Baked Oatmeal Snack Bars
If you’re in need of portable whole grains, these are perfect. They are the flavor of good nutrition!
Baked Oatmeal Snack Bars
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts [or any nuts you like]
- 1/2 cup dried fruit (any you like – raisins, cranberries, dates, figs)
- 1/4 cup seeds (any you like – sunflower, pumpkin, flax, sesame)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1.25 cups skim milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350*
- Mix dry ingredients.
- Mix wet ingredients.
- Pour wet into dry. Stir to combine.
- Pour into a 9×9 baking dish either coated in cooking spray or lined with parchment.
- Bake for 40 minutes.
- Cut into 9 squares.
Makes 9 servings . Each bar is appx. 170 calories, 3 grams fiber and 5 grams protein. [Cut into 12 squares reduces calories to about 125 calories per square]
While delicious, the only sweetness in these comes from the dried fruit. Add in 1/4 – 1/2 cup brown sugar if you like.
The variations are endless: cranberries, coconut, all kinds of dried fruit, nuts, etc.
All mixed up:
Going into the oven
Parchment makes lift out SO easy:
So does a pizza cutter :
Whole grains to go.
NOTE: These are NOT crunchy like a granola bar. They are chewy like thick muffin.
You can wrap each bar in plastic wrap and put them in a ziplock bag in the freezer . When ready to eat, just grab and go, or microwave for instant enjoyment.
{ 295 comments… read them below or add one }
Yum! I just made these and they’re terrific – far better and healthier than anything you can buy premade. Thank you so much for sharing this!
thank you so much for this recipe. am a big fan of oatmeal bars. i think this recipe is far far different from any other oatmeal bars… because of the dried fruits…and healthy too…
how do you think it would work with half rolled oats and half oat bran? anybody? thanks!
These were very dry!
i made these last night for a long car ride we’re taking today (from FL to TN – ugh!). I used almonds instead of walnuts and all raisins. they are delicious!
I made these last night, and they’re amazing! That might be because I added 2/3 a bag of chocolate chips! I also doubled the recipe and used 1/4 c pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts, dried cherries for the fruit, and vanilla almond milk. They tasted like a big chewy cookie. Thanks for this awesome base recipe!
Awesome Erin!! Glad you like ‘em. I need to put choco chips in next time
K
This recipe looks great!! I just wanted to check though, how much milk is 1.25 cups? Is that 1 1/4 cups, I don’t want to seem dense but wanted to be sure!
Thanks!
Yes 1.25 cups is 1 and a quarter cups or about 300 ml or 10 fl. ozs. Cheers.
Cindy ,
Yes, 1.25 cups is 1 and 1/4 cups.
Kath
Thanks Kath! I am loving your website.
Take care
Cindy
I have made these twice so far. They are really good! I use dates for the dried fruit and chopped almonds instead of the walnuts. I also use 3 tbsp honey and add 1/4 cup wheat germ. YUM! Thanks for the great recipe!
How long would these be good for if you didn’t freeze them? Thanks!
Laura,
I’m not sure, but probably about a week?
Kath
I made these and loved them. I would heat them up and they reminded me of warm bread pudding. I wonder if pumpkin could be added….or maybe a carrot cake version.
We had these at a Bible Study and they are wonderful. I asked for the recipe because they are gluten free and my daughter is now gluten intolerant and when she gets back from college soon we will be making very different meals. So thank you, liked the almonds added too.
OATS ARE NOT GLUTEN FREE!!!
I have celiac disease but make these for my family.
Sherly
Well she might have used gluten free oats!
Most rolled oats are not labeled or certified gluten free, because there is often an issue with cross-contamination. There are options for gluten free rolled oats, but the most common GF oats are steel cut.
Bob’s Red Mill has GlutenFree Rolled Oats
Megan, today I added pumpkin spices, applesauce, and 2 mashed bananas.
My family loves them. 3 truck drivers and its an easy breakfast, grab and go for their lunches!
These look so good and like the perfect healthy snack! Definitely saving this recipe.
Hi there!
I tried this recipe and it was great! It is super easy to make and super healthy! I recommend it to anyone who want to have a energy snack on hand and homemade. Thanks Kath!
I made these and instead of using 1 1/4 cups of milk, I used 1/2 cup of ceres juice blend and the rest water, also instead of the egg I used about 2 tbsp plain PB(no salt or sugar in the PB). The recipe says 1 tsp salt, I added this but found these to be wayyy too salty! Is this a typo or are they supposed to taste this salty?
They tasted too salty to me, too, so I used 1/4 tsp – 1/3 tsp salt the second time and they were better. Also, I added 2 tbsp dark honey which helped balance the saltiness. (I had used dried currants which weren’t very sweet.)
Allison ,
Did you use table salt? I usually cook with kosher salt, which is much better crystals and much less salty. I’m going to go edit the recipe to say so, but that’s probably why yours was too salty.
Kath
Would I be able to substitute rolled oats for the quick cooking oats in this recipe?
Nadia ,
Since quick oats are cut smaller and cook much quicker, you need less liquid and less time. I think if you use rolled oats you might want to par-cook them first to ensure they cook fully.
Kath
Probably a dumb question…but are quick oats the same thing as rolled oats? I made these last week and used quick oats, rather than rolled…not on purpose, just an oversight. I baked them for 50 minutes and they were still a little raw on the bottom.
melissa ,
Rolled oats are steel cut oats that have been flattened; quick oats have also been cut to increase the surface area (and cooking time) and may have been par-cooked as well. So if anything quick oats should have cooked faster than rolled. I’m not sure why they were raw on the bottom, but these bars are kind of on the gooey/moist side so maybe that’s just how they are? (I haven’t made them in a while to remember).
Kath
I accidently used quick oats too and they were soft and moist. they held their shape but I was hoping for something more dense. i will try again with the rolled oats and see what the consistancy is like. They tasted great anyways.
These look amazing–nice and soft, like a big, guilt-free cookie. And for my two cents about the substitution, quick oats are cut much smaller and measure differently, so using them may have screwed up the balance of ingredients. Or your oven is wonky.
I went way out on a limb and made some of these today. I added chocolate chips. I used almonds and diced up some pitted prunes, but only about four of those – shhhh, they look like chocolate chips. I also put in some honey and brown sugar. Sorry, but I’ve still got a pampered sweet-tooth. They are delicious. I think my super-uber-megafussy and afraid to try anything new almost 10 year old son might even like these. Like a cookie, but like a muffin just as described. YUM!
OMgosh! I made these this morning, and they are WONDERFUL!!!! They will be the perfect snack to stash in my gymbag for a quick pre or post workout pick-me-up!! Love the blog…I’m addicted!
Thank you for your motivation!!
Thank you so much for these. I’ve been looking everywhere for a snack bar recipe and the only ones I can find seem to have tons of added sugar. (Why not just make cookies at that point?) I used slivered almonds, dried black currants, dried cranberries, and 1 oz. unsweetened baker’s chocolate. I also used light, plain soymilk and it worked well. They’re great! I’m going to make them for my boyfriend to take on his long days, but I’ll have to sweeten them up a bit for him
I’m thinking honey and ss choc chips.
These look so delicious Kath! Quick question – I am NOT a fan of dried fruit in any form (I’m working on this), so I am wondering if there is anything I could substitute for the dried fruit (more nuts?) that wouldn’t make these too unhealthy. Any ideas? Thanks!
Dale ,
Try fresh fruit – berries, banana, maybe even chopped apple. Or more nuts. Either would be good!
