These gluten-free Soft-Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are ultra chewy and loaded with flavor. Theyโre packed with oats, nut butter, and dark chocolateโplus theyโre made with better-for-you, wholesome ingredients โ perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast on a busy morning.
A Delicious On-The-Go Breakfast
My family loves Soft-Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Barsโtheyโre the best for grab-and-go breakfast or snacks. Theyโve got great ingredients, and are filling, tender, soft, and ultra chewy. These bars taste like a mash-up of soft granola bars and a bowl of oatmeal. Youโll get wholesome-tasting, surprisingly-filling oat-filled bars.
Thanks to the nut butter and plenty of oats, these bars have substantial protein and fiber,ย and that helps your body feel fuller for longer.
How To Make Soft-Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
These bars are one of the easiest recipes ever. You can make it in one bowl and whip it together in minutes.
- Combine all the ingredients (except the dark chocolate) in a large bowl and mix to combine.
- Coarsely chop the dark chocolate (you want some inย every bite!) and add to the batter.
- Mix the batter and then transfer to a lined 8ร8-inch pan.
- Bake until lightly browned at the edges and firm in the center.
Soft-Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bar Ingredients
- Old-fashioned oats: The oats make up the base of these bars and give them that soft chewiness. Make sure to use old-fashioned oats โ quick oats are too processed and will make the bars overly dry. Steel-cut oats wonโt soften enough.
- Oat flour: No need to buy specialty flour. You can make oat flour with quick or old-fashioned oats; read more on this below.
- Cinnamon: This spice adds a really nice complementary flavor to the oats, but itโs completely optional. If you arenโt a cinnamon fan, leave it out!
- Salt: Salt helps balance all the flavors in these Soft-Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars.
- Peanut butter: Peanut butter contributes structure and stability (as well as protein).
- Coconut oil: The coconut oil gives the bars a nice flavor and moistness.
- Honey: I sweeten these primarily with honey, and natural sweeteners are always a great choice.
- Light brown sugar: The bars needed a bit more sweetness, and using only honey made them too wet. So, I added 1/3 cup of brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a nice subtle flavor.
- Egg + egg yolk: The egg provides stability to the batter and adds flavor and protein. The second egg yolk adds additional structure and flavor. Use the leftover egg whites in this egg wrap!
- Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate has antioxidants in it, among other benefits. If you arenโt a fan of dark chocolate, you can use milk or semi-sweet chocolate, but it will make the bars a bit less healthy. Alternatively, you can add chopped nuts instead (or in addition).
How To Make Oat โFlourโ
If you have quick oats or old-fashioned oats, you can have oat flour ready for in flash.
- Place the oats (old-fashioned or quick oatsโnot instant or steel-cut ones) into the bowl of a food processor or a small blender.
- Pulse the oats until ground into a powder-like consistency that resembles regular flour.
- Stir the oats around if needed to be sure all the oats are finely ground.
- Make sure toย measure your oat flour after you blend it into flour.
Soft-Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bar Tips
- Line the pan with parchment paper and leave an overhang for easy removal.ย This batter is sticky and hard to remove without it. If you donโt have parchment, grease the pan really well.
- Let the bars cool. You may be tempted to eat one straight out of the oven (and hey, you do you!), but these bars are crumbly and a bit gooey while hot. As they cool, they firm up and are much easier to cut and serve.
- Donโt overbake. Take the bars out when the edges look a little brown. The middle and top of the bars may look a bit wet or gooey, but as long as the bars donโt jiggle when slightly shaken in the pan, theyโre done. If you bake them too long, theyโll turn out dry and not very soft or tasty.
Quick Tip
Make sure the ingredients are gluten free. If you are gluten intolerant, make sure to check all the products to be sure they are gluten free. The ingredients are naturally gluten free, but some brands donโt process them in gluten-free facilities. Check the label to be sure.
Storage
Leftovers?
Store Soft-Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy them within 2-3 days for best results. Feel free to warm individual bars for 5-10 seconds in the microwave if you like them warm.
To freeze: Wrap individual bars tightly in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight freezer-safe container. Thaw individual bars at room temp, and if desired, warm through for 5-10 seconds in the microwave.
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
- Healthy Breakfast Cookiesย no baking required
- How to Make Oatmealย with four flavors
- Yogurt Bowlย with eight flavor variations
- Peanut Butter Overnight Oatsย reader favorite!
- Acai Bowl four tasty recipes
Soft-Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/3 cup oat flour finely ground oats
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk save the whites for another recipe or discard them
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips coarsely chopped
Instructionsย
- Preheat oven to 325ยฐF. Line an 8ร8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang (these will be nearly impossible to get out otherwise).
- To make oat flour, place old-fashioned or quick oats in a blender and pulse until they resemble flour. Measure after blending to make sure you have the right amount.
- Combine the ingredients except for the dark chocolate chips in a large bowl and stir until smooth and well combined. Coarsely chop the dark chocolate chips and add to the batter. Stir to combine. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
- Bake 23โ26 minutes or until set at the edges (it will look slightly wet in the center, but as long as it doesnโt jiggle, itโs done. The bars will firm up as they cool; be careful to not over bake).
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe is delicious!! I made it less sweet. I used 1/4 cup maple syrup instead of honey. And I used almost 1 cup of milled red wheat instead of oatmeal
flour. I did double recipe. I will totally make this recipe again. Thank you ๐
Thanks so much for sharing! Iโm so thrilled this was a hit! Thanks Lili!
These are delicious, but Iโm not understanding how in your picture the bars are so thick. Mine did not turn out like this. Also, in your first picture they look like they were baked in more of a 9 x 9 pan. Did you do something different? Maybe Iโm missing how they would fluff up without a leavening agent.
They arenโt thick at all; theyโre quite thin like the Nature Valley Bars. I think it must be the angle of the photos!
Am I the only one questioning the oats? You add 1/3 cup oat flour AND 1 cup of oats? Thanks.
Yes, it gives them the best texture!!
Is there something that can be used instead of peanut butter and coconut oil for a *nut free version??
Iโm sorry I havenโt tested this recipe without those 2 ingredients!
Try sunbutter and vegan butter for nut free!
Love that!
You could use tahini in place of the nut butter and olive oil in place of the coconut oil ๐ or even apple sauce if you want an oil free version :).
I would try using butter instead of coconut oil and sunbutter as a nut free alternative
This is a great recipe. I only made 1 change because I am not a chocolate lover (I know as a woman, this is hardly possible!!) but I substituted aronia berries. They worked really well and were even healthier than the original recipe. Thanks for the recipe.
Delish! I am so happy to hear you loved these soft-baked oatmeal breakfast bars! Thanks Coreen!
Can I use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar 4 these?
I havenโt tested this but I would imagine itโll work just fine! Let me know if you give it a try! Thanks Elaine.
These turned out great!! Love the soft texture. I reduced the sugar by 1/3 and they were still sufficiently sweet. Thanks for this recipe!
Yay! So happy to hear this! Thanks so much Holli! ๐
These are amazing. Iโve been making this recipe for over a year and my children LOVE them. I make a triple batch every week. Since making these weโve discovered one of my kids has an egg allergy and adapting this to be egg free was super easy. these are a breakfast staple for us
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Kara! ๐
What did you use to make them egg free? A flax egg? I also need to make them egg free
These oatmeal bars are delicious!! Perfect texture and taste-not too sweet-perfect breakfast bar!
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much Virginia! ๐
Any suggestions if we donโt have parchment paper? Really hope to try these!
I havenโt tested this without parchment paper, but Iโd suggest oiling the pan and dusting it with flour before adding your dough as a good alternative.