4.36 69 Published Jun 15, 2020, Updated Apr 24, 2023 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.
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.
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.
More Fun Oatmeal Recipes to Try
Peanut Butter Energy Bites Protein Balls Baked Oatmeal Cups Savory Oatmeal
More Bar Recipes to Try
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Tahini Fig Bars Oatmeal Raisin Protein Bars Banana Power Bars No Bake High Fiber Bars