Kath
I printed this recipe a while back and just got around to making them today. They were really good. My kids just loved them. I did put some choc. chips in them. They kept asking for more.
I just made these, and boy let me tell you, I had the smoothest and best bowel movements that I have had in years! PLUS they are tastey as all hell.
Ps, for added enjoyment you can add some “herb” for a light kick and zing!
Yum! I made these last weekend with raisins, dried cranberries, and a few dark chocolate chips. so tasty!!
Next time i’m going to play around with some variations… maybe add some WW flour and mashed banana to see how it comes out? I’ll let you know
has anyone ever tried this with steel cut oats?
Kath,
I have to tell you that I love these bars! The first time I made them all I had was some almonds and walnuts and raisins.. and although it was sweet (since there was no fruit in it) it was fantastic in my morning yogurt! This time around I got some dried fruit. Who would have known that it was soooo easy to make this delicious snack! Thank you so much for sharing this receipe! I love it.
I have made these several times. I usually don’t limit the nuts, seeds, and dried fruit to one. I have added cacao nibs, diced sugar coated ginger pieces, along with raisins, craisins, sesame seeds, pepitas, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds. Every time no matter what I add they are delicious. Thanks for sharing
YUM! I made these this weekend with craisins and walnuts, along with a little brown sugar and honey. Perfect way to sneak in an oatmeal snack at work!!
Hi! I have a question, I love to eat chocolate chips as well, but how many chips is in a tbsp portion?
catherine dooley,
I really don’t know! Maybe 15? Do you not have a tbsp to put some in when you bake them?
Kath
These are awesome! I bring them to work on days when I go straight to the gym at the end of my work day. It gives me just the right kind of energy. I add no extra sweeteners except for the dried fruit and LOVE that it’s not too sweet. The fact that I can get all the ingredients organic feels extra good!
Kath, do you think I could substitute a cup of pureed banana in place of the milk?
Meghan ,
I think you need a little bit of liquid in there. Perhaps banana mixed with water? Or use soy milk?
K
Could you use applesauce instead of milk?
Amanda ,
I think you need the liquid. Maybe use applesauce + apple juice?
K
Mine totally stuck and the wax paper was stuck to them.
They weren’t even cooked through. I don’t know what I did wrong..
I stumbled onto your blog a week or so ago and couldn’t wait to make these! I’m huge into granola and granola bars, but always wanted to make them healthier. Granola has such potential to be a healthy snack, but everytime I found a recipe online it would have all these unnecessary oils or fats and didn’t have the texture I was looking for. I have to say-this recipe was like hitting the jackpot! The first time I made them I stuck to your recipe, and although I use kosher salt in everything I make as well, I found them to be quite salty (but still delicious after a little drizzle of honey!) The last (three!) times I’ve made them I cut down on the salt quite a bit (only about 1/4 tsp) and drizzled the top of the bars with real maple syrup (can you say YUM!!) I make them using Original Almond Breeze instead of skim milk and they come out perfect everytime
Thanks for such a great healthy recipe!
I’m brand new to the “food blogging” world and came across your site a few weeks ago…what a great find! You inspired me to start my own. I made the oatmeal bars tonight, following the recipe exactly except for adding dried cherries and cranberries and no dried banana. It was delicious. I can’t wait to take it for a snack tomorrow and make another batch soon. Thanks for such a healthy and tasty recipe!
Question instead of comment…..
I received a food box and in it was instant oatmeal with brown sugar, I would like to use it in the granola recipe. Hate to throw food away with the cost so high. How can I incorporate it into the bars?
Chris ,
I think these would be a good way to use up instant oats. But I only made this recipe once, so I don’t really know how the smaller quick oats would react. I would be tempted to mix instant and rolled together, and leave out the sweeteners due to the brown sugar flavor. Let us know how they turn out!
Kath
Just made these today… I tweeked them a bit based on what I had on hand. I reduced the walnuts to 1/3 c. (I’m calorie counting and that helps!). For the dried fruit I used ~1/3 c. of chopped crasins and ~1/8 c. of chopped dried apricots (had them leftover from another recipe). I also added 1.5 TBS mini chocolate chips, about 1/8 c. of stevia (I need some sweetness), and instead of skim milk… 1.25 c. unsweetened vanilla almond breeze. It turned out great!! I’m SO happy I stumbled across this site! I’m excited to try other recipes!
Oh yeah… they came out to approximately 115 calories a piece (with 9 servings like you called for!)
Is the oven F or C? Farenheit or whatever it is called?
My oven only goes up to 270 degrees C
Luna ,
Fahrenheit.
Kath
Thanks
They tasted great! Made them at a too high temperature but took them out a bit too early and they still tasted wonderful!
I made these. Talk about AWESOME. SO GOOD. Perfect for freezing. I’m in a dorm, but when I go home, I make these and freeze them and they are perfect in the morning after sometime in the microwave. <3
Amazing! I made these earlier; except I used dried apricots, dried apple, & slivered almonds. My toddler even loves these! THANKS! I will definitely be making these again!
We are always on the go and with two little ones, it’s important for me that we eat healthful! I was so excited to try these bars! They turned out okay, kind of mushy, not dry like I had expected. I used chocolate chips instead of dried fruit which may have been the reason. I used old fashion quakers oats. Is that the right kind?
Also, has anyone tried these with peanut butter and applesauce? I’m hoping to try but I’m not sure the amounts.
I made these with three smashed bananas, and no dried fruit – they were delicious and my 5-year-old, 3-year-old, and 1-year-old all loved their snack bars! Thanks for a great recipe…
I wanted to print the Baked Oatmeal Receipe and I don’t see a print friendly option???? It printed 17 pages – includes all comments???? Is their an easier and more economical way to print the recipes??
Thanks.
copy and paste to a word doc & then print!
Donna ,
Sorry about that. I would suggest copying and pasting into a Word document.
Kath
I made a rookie mistake and put in pecans instead of walnuts. I DO NOT recommend this! Very bitter… Better luck next time!
Just found your website and I’m so excited. I’m on the “Fat SMash” diet (silly name, I know, but making sense for me) and I’m really tired of my food options. You opened a whole world.
Thanks for this blog. And all of your photos are great!
How much fat in these? They look amazing. Can’t wait to make them.
I have a batch of these in the oven right now…I’m going away for the weekend somewhere I know I won’t be able to get a lot of healthy food, so I wanted to bring something along and these fit the bill. I subbed hemp milk and cashew butter for the milk and egg, and threw in a mixture of gojis, chopped prunes and apricots, and almonds. I hope they’re good!
I have been looking for a recipe like this. I absolutely hate oatmeal when it is cooked and mushy – yuck. But since it is so good for you I am trying to incorporate it into my diet in some form other than cookie. Am going to give this recipe a try – it just may be the thing that gets me to eat morning oatmeal. Thanks.
I am sure these would be great if one did not forget the milk when making them.. I guess I will now have granola for my morning yogurt..
Ooh! I love baking, especially desserts, but I’m trying to find some healthy alternatives to all the brownies and cupcakes I used to make. These look AWESOME! Plus I always have all of those ingredients on hand anyway, so making them will be easy. Love the idea that you had about wrapping/freezing them and taking them out whenever you need one–that’s super convenient! I can’t wait to bake some of these. Thanks for sharing the recipe and nutritional info.
I love these!! I have my third batch baking right now. I was looking for a healthy bar recipe of some kind for snacks for my toddler (and my husband and myself). This is the perfect recipe format and all the comments gave me great ideas. I basically do the oatmeal, cinnamon, pinch of salt, vanilla, milk, and egg and then add some mix of fruit and nut or seeds (either whole or in “butter” form). I make it different every time. We love them all. Thanks so much!
