Oatmeal Bars
Published
These gluten-free oatmeal bars are one of my go-to snacks—they’re soft, naturally dairy-free, and just sweet enough to hit the spot. I love making a batch at the start of the week for lunchboxes, afternoon pick-me-ups, or an easy grab-and-go breakfast. You only need a few pantry staples and 30 minutes. I love snacking on these, and my kids love finding them in their lunch boxes.
“Made them for a GF friend when she came for a play date. We all enjoyed them, including the kids. Thank you!”
– Kristina
Oatmeal Bars Recipe
These baked oatmeal bars are a simple, healthy breakfast or snack I make all the time, just like my banana oatmeal bars, and my whole family loves them. They come together quickly with pantry staples and are perfect for busy mornings or after-school snacks. The oats make them hearty and satisfying, packed with fiber and plant-based protein to keep everyone full. Plus, they’re easy to customize—use certified gluten-free oats, your favorite non-dairy milk, or a flax egg to make them gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan.
Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, use flax eggs or Bob's Red Mill gluten-free egg replacer for vegan option; use 2/3 cup egg whites for low-fat option
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, I buy the applesauce snack cups that are 1/2 cup portions and keep them in my pantry
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk, use unsweetened almond milk for dairy-free, low fat or vegan option
- 2½ cups gluten-free quick oats
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup chocolate chips, or your favorite mix-in
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- In large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, applesauce, and pure vanilla extract.
- Add the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon to the wet ingredients and stir until fully combined.
- Fold in your choice of mix-ins.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake on the center rack for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
- Allow to cool on for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Cut into 16 bars.
Notes
- Oats are naturally gluten-free, but not all brands of oats are certified gluten-free. Be sure to look for brands that say certified gluten-free.
- Bars too soft? Chill in the fridge before cutting for cleaner slices.
- For chewy bars, don’t over bake—take them out when the edges are lightly golden.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Oatmeal Bars Step by Step
Gather the Ingredients: Gather all the ingredients together. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray or line it with parchment paper.
Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, ¾ cup of milk (or dairy-free alternative), ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce, ½ cup brown sugar, and 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients: To the wet mixture, add 2½ cups of gluten-free quick oats, 1½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Stir everything together until well combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips: Fold in ½ cup chocolate chips.
Fill the pan: Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread it out evenly.
Bake the bars: Bake on the center rack for 20–25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set.
Cool and serve: Let the bars cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes before slicing. Cut into 16 bars and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I love enjoying these oatmeal bars with a hot cup of coffee or tea for a cozy afternoon snack. You can also add any of your favorite mix-ins like raisins, dried cranberries (craisins), frozen blueberries, chopped apples, and chopped pecans. Throw these in lunchboxes or meal prep containers for the week to grab and go. For breakfast, I’ll serve them with some fruit and yogurt on the side, or if I’m craving something a little extra, I’ll drizzle a bit of peanut butter or almond butter on top.
Storage Instructions
The oatmeal bars should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
It is easy to freeze the oatmeal bars. Once the bars are completely cooled, cut them into bars. Place the bars in a plastic freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months. Defrost the oatmeal bars in the refrigerator overnight or in the microwave.
More Oatmeal Bakes
- Gluten-Free Oatmeal Cookies
- Oatmeal Pancakes
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Gluten-Free Banana Oatmeal Bread
Our Oatmeal Bars recipe was originally published 8/26/22. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 8/13/25.
Hi Audrey,
Your recipes have been a life saver when needing to make foods with accommodations for specific health needs. I just realized I bought regular gluten free rolled oats instead of the quick oats. Will this still work? Thanks!
Hi Danielle, Rolled oats will work, but the bars will have a chewier, heartier texture compared to quick oats. If you want them closer to the original, you can pulse the rolled oats in a food processor or blender a few times to break them down into quick-oat size before mixing them in.
Just made these yesterday, they are terrific!!!! Every recipe of Audrey’s I’ve tried has not disappointed!
Thank you Diane! Glad you liked them 🙂
So good. Will make again and again.
I love the recipes that use only 1 bowl! Less fuss, less clean-up.
This recipe is easy for me to make and clean up afterwards. I have mobility issues so I cannot stand for an extended period of time to make complicated time-consuming recipes.
This recipe hits all the pluses for me.
Thank you!
Thanks Marion!
Made them for a GF friend when she came for a play date. We all enjoyed them, including the kids. Thank you!
Question: Can maple syrup or honey be used in place of the brown sugar? Looking to eliminate all processed sugar whenever possible. Thank you in advance!
You can try!
I’ve been living on these while nursing. I’ve been omitting the cinnamon (personal preference), and reduced the brown sugar to 1/3 cup. This recipe is so forgiving with modifying. I’ve tried it with 2T of both Chia and ground Flax. I’ve made some version of the recipe over a dozen times this year. Filling as a breakfast bar, or great for snacking. It curbs the need for sugar for me.
These bars are a hit every time. I make mine with coconut sugar and the kids don’t get that sugar rush and then crash. Highly recommend!!
Just awesome. So easy to make. Have made this recipe many times and it never disappoints. Have substituted peach puree and strawberry rhubarb purée if I don’t have applesauce. It always turns out great!
Made these last night. Reduced the brown sugar to only 1/4 cup (cutting back on added sugars) and added fresh blueberries. Even with the reduced sugar they are still delicious. Mildly sweet. Very filling. A great recipe. I can imagine so many variations. Thank you!
Made this today…more like a cake consistency. Very good. I used the pulse method with rolled oats. I increased ingredients by a third and put it in a lightly olive oiled non stick 9 x 13 pan. Since I live in high altitude I increased temp to 375 and cooked for 30 mins. For mix ins I used toasted pecans, cranberry raisins and blueberries total to 1 C. Thank you, this is a keeper.
These bars came out great – I just made them today – everyone loved them. I cook for a gluten, dairy, soy, nut allergy so I subbed Califia Farms oat milk and added 3/4 cup raisins. Mine came out like an oatmeal raisin spice snack cake, and they were amazing. Audrey, I’ve found your baked recipes easy to make and really delicious, so much so that I just ordered your cookbook. The pumpkin and zucchini breads are among our favorites. Anything you can share in the future that has an easy no-soy no-nut variation would be so appreciated!!
The oatmeal bars were AWESOME !!
Super easy to make and absolutely delicious. I added walnuts and raisins. I’ve been g/f for nearly 40 years so I have tried it all. Highly recommend these oat bars. Also received a 2 thumbs up from my non g/f sister. Thanks for sharing your recipes.