These oatmeal breakfast bars are one of the very first recipes I ever posted on my site. So many of you have written to tell me about how they’ve enabled you to survive long meetings, fueled you after a workout, and become a favorite of your kids. In fact, this recipe is so simple, many of you bake them with your kiddos too! The origin of this baked oatmeal bars recipe is my friend Elisabeth. She created it in a desperate quest to find a healthy oatmeal breakfast bar that wasn’t as sweet as Healthy Oatmeal Cookies and would keep her first-year medical-resident husband full during the long hours he had to endure between breaks at the hospital. She offered me one while Ben and I were visiting her in Nashville, and I was simultaneously hooked and FULL. Oatmeal breakfast bars have been a regular in my breakfast and snack recipe rotation ever since (they’re also the base for my Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars).
How to Make Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
This soft-baked oatmeal breakfast bar recipe combines the three musketeers of breakfast flavors: peanut butter, banana, and oatmeal. It’s a trio that’s comforting, homey, and classic in the best possible way. For another healthy and hearty breakfast on the go, try my No Bake Granola Bars, or, for a little crunch, my Healthy Granola Bars.
The Ingredients
Old Fashioned Oats. Make these bars wholesome, filling, and slightly chewy (like these Granola Cookies). For best results, do not swap for quick or instant oats as this will impact the overall texture of the bars.Whole Wheat Flour. I will always take any opportunity to sneak in some whole grain goodness into a recipe (see these Apple Oatmeal Cookies. If you don’t have whole wheat flour on hand, you may swap for an equal amount of all-purpose flour.Cinnamon. Warm, earthy cinnamon pairs perfectly with the tender, nutty oats, and creamy dreamy peanut butter.Banana. Adds moisture and naturally sweetens the bars (just like in Healthy Banana Bread). If you don’t love bananas, you may swap for other fresh or dried fruit. Blueberries are a wonderful substitution and raisins or dried cranberries are another great option.Honey. Helps bind the ingredients together, adds sweetness, and helps the bars caramelize and turn golden in the oven.Peanut Butter. Gives these oatmeal breakfast bars a subtle peanut butter flavor. Almond butter, sun butter, or cashew butter may also be used.Applesauce. Another all-natural sweetener for these healthy oat bars that also adds moisture and helps bind everything together. (It does the same thing for these Applesauce Muffins.)Milk. Helps bring everything together into a cohesive batter.Baking Powder. Gives these bars a gentle rise and soft-baked texture.Egg. Keeps these bars soft and tender.Vanilla. Just a kiss of pure vanilla extract to marry everything together.
The Directions
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
8×8-inch panLarge measuring cup (doubles as a mixing bowl, for fewer dishes)
Whether you are seeking to survive a shift at the hospital, your 8 a.m. meeting, or looking for an easy snack your kids will love, these portable, tasty, and super-satisfying bars are sure to satisfy.