I made these last week, and I love the flavor. Finally, an unsweet granola-ish bar. But, I have a question – mine are kind of soggy on the bottom. Is this normal? In the pictures, the cut lines look so clean that I was expecting them to be a little crunchy on the bottom…
Stephanie,
They are not really that crunchy – chewy is better. And I think mine were a bit soggy as well. It’s been a while since I’ve made them!
Kath
Thanks, Kath! That’s a relief…they certainly are delicious. Yesterday, I had one has a late night snack. Yummy, yummy…
I have these in the oven right now, but I noticed you don’t say how long they should bake. Any chance you may answer this within the next half hour or I’ll just wing it.
Debbie
Debbie,
It says right in the recipe above for 40 minutes.
Kath
Had to leave a follow up comment. I just made these for the 3rd time in 1 month. It is the thing that gets me to eat oatmeal (other than cookies
I like apricots and cranberries so those are the dried fruits I use (chopping the apricots into small cubes).
I have also made them adding 2 TBSP of mini-chocolate chips. Very good, but I like them equally with or without chocolate.
I added 1-2 TBSP brown sugar once and could live without it. I also add a few dashes of nutmeg and cut the salt in half (even using kosher) to suit my taste.
Great breakfast or snack on the go. Thanks for the recipe.
A friend sent this blog to me a few days ago, (because I love oatmeal), so I decide to take a look at it today. Wow! all the oatmeal recipes look s great!
I’m making baking the Oatmeal Snake Bars right now.
YUM! Made these on a whim last night and couldn’t keep my fingers out of them as soon as they came out of the oven
I used So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk (only 50 kcals for 8oz) instead of skim milk, added about 1/2 C pumpkin puree (I’m a pumpkin freak), did pumpkin seeds and walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla. Next time I’ll whirl the wet stuff in a blender and add a banana and some flax seeds. So yummy Kath, I had half a one for snack this am and the other half tonight with a smear of PB, delish. Even my hubby likes them and that’s saying a lot! Thanks for the great recipe 
These are perfect. They’re not crumbly like so many healthy oatmeal bars are. They’re dense and the oatmeal and nuts add some great texture. The dried fruit (I used cherries) adds the perfect amount of sweetness. I added 2 tablespoon of brown sugar but I easily could’ve omitted sugar all together. Next time I’ll double the recipe and I will keep making this for a long time. My kids liked it, too.
I am making attempts at eating better but I have an insane sweet tooth. Recipes like this are incredibly helpful. Thanks so much.
I just made some of these for the second time. The first time around I added peanut butter, coconut oil, and applesauce. I love that they had a brownie like texture. They could do double duty as breakfast and dessert. This time around I kept it very simple. I used oats, coconut oil, soy milk, dried cranberry and dried apple. Nothing else. I doubled the recipe but I didn’t double the liquid, so this helped make them a little drier. They are delicious! My fiance loves them so much and keeps asking me to make them. They are an oatmeal lover’s delight!
I just made these. These are perfect for taking hunting! Thank you for this amazing reciepe!! Also perfect for taking them to the farm in the morning. Great reciepe! I put chocolate chips and pecans in mine.
I just made these and scarfed one hot out of the oven- yum! Definitely use kosher salt or reduce the amount if you use table salt. I used 1 tsp table salt and these are pretty salty, but it’s a nice contrast with the sweet raisins and dates I used. These would be tasty with some greek yogurt on top! Or, y’know, vanilla ice cream.
I subbed almond milk for the skim and 1/2 a well-mashed banana for the egg.
Thanks for a great recipe, Kath!
Excellent ! I omitted egg in making this recipe. Keep up the good work.
Just wanted to drop a note here and thank you so much for this great recipe. I have a specially abled son and I don’t want him to have an over abundance of sugar. I looked and looked for something he could take to work for his breaks that didn’t have to much sugar but that he would eat.
This has the added advantage of my being able to sneak in a 7 grain type of oatmeal and anything I happen to have on hand. You are so right, the possibilities are endless. Great way to use up little bits of things too. I added a touch of nutmeg as well. Thanks again.
I have a batch of these in the oven right now, and I am using quick oats, which are not the same as rolled oats, are they? The recipe calls for rolled oats, is this a mistake? I hope they come out ok. I am so looking forward to a bar I can take with me when I am on the run. Thanks for your contribution and please let us know what type of oats to use, rolled oats or quick. I know instand is a whole diff parboiled oat.
Lori,
I used old fashioned rolled, but I think quick oats work OK too. They might need a little less liquid.
Hope yours turned out OK,
Kath
I loooove this recipe!! I made it yesterday and my family, which normally hates oatmeal, loved it! I like that the recipe doesn’t call for added flour or sugar. Perfect! Just perfect! Also I used soy milk. Thank you!!!
oh wow, i’m so excited to try out this recipe!!! i love taking granola bars as quick snacks for my busy school/work days, but i know they’re loaded with bad stuff, so this is great! thanks so much for sharing!
i’m a new reader but i ADORE your blog & am getting so many ideas! love it!
I have these in the oven right now. I changed the ingredients a bit, used pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds, a few chocolate chips, raisins, and some dried mango. yum! I hope they come out great!
Kath,
New to your site, but so glad I found it! Great oatmeal bars. So many recipes out there are for more cake-like bars with tons of sugar, fats, flour, etc. These were PERFECT! I also added chocolate chips, as many readers did. Wondering if you could make this with tofu milk (soy milk) and flax seed (for the egg) instead. Then they’d be vegan as well! Will try that out someday and let you know. Thank you!
Wow. Great recipe and great suggestions. Liquid appears to be a 1 to 1 ratio to oatmeal (1.5 cups to 1.5 cups (1.25 cups milk, plus approx .25 cup of egg)). Do you think I could use water (1.5 cups) instead of the skim milk, omitting the egg or egg product and vanilla? Also, if I wanted it crunchier, should I halve the water or milk? Similarly, would you reduce the liquid if using fresh fruit that contains more water, such as bananas or berries? Thanks. I’m looking forward to trying this out.
Cliff,
I wouldn’t use water – I think it would be a bit bland. But you could certainly try it out. I also think the egg is important as a binder. I would add less liquid for a berry, but not for a banana. And they would probably be crunchier with less liquid, but they also might fall apart.
I’ve never made any changes to these (in fact, I’ve only made them once!!) so I really don’t know the recipe well enough to advise any alterations.
Kath
This bar turned out very chewy. I actually like my bars crunchy but this was okay. I replaced every ingredient. I still used oats, but I used fresh fruit, maple syrup and replaced milk with juice. Also, i didnt use any egg. I used a mashed banana instead. I used a lot of spices besides cinnamon and used cashews instead of walnuts. Turned out pretty good.
Definitely going to make these tomorrow…maybe even right now
Great website Kath, very motivating.
Just a comment on all the posting about soggy/mushy bars…Has anyone tried putting them in the toaster before eating them?? Just a thought.
I made these yesterday in my dorm room and kitchen downstairs! Followed the recipe except used dark chocolate chips instead of the dried fruit, and didn’t add as much salt. So tasty!
I just made these and they came out great! I only had quick cooking oats, so I used 1 cup of milk instead of 1.25 cups. I used craisins for the dried fruit, and added 1/4 cup light brown sugar.
I’m making these tonight – they look amaaaaazing! This semester is crazy for me, and I’m running out of on-the-go snacks for my hubs and I!! Thanks for the recipe and awesome website!! Give me a buzz if you ever make it to Houston:)
Hey Kath these look great!, I can’t wait to try the recipe. Do you know how many carbs are in each serving?
