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Soft-Baked Oat Bars

in Baking· Breakfast· Clean Eating· Gluten Free· Low Fat· Snacks· Vegan· Vegetarian

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These healthy soft-baked oatmeal bars are perfect for breakfasts and snacks! They’re lightly sweetened with peanut butter flavor and plenty of oats in every bite. Simple to make and kid approved!

 

stack of three soft baked oatmeal bars, each partially wrapped in white parchment paper, on a wooden table surrounded by stray peanuts – easy recipe for healthy breakfast and snack bars – low fat, low sugar