeal and a soft granola bar.
oat flour – make your own oat flour by grinding up oats in the food processor or buy oat flour from the store.
pumpkin seeds – for a little texture and added healthy fats and fiber.
chocolate chips – I like using Lily’s chocolate chips because they’re dairy-free with no added sugar. You can also swap the chocolate chips for raisins or dried cranberries if you’d like!
cinnamon – for a little spice.
sea salt – just a bit to bring all of the flavors together!
nutmeg – I recommend using freshly grated nutmeg for the best flavor, but ground nutmeg works too.
dairy-free milk – any type of plain, unsweetened dairy-free milk works. I typically use almond milk but use oat milk to make these nut-free.
brown rice syrup – a natural sweetener with a relatively low glycemic index. You can find brown rice syrup at most grocery stores now, but if you’re having trouble, check your local health food store.
pure maple syrup – another natural sweetener that pairs perfectly with these oatmeal bars!
Step by Step Process for Making These Bars
How to Prep in Advance
Like I mentioned above, these breakfast bars are perfect for meal prep and taking with you on-the-go! I recommend making the entire recipe as written and then storing each serving individually. If I plan to eat them throughout the week, I just store them in the refrigerator but if I won’t be eating them until later, I will freeze them.
How to Store Leftovers
These oatmeal bars store really well! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to store each serving individually so they’re easy to grab and go.
These oatmeal breakfast bars are perfect for breakfast, but also work as a snack any time of the day. Added bonus: they're nut-free so they can be packed for school lunches!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8" × 8" baking dish with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, oat flour, pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, cinnamon, sea salt, and nutmeg.
In a smaller bowl, combine the milk, brown rice syrup, and maple syrup.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture, stirring until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, and press it down until evenly distributed. Using a sharp knife, cut to mark out the bars before you bake them to make it easier to fully cut and remove the bars once baked. (I usually mark out 16 bars, but you can make whatever size you like.)
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and let bars cool in pan. Once cool, use a sharp knife to fully cut the bars, then remove with a spatula and enjoy!
Notes
Mix-ins: Chocolate chips can be substituted raisins or dried cranberries. Pumpkin seeds can be substituted with sunflower seeds.
Love these. I didn’t use the 8×8 pan and instead used a cookie sheet so i could press down, cut bars and spread them apart prior to baking. I also added crushed almonds and walnuts, just a little bit each, and an extra TBS of chocolate chips. Wonderful.
These look great! Can I sub something else for the brown rice syrup? Have all the other ingredients on hand to make these today except that :). Thanks!
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Love these. I didn’t use the 8×8 pan and instead used a cookie sheet so i could press down, cut bars and spread them apart prior to baking. I also added crushed almonds and walnuts, just a little bit each, and an extra TBS of chocolate chips. Wonderful.
So glad you loved these bars, Sarah!! Thanks so much for trying them and for the review. I so appreciate it!
Thanks Brittany!
These look great!! Do you think they would freeze well?
I think so! I actually froze a bunch of them myself. I haven’t tried them after being frozen (yet), but I think they’ll be fine! 🙂
These look great! Can I sub something else for the brown rice syrup? Have all the other ingredients on hand to make these today except that :). Thanks!
I bet maple syrup would work in place of the brown rice syrup! If you have (and eat) honey you could probably use that too!