Dan, I don’t count anything anymore so I have no idea, but you could plug the ingredients into a nutrition calculator and figure it out.
Kath, thanks for a great recipe! Love them:)
I skipped the egg (didn’t have one) and they still turned out great. I also made some nice variations (nuts, chocolate, sesame seeds) and I’m looking forward to try some more!
xxx Julia (Taste of Living)
Thanks. I made this vegan by substituting 1/2 soy milk and 1/2 apple juice for the milk. Turned out AWESOME!!!!
This recipe is awesome! I found it while searching for healthy granola bar recipes (after being shocked by the amount of sugar in commercial granola bars) Just so happens I had everything I needed already in my kitchen. I substituted soy milk for the milk and used 1/4 cup pecans and dried cranberries. I also added a little extra cinnamon, plus some ground ginger. Delicious! I’m going to have a lot of fun playing around with adding different fruits, nuts, chocolate etc.
Thank you much
I really liked this recipe. I doubled it and baked it in a 9×13 pan for about 55-60 minutes. For the fruit/nuts I used about 1/2 cup slivered almonds, 1 cup dried cherries, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (an equal mixture of semisweet and bittersweet). I also added some brown sugar. At first I wasn’t too crazy about the bars, but then I stuck them in the fridge for breakfast the next morning. When I tried them again – WOW! I thought they were delicious cold. They were slightly gooey, like a slice of bread pudding, and really fantastic. The chocolate wasn’t the healthiest addition but it sure was tasty. Next time I plan to leave out the chocolate and add extra almonds. I will definitely be coming back to this recipe!
I added these to my file of online bookmarks a while back, and finally baked them today. I made them with peanuts, cranberries, and raisins; instead of adding the brown sugar, I drizzled some maple syrup on top. Can’t wait to have these as an easy, whole foods snack after work. I posted a photo of them on my blog: http://made–from–scratch.blogspot.com/
Next time I’m going to try adding chopped up bits of candied ginger!
Hey Kath I’m a newer reader of your blog and I’m really loving your posts. Please keep it up I look forward to visiting daily :].
Is it possible that a few egg whites added to this recipe could make it higher in protein but still tasty?
I’m sure this question is silly, but do ya’ll think these would be healthy enough to eat daily for breakfast? I’ve been buying a large box of all natural breakfast bars at Costco. I can’t think of the name but they’re pretty expensive banana or choc chip… So I’m really excited to make these
Didn’t know if these were more of a “treat” instead of breakfast. Thank you so much for the recipe and all the information!
Paired with fruit and/or yogurt I think they’d make a great breakfast
I just want to say that these are wonderful i am a new mommy to be and newlywed and i made these for me and my husband and we loved them i used only almonds no fruit and drizzled caramell on top and they are great thanx
I used Old Fashioned Quaker Oats and after I mixed all of the ingredients in the bowl, I microwaved them on high for 2 minutes before I poured the batter into the parchment paper lined metal pan. After 40 minutes in the oven, the top was crisp but the bottom was still soft. So I peeled off the parchment paper and put the whole thing back in the pan upside down and continued to bake for 10 more minutes. This crisped up the bottom of the bars. These are very good and I am happy to have this healthy recipe.
Yum. I use made these and served them topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My guests had seconds.
These look great. But, we have a little one with a nut allergy in the house. Any way we could cut out the nuts? Do you think it would still maintain the integrity of the bars?
Definitely! Maybe add some more dried fruit?
I want to add whey protein powder..
How much to add, and whether to add it before baking or after ?
Thanks.
I would not recommend protein powder – get your protein naturally!
Hey,
these looked delicious! I was just wondering if one can subsitute the walnuts with somethings else?
I am allergic to walnuts, but still I want to try these as they seem so great when you need a snack.
Hedda
Use any nuts you like!
Hi Kath! I made these the other day and they didn’t look as crunchy as yours look, but I had to change the recipe a little because I didn’t have enough oats, so I’m going to try it again today! But the point is, EVERYONE in my house (8 people who are all fussy eaters) LOVE them! Thanks for the great recipes and how to’s! They are very helpful!
So yummy! I have a soy intolerence and find 99% of the bars in stores have some form of soy in them, these are perfect!
I made these yesterday. I used dried cranberries, dried blueberries and chopped walnuts. I also added more cinnamon. I used Silver Palate brand oatmeal. Absolutely fabulous. It is so similar to how I make oatmeal (no egg or milk) that I started looking for a recipe that would be similar that is a portable snack. This is it! Saw this and saw it is very similar to the way I make oatmeal (using the cranberries, blueberries, walnuts and lots of cinnamon). Thanks!!!!
Your recipe was the perfect jumping-off point for oatmeal bars, this is a fantastic basic recipe! I personally made mine with oats, sliced almonds that I slightly crushed, and dried banana chips broken into pieces, with some artificial sweetener (I have a sweet-tooth for aspartame) mixed in with the cinnamon.
I didn’t have any milk or eggs, but I substituted water for the milk and a tbsp of corn-starch in water for the egg and it worked out just fine. In the end, I actually added some applesauce I bought just for making oatmeal bars at the very end of the recipe (forgot I had it!). I used maybe 3/4 cup of applesauce, and the recipe ended up coming out a bit too wet. Next time, I think I’d reduce to about half a cup of water (or milk) if I used applesauce.
I baked quite a bit longer than your recipe, reducing the heat to 250 after 40 minutes and leaving them in for another 20-30 min to try and dry them out a bit. I took the pan out, let them cool on the stove, and saran-wrapped into the fridge overnight right in the pan (hoping to dry them out a little further). The top is delightfully dry and crunchy, and the inside is not too wet. I’ll definitely try this recipe again and see if I can’t dry it out a little more, but it’s delicious!
Since I don’t have the specific ingredients I tried to recreate and revise it a little using peanuts instead of walnuts, cornflakes with dried fruits and sliced of dried mango. Still it turned out to be superb! I love it. And my friends as well. Not only easy to prepare but healthy one. Thanks.
I love this recipe except for one thing: I keep getting salty bites of the bar, while other bites are good. I think my kosher salt must have stuck to the raisins in some places? Would this problem be alleviated by mixing the salt in with the wet ingredients so it’s more evenly distributed? I used raw, unsalted sunflower seeds and raisins, because it’s all I had on hand. Still a great recipe!
Wow, I made something similar to these recently; far better than anything that comes in a box!!
xoxox
I made these last night. My kids love them. I’m so glad to find an easy recipe that is healthy and portable. My kids won’t eat regular oatmeal, but they will eat these. Thanks! I definitely plan on making them again. I love that there are so many variations.
Wow these look good!
Found this recipe and was really excited to use it. Made the bars yesterday with a few changes. Overall liked them, but will definitely change a recipe a bit more if I make them again by using less liquid, baking them for a longer amount of time and making sure the milk is hot.
Hey Kath,
I am interested in making these as they look so good and I need some fuel to go – do you have any suggestions on what I could substitute for the milk to make them dairy free?
Thanks!
I just wanted to say that I baked these, froze them, and just ate the first one at my lunch today–phenomenal! I used 1/4 cup each dried cranberries, golden raisins, and chopped prunes. I used a flax egg and almond milk instead of skim. Also, because I don’t like nuts (I know, I know, that makes me a horrible person), I exchanged the nuts for a quarter cup dark chocolate chips, a few tablespoons of steel cut oats, and a couple additional tablespoons of flax meal. Success! They were perfectly chewy–and enjoyed still semi-frozen. Yum!
wow, been looking everywhere for a healthy recipe for something my boyfriend could bring to work with him that wont give him the sugar crash he usually gets after looking for his afternoon kick. These sound perfect, i just put a half batch in the oven waiting patiently now. . .Thanks so much for putting this up.
Baking is a whole new world to me, dont know much about it just wondering what the egg and salt do in the recipe, as in what’s their purpose? i have a lot of different diets to cater for in my family (vegan, low calorie, low cholestorol, low sugar etc) and this recipe is just awesome so i want to use it as a base for other recipes too. If its too stupid a question just ignore me:)
Michelle, I haven’t made this recipe in AGES, but the egg acts as a binder (I think you can use flax instead – see some of the comments here) and the salt is for flavor. These would taste more bland without it.
Kath,
My daughter is famous for taking any recipe and substituting – leaving out the sugar, changing to a whole grain, etc. She let me make this recipe for her kids as is – and I have NEVER been able to say that about anything I found on the net!
Well done, and thanks for your work.
Mary
This recipe sounds great. Do you think 3/4 cup of Greek yogurt could be used in place of 3/4 cup of milk?
I think you need the liquid..
I just brought mine to the office. Everyone loved them. I put honey on them after they were baked when I realized they were not sweet enough for me. That was great.
My diabetic friend is crazy about them and was thrilled to get the last one for her husband. I put them in the freezer for about a wekk and pulled them out for a vegan friend and she loved them as well.
I used Quater minute oats and felt the consistency was a little milky so I added more oats until I liked the texture. It was probably another 1/4 cup. I used dates and raisins as well as waluts and put more of those in than the recipe called for.
GREAT RECIPE!
Oh and I never add salt. It was not necessary in my eyes.
These Rock…….I usually don’t like cinamon but this is the perfect mix! Love your site by the way!
I made these yesterday using Quaker Instant Oats. They came out fine except the bottom half was a bit soggy/wet. I think it also had to do with the type of oats i was using. As the recipe called for 1.5 cups of oats and 1.25 cups of milk, when it was combined, the mixture looked really wet. So I instinctively added another 3/4 cup of oats to make it thicker. Tasted great nonetheless but I think i’ll stick to rolled oats next round to give it a chewier taste since quaker instant oats cook really fast (meant to do soanyway)
has anyone tried PB on this? i reckon it would be quite good.
I haven’t made your recipe yet, but i’m looking forward to it after reading all the positive comments. I was just wondering, what size cup should I use to measure the ingredients?
I’m not quite sure what you mean? Perhaps 1/4 a cup so you can divide the 3/4 into three?
I made this recipe for my Team in Training teammates this morning, and they were a big hit! Thanks so much for your wonderful blog and recipes
Hi Kath.
I wanted to tell you that I´m really enjoying your website. I train for long distance running here in Iceland and I love your kind of food, my children love it as well
Thank you and greetings from Iceland.
Hulda
Thank you so much for the awesome recipe. I got a great buy at my wholesale club on oats, and knew this was just the recipe I needed! This will be a perfect snack for my family before our black belt classes!! I’m off to have a look around the rest of your posts.
I am making these all the time now! One of these bars really hits the spot later in the day, or when I’m pressed for time in the morning. The variations are almost endless, too — use almonds and almond extract, throw in some chocolate chips (for the afternoon itch for chocolate), combine other kinds of seeds, etc. etc. LOVE this snack!
Thanks!
Hi Kath!
Hi Kath! I was wondering if maybe using oat mix would work (it’s oats, barley, wheat, flax, etc. all mixed together) instead of just plain rolled oats?
(sorry about the last message, I accidentally pressed submit! lol)
Thanks!
I think it probably would work fine. I would wonder if it would stick together well enough – that would be my only concern with a mix
Maybe adding something sticky like a little bit of honey or maple syrup? Not sure if it would help hold it together by why not
Thanks!
Just made these tonight with dried cranberries, bananas, and dates…they are fantastic! Goodbye (and good riddance) to my regular fiber bar snack…
Heading to whole foods this weekend to browse the dried fruit for more options…
Thanks for the great recipe!
What a coincidence! I just made these this morning, wondered where I got the recipe, and then you post them on your blog! I just wanted to add on to what the other forty-ish commentors said before me: they’re da boooomb
mmm these look awesome! Can’t wait to make them!
Yum! I’ve been looking for months for a granola bar variation that didn’t call for so much SUGAR! I used quick cooking oats so I used only 1 cup of milk. But it seemed too loose still so I added 2tbs of wheat germ. I also did 1/2c of cranberries and a 1/4c of mini chocolate chips. However, I used waxed paper and the bars stuck! What did I do wrong?
Hi,
Just wanted to add that I just made these, and they taste great. I used waxed paper as well and they stuck too! I managed to get the paper off the bars eventually but it was some work. Is it the paper or wat? I used instant oats BTW. Thanks.
I used quackers instant oatmeal, added almonds and dried boysenberries, replaced the cinammon with cardamom. I also added 2 scoops of whey protein. Absolutely wonderful! I eat a square after weight training everyday now. I think it’s important to freeze the plastic-wrapped squares ASAP after cooling down a bit, in order to preserve freshness. My husband, who abhores protein and fiber bars, couldn’t stop praising. Thank you for making living healthy so easy and delicious. We need more people like you around. You rock.
Hi Kath,
I was wondering about using coconut milk instead of skim milk, (I have a can in my pantry) or would it be to strong for the oatmeal taste.
I think it would work great!
Trying them right now!
I used a mix of shredded coconut and sesame seeds instead of dried fruit. Also, I used vanilla soymilk and a lil agave-maple syrup…hopefully they don’t come out too sweet!
Made these today. Love them! This will definitely be one of my “go-to” recipes when I have a cookie craving.
I was looking for a fast breakfast idea for my 2 year old and we are big oatmeal eaters so I thought I would give this a go. They turned out fantastic! I’m in love with them! I added natural dried apricots and raisins and 1 TBSP brown sugar and a bit of almonds…the bomb. They are my new favorite carry around snack. Who would want to buy a sugar loaded snack while out on the go with one of these in their pockets! Thanks so much for the great recipe
I love recipes that call for ingredients that I already have or that are inexpensive (who actually keeps shreds of organic saffron at home, etc?). I was looking for an alternative to Fiber One or Kellogg’s Fiber Plus Antioxidants bars because they get a little pricey if you snarf them, and they’ve got a lot of sweetners.
I will have to bake a batch tomorrow morning (to warm up the kitchen and make it smell nice). I will probably try to reduce the nuts ($$$) and add some Fiber One cereal (to up the fiber and get some additional crunchiness). Thank you.
Made these following the recipe… way too salty. Re-made them again tonight minus the salt – FANTASTIC!!!
Thanks so much Kath! Just discovered your blog and completely love it! I do a recipe of the month for my gym so I’m always trying new recipes. I wanted to do something that’s ‘heart healthy’ for Feb. so these oatmeal bars are perfect. Very tasty! Great right out of the oven with a cup of tea!
Can you use steel cut oats? Is the prep any different?
You might be able to use ones that have been ground? But I think they are a bit too low in surface area for proper absorption.
I made these this morning and they’re delicious! I’m just wondering if you think they would turn out if you either used a smaller dish or maybe doubled the recipe in the same size dish to make them a little thicker? Then maybe baked them for longer at a lower temperature? Thanks!
That’s what I would do!
Best oatmeal bar recipe I’ve tried. Just copied it down and put it in my recipe book–and not many recipes make it in there! I loved the consistency of the bars, and the fact that (with egg whites instead of eggs), these bars might actually help to reduce my cholesterol because the only fat in them is the good healthy walnut fat. And I love that even without any added sugar they are still yummy. I will be making these weekly!
Is there any reason to use skim milk instead of half and half other than the outdated belief about saturated fat? I’ll give a full fat version of this a try – I’m looking for something tasty and worth eating up on the ski hill.
Use whatever you like
My teenager LOVES these! I’m thrilled, although I can barely pry one out of her hands to get a bite myself. I add linseed, walnuts, dried cranberries, dates, and my favourite, figs. SO good, and not a crumb of sugar. Amazing.
Thanks so much!
can steel cut oats be used in this recipe?
Given their slower absorption time, I wouldn’t think they’d do as well. But search the comments above – I bet someone has tried it?
Would almond milk instead of the skim milk be alright? In attempt to make them almost dairy free..
Yep
Key Kath! I have really enjoyed reading your blog and the recipes that you post! This Oatmeal Bar especially!! I have made it my goal for the week to create a nutritious bar “On The Go”… I found yours and they are quite amazing
… Thank you & keep up the great writing & what you do! I appreciate it a lot! 
Thank you so much for this recipe. I have a very fussy little boy that won’t eat anything but toast and biscuits. I have been on the lookout for recipes like this one, which don’t contain processed flour etc. and that are healthy and nutritious (and that I know he will eat!). He only has goats milk (ugh!) and so I used that in this recipe, which is in the oven as I type this. Thanks again!
Yay! Kathe to the rescue once again! You are a great resource for ideas and recipes.
Thanks, Kath! I’ve been looking for a healthy GF bar recipe for awhile now (expensive buying them…and healthier made at home!).
I make these bars frequently for friends and family. I have used a lot of different ingredients and these always work:
Lite Coconut Milk
Skim Milk
Almond Breeze Vanilla (may try with chocolate)
I always used the old fashioned or rolled oats– they seem to be better for the texture.
If anyone is concerned with sugar in dried fruit, Trader Joe’s has a huge variety of no-sugar-added dried fruits. I have used White Peaches, Apples, cherries, blueberries — haven’t seen they have cranberries, but next time will try the pears. For family who do not have issues with sugar, Costco has blueberries, cherries, cranberries, and they also have a “mix” that has cranberries, cherries, apples & orange zest.
I always use TJ’s roasted sunflower seeds — nice addition for the texture, actually like them better than walnuts or almonds. Have also experimented using Apple Pie Spice and PUmpkin Pie Spice instead of the plain cinnamon and now use that instead.
Everyone LOVES these bars — thanks for the recipe — oh, and for my nephew only, I add mini-chocolate chips.
Making these tonight with the nuts because of allergies. Using cherry, strawberry, and blueberry mix. Can’t wait.. thanks for the awesome recipe (you are #2 on Google for oatmeal bars!)
I made these for the first time and they were delicious! I made them with unsweetened almond milk, dried cherries, dried cranberries and raisins. Next time, I think I will cut back on the salt a little and for an added treat, I’m going use chocolate almond milk.
I have a double batch of these in the oven right now (with dried cherries, walnuts and some white chocolate chips) and it’s making the whole house smell AMAZING. I shared your blog with my moms group, as we are always looking for healthier options to give our kids. My daughter is 6 months old, so she can’t eat these quite yet, but I know my husband is going to eat these up! Thanks!
I made these yesterday and they turned out great!! I am cutting sugar out of my diet for Lent, so these are the perfect snack for me!
I made these and they were good enough but a little too moist for what I was looking for.
Anyone have any suggestions.
Thank You
Hi Kath,
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I made these bars the other day and they’re gone already! The texture is great for people who don’t really enjoy a crunchy bar! I wrapped mine just like you did but put them in the fridge and threw them into our lunch bags and they’re perfect for a mid-day snack. Also, I used coconut milk by Silk which I am newly obsessed with! Have you tried it yet??
I just discovered your website. I am so excited to for my son and husband to try these! The bars are in the oven as I type. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to trying out your other recipes that you have posted.
I loved these. I was hoping they would have been a little thicker and more dense like the Oatmeal Squares by Quaker, but these were still fabulous. Will definately be a regular for me and my boys.
Thanks for all your great recipes. Really enjoying your website and the wonderful recipes. It’s been a big help to me while learning to eat healthier for me and my family.
Wow what a great healthy snack! No comparison to store bought stuff! Your pictures help so much (I’m a visual learner……) Delicious!
hello,
im going to use this recipie for my cooking coursework and i was wondering what you ment by 1.5 cups of oats and 1.25 cups of skimmed milk? because i dont know qhat kind of mearsurements that is and i dont want to get the amount of ingreedients i put in wrong.
thanks!
Cups are the basic unit of measurement here. Unfortunately I don’t have the weight measurements in grams.
Even my husband likes these! My twist on the recipe is 3/4 C. dried tart cherries, 1/2 C. pumpkin seeds, and a heaping cut of unsweetened shaved coconut. Also, I used coconut milk in leu of regular milk. Delicious!!!
love the updated photography and they look stellar!!
“These are NOT crunchy like a granola bar. They are chewy like thick muffin.”– yes please!
and the pizza roller, so smart!
I have a batch of these in the oven right now and they smell SO GOOD! I used walnuts, sunflower seeds, apricots, and a little coconut. Yum!
Very dry and hard but it must have been because i added Whey protein powder to it, otherwise it would’ve tasted good. However even with the protein powder it tasted okay but definitively like a nutritious snack not a snack you have if you want good flavor or taste
Hi Kath! I am thinking about making these tomorrow, but I only have chia seeds in my pantry. Would these work?
Absolutely!
Kath, just discovered you website a week ago. These bars are fantastic! In a continuing effort to eat more healthy, these are great. We’ve done a few renditions of it now, with cranberries, dates, different seeds. For our last batch we doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 pan – came out perfect! We gave this recipe the nickname “Portable Porridge”, because it tastes like a yummy bowl of oatmeal on the go! Thanks so much for all your excellent info, I’ll be a regular reader
Very good! I made it with almonds, raisins, cranberries, and dates. Came out awesome! Thanks for the recipe! I have to travel from Texas to GA soon, so this is going to be a great snack for the road!
These were my go-to snack during my week of taking the real food pledge. I made them with raisins, cranberries, dates, and walnuts. Delicious! I linked to your recipe here: http://www.tootimidandsqueamish.com/2011/06/how-to-eat-real-food-in-8-easy-steps/
Hi, I need to lower my cholesterol and lose a little weight. I just wanted to know how healthy these actaully are to have for breakfast. I see that they have about 170 calories per bar. At the minute i eat a kelloggs fitness bar for breakfast which only has around 90 calories. I realise that these (your bars) and they look delicious by the way) have all of those great ingredients in, but i was wondering why (if at all) it would be better to eat these rather than the kelloggs ones.
Thanks
Anon,
My answer is in the ingredient list. You can see the baked bar one above – all real food. Nutritious.
I pulled the Blueberry Special K bar list here. Sugar, chemicals, trans-fats. I think it speaks for itself!
Ingredients
“CEREAL (RICE, WHOLE GRAIN WHEAT, SUGAR, WHEAT BRAN, SOLUBLE WHEAT FIBER, SALT, MALT FLAVORING, MALTODEXTRIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2]), CORN SYRUP, SOLUBLE CORN FIBER, BLUEBERRY FLAVORED FRUIT PIECES (SUGAR, CRANBERRIES, BLUEBERRY JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE, GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATE FOR COLOR, SUNFLOWER OIL), FRUCTOSE, SUGAR, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED PALM KERNEL OIL)†, MALTODEXTRIN, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL BLUEBERRY FLAVOR, DEXTROSE, SORBITOL, GLYCERIN, NONFAT DRY MILK, SOY LECITHIN, SALT, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID, NIACINAMIDE, COLOR ADDED, MALIC ACID, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), BHT (PRESERVATIVE). †LESS THAN 0.5g TRANS FAT PER SERVING”
So definitely better to go for yours then? Nuts and seeds all help to reduce cholesterol as well, don’t they?
YES!!
These are honestly the best oat bars Ive ever made! I just made this recipe and immediately cooked a second batch! Thank you so much!
Also – for the second batch – I added chocolated coated berries and nuts – made it not so healthy but also amazing!
THANK YOU!
Hi there!! I just ran across your blog through carrotsncake and I love it. Quick question on these:
Could I replace almond milk with the skim milk. I only use almond when Im using oats ex. overnight oats.
Do you think that would change the baking time? I have not baked with almond milk yet.
Thanks so much!!
Welcome!! Yes, you can use any milk you like, although using almond will reduce the protein by quite a bit
Hi Kath!
Like everyone has said before, these are really great! We finished a batch of 10 in a couple of days. What a treat!
I used dried blueberries on mine, but I’m thinking of using fresh ones – will they keep for less time, and do they have to bake for a bit longer? Also, if I wanted to double the recipe – should I increase the baking time? (I’m a beginner baker).
Thanks and congrats on your lovely recipe and site!
Hey Lara! The fresh ones will add a bit more liquid – so maybe add a little less. They also might deteriorate a bit sooner, but not too much. If you double it I’d increase the time just a bit – but not double. Just keep your eye on it.
Fab recipe thanks
Can you use table salt? If so how much of it would be used?
I would just use a pinch – it’s pretty strong! Make sure it’s well dispersed throughout too
I just finished mine came out great I used instant brown sugar oats used some bananas that were totally ripe jaja. Some blueberrys, walnuts and dates. Mmmm so good. Thank you for the recipe,much love. (:
These are delish! What a great way to get oats, nuts and seeds in a bar to go. Kath, I love your recipes –the oatmeal with bananas is genius! And the microwaving the nuts — who knew? Thanks so much for your wonderful recipes and keep ‘em coming!
Laura
Great recipe and idea! Thanks!
I’m wondering if anyone has tried these with grains other than oatmeal – we have some gluten issues n my house.
Maybe buckwheat, brown rice, etc.?
Any suggestions are appreciated!
You can buy gluten free oatmeal. We use ” Only oats” out of Canada, but Bobs Redmeal makes one too if you don’t have any nut allergies.
just wanted to pipe in about the egg question. I had the same question as others mention in that I wasn’t sure why it needed to be added, since oatmeal should act as its own binder. Other recipes for similar oat bars don’t include eggs (e.g. http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2011/02/16/date-nut-oatmeal-bars/). So I skipped the egg (and added my last, neglected banana) and the result was perfect. Looks just like the pictures and tastes great. Well, tastes like oatmeal in bar form, which I think tastes great. If the only purpose of the egg is as a binder, i can confirm that it is unnecessary.
I made them this morning (and I don’t cook), they were easy and I love them, was wondering though what you could do to get them crunchy??
I turn the oven temp down to around 300 degrees and let them bake about 20 min or so longer. They aren’t crunchy exactly but they aren’t as chewy as the ones baked above.
I too LOVE this recipe. I make them a couple of times a month for my husband and I to eat for breakfast or just a snack. I switch up the nuts, fruit, seeds and other flavors based on what I have on hand.
I work in a wellness clinic and I’ve shared this with my co-workers as well as our guests/clients that come in.
Making these now before Hurricane Irene hits, so we have something healthy to eat that doesn’t require cooking, in case we lose power!
I can’t believe how great these are! I’m not great at making myself eat healthy foods, but these make it easy!
Hey I just finished my Master’s in Dietetics and will be taking my RD exam in one month. I am so excited. I love your website! Thanks for this recipe. I’ve been wanting to make simple and healthy oatmeal bars because my fiance loves to buy cereal bars and they are all filled with sugar. I am going to make these this weekend!
How long do you let these cool before you cut?
Just till they’re no longer warm
Thanks. Just took them out of the oven. They look good.
My wife and I enjoyed these oatmeal bars without the nuts. I had a question, though, about the food “specs.” My wife uses Weight Watchers and she tried to calculate the point value. She noticed there were no carbohydrates listed. Is this true? Our oatmeal box lists carbohydrates.
Your thoughts,
John
Hmm. There are definitely carbohydrates in these from the oats – perhaps weight watchers thinks oats are so healthy they aren’t counted as refined carbs?
I’ found your blog last week and I love it! This is on my todo list for this weekend! Already made the granola which turned out great and your love for oatmeal’s awesome I tried adding the chia and banana omg good
looking forwaed to exploring your site more!!
Could I make these without the nuts and fruit? Do you have a suggestion for substatute? It is hard to find peanut/tree nut free dried fruit, but I would love a healthy snack bar. Thank you:)
Yes, definitely. You can really add any mixins you like – from chocolate chips to chia seeds.
I made some for the kids with butterscotch chips, no nuts or fruit and they loved them. That’s the great thing about these bars, they are pretty cheap to make and you can change them up so much.
I do have a question though…..could I add pumpkin puree instead of the egg and/or some of the milk. If so, any idea how much? I usually just “eye ball” the mix for the right consistency.
Glad you like them!!
If you’re good at eyeballing, you’re probably better at this than me
These are delicious! I made the whole tray and stuck about half in the freezer. They are the perfect late night snack with some peanut butter on top.
These are absolutely wonderful. Mine has a little variation because I have a sweet tooth but didn’t want to use sugar. My neighbor gave me a can of guava paste, so I poured a layer of the oatmeal mixture into the pan, then a thin layer of guava paste and topped off with the oatmeal mixture. YUM!
I am baking these right now I doubled the recipe and I added honey and milk and I used almonds and Walnuts some chopped to powder and some jus roughly chop with a mix of 72% and other percentile dark chocolate and some dried mango cut into little pieces it smells so godd right now in my kitchen ^_^
I made these bars today and posted about it right here:http://healthymamainfo.com/2011/11/baked-oatmeal-snack-bars/
Love them, thank you for the recipe!
I made a double batch of these tonight in a 9X13 inch pan. I didn’t have enough rolled oats, so I used half steel cut oats, and just soaked them for about 30 minutes in coconut milk (instead of skim) before I assembled the rest of the recipe. They turned out great! I made mine with dried cranberries, dried blueberries, dried apples, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds. I also tossed in a dash of almond extract.
For some added protein, I put in a scope of vanilla flavored whey protein. I used dried blueberries and walnuts (no seeds). The combination of the three made it taste like an even healthier vanilla blueberry Kind bar. I definitely will NEVER buy another granola bar after this recipe! Thanks! Great blog. Really enjoy reading.
These are great for a little pre-gym boost. I doubled the amounts of vanilla and cinnamon for a bit more flavour, and added two dessert spoons of honey to my wet ingredients. Just enough to give a little sweetness, but not too much. x
I just made them with dried cherries and cashews. I like the ideas for the alternatives for milk in the comments. I’ll try them next. I plan to make these a lot! I LOVE them. I too will never buy another packaged granola or cereal bar again.
can i cook these in the microwave, if so for how long?
I’ve never tried nor would I recommend it, but I’m sure it can be done.
YUMMMMM Their so Good
These look great and only 170 calories!?!
How would I use steel cut oats in this recipe? I’m looking for healthy to replace cereal for breakfast that is fast. I do not like typical oatmeal, too mushy.
Jill, I don’t think steel cut would work dry because they take took long to cook. You could either soak them for a long time or pre-cook them and then mix them in. The liquid ratios would probably need to change some though.
Thankyou for this recipe, sweet lady. I’m highly food intolerant – but can eat oats and nuts and seeds. (no fruit). This recipe is just perfect
Tho I might pop in some oat bran for extra goodness, and some extra liquid coz the bran tends to suck it up…..
Oh ! I am soooo making these in the morning !
Wow.. I just made these as a way to get more fiber and less sugars. Delicious.. I added choc chips, coconut, and a little honey. Way too good to share!!
PS. I did not have quick oats. I used Old Fashioned. They are still fab..
These were tasty! I wish there was a way to print just the recipe. With a mac I can just select text to print.
Dana,
There is a way!! On my Recipage: http://www.katheats.com/recipage?recipe_id=6000286
Amaretto-soaked raisins and apricots FTW. Also, whey protein and buttermilk.
These taste much like oatmeal cooked on the stove, but without the nasty
I made these several times following your recipe and they are delicious!!! I was wondering if you had a suggestion on how to make these a “protein” bar. I was going to just add my choice of protein powder but not sure on how to adjust other ingredients. Any suggestions?
Hi Gina,
I don’t use protein powders in my kitchen, so I know absolutely nothing about cooking with them. My apologies!
I use protein powder in mine. I also add psyllium powder, wheat germ, and flax. I have had a couple batches on the dry side, however adding other ingredients such as peanut butter, agave and honey helped with the dryness.
This is a great recipe. Many people have asked for it after trying the final product and realizing the healthy benifits.
Made these this afternoon. They are delicious! I used raisins and dates as that’s what I had lying around but can’t wait to experiment with all the other fruits! The possibilities are endless! I also added some honey and an extra teaspoon of cinnamon. Delicious!
They’re probably really good in yogurt too.
Have not tried these yet but they look and sound delicious. Would you happen to know how many carbs would be in the original recipe?
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, Kath! Looking forward to making these!
I just found this site. I have been looking for a truly healthy granola/granola bar without all the added sugar, honey and oil. I am so glad to have found your page. I made these right away. I used apricots for my fruit (which tastes amazing), vanilla almond milk and added 1/4 tsp ground ginger (LOVE ginger). Such a delicious snack! Thank you!
Just found this site. Any chance you could also list the sugar and carb count with the nutritional facts on your recipes? Thanks.
Kay,
Thanks for visiting. I unfortunately don’t have time to enter all of my recipes in, but you can easily do so yourself for the ones you’re curious about in a recipe analyzer like this one: http://nutritiondata.self.com/mynd/myrecipes/welcome?returnto=/mynd/myrecipes
Best,
Kath
These are so good and feel really healthy. I mixed dried cranberries and golden raisins for the fruit. Tremendous! Hope you are well!
Would it be OK to use buttermilk instead of regular milk?
Technically, yes. But I imagine it will change the flavor
How can I put this on Pinterest? These are yummy! and easy! Thanks!
A Pinterest bookmarklet is what i use for surfing the net. I don’t have a capability to add a button net.
Stumbled upon your blog when I was searching for dairy free, sugar free recipes- I’m on day 3 of cutting refined sugar and dairy….fun times. I wanted to chime in to say that I’ve successfully recreated these using both coconut and almond milk, and they are good without fruit but with almond butter spread on top. I also doubled the recipe and baked in a 13×9 pan for 40 minutes. Thanks for the recipe! Going to try my variation of your baked banana oatmeal next!
I love these but didn’t care for the eggy-ness. I made a ‘batter’ using cooked oatmeal, soy milk, wheat germ, a little peanut butter then added the dry oats/fruits/nuts. Awesome.
I was looking for a nice healthy recipe for health bars without butter. And then I found your recipe. Awesome, love it. Thank you so much for sharing.
I loved these oat bars after making one slight change: I added a mashed banana. Delicious, healthy, and moist! I’m sure they’d be great without the banana as well, but I think it added a nice flavor and moistness. Thanks for the recipe!
Would walnuts work for the nuts. walnuts dont have a hard shell, and they are mostly poly and manu fats.. i dont know if the walnuts would be still be good frozen and cooked. i know they oxidate when exposed to air for an extended periods of time.. anybody know if it would still work if you put walnuts?
Walnuts would be fab!
hi
could i have these meserments in grams and mls as im from england and i dont really understand cups lol
You can figure out the conversion using a cooking conversion chart.
I am going to try these right now. I love the simple ingredients list!
Kath,
I stumbled across your blog a couple of days ago while searching for healthy oatmeal recipes. I found this recipe and will be making it soon; however, I wanted to share with you that you completely inspired me to create my own blog. I appreciate your passion and enthusiasm for food and will be a follower moving forward. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks CJ!! Congrats on the new blog – looks like it’s off to a great start!
Kath,
I found your blog through pinterest. I have now made a couple of your oatmeal recipes, including your overnight oats. Thanks. I just made these bars today. I made them with almonds, raisins, dried cranberries, and flax seed and followed your recipe exactly. They are good, but a little bland. I was wondering if you had any recommendations for something that would sweeten them up a bit. I read some comments of people who added bananas. Do you think that would add sweetness? Thanks again! I am loving your blog!
Hey Bethany,
Yes, bananas would add a lot of sweetness! You could also try a tbsp of maple syrup and perhaps some pecans to go with it? Or use salted nuts for a bit more depth?
In the oven now, coconutty, raisin-y, datey, goodness
Smells amazing!
Hi Kath and everyone! I’ve made these twice now in two weeks. My husband and I LOVE them. Mine come out not quite cooked enough on the bottom too. When we want to have one, I take them out of the refrigerator, put them in a non-stick pan and cook the bottom of them. Works very well. Such a healthful recipe and the combinations of what you can add or substitute are endless. This is our new favorite breakfast. Thank you Kath for sharing and thanks to everyone else for your input and ideas.
Hi I really want to make this recipe but I’m from England and have no idea what measurement “cups” are could someone tell me what the ingredients are in grams. I read the milk was 300ml in one of the comments.
Thank you x
Ignore me I’ve read a comment above thanks x
Hi,
I baked these twice today. The first time, I did it in the square cake pan and got chewy bars. While those were great, I really wanted something more crispier than that texture. So I did the whole thing again with some variations on nuts and fruits and this time I baked them on a cookie sheet (sprayed with oil) . It filled up only a little more than half of the sheet. So I am guessing a half sheet would work best. For all of those trying to make it crispier, try this, this works awesome. Thanks for an amazingly healthy recipe
Anusha
And oh I forgot to add, The down part was not crisp initially, so I did invert it completely after baking and broil the other side (that was first down) for a min or so till the wetness evaporated…. but do keep a very careful eye out during the whole time.. don’t even blink
Thanks
Anusha
I used the 1 tsp. salt as instructed, but I used table salt since i didn’t have kosher salt.
1 tsp. table salt is way too much. Next time i will try 1/2 tsp.
These are amazing! My kids have celiac disease and I’m always looking for gluten free “snack bars” for them, but they are so expensive. This is the perfect (actually better) alternative to pre-packaged bars! I used certified GF oats, dates, walnuts, and followed the recipe, including the salt, which I thought tasted great. Can’t wait for my kids to try these tonight. Very tasty; thank you so much for sharing this recipe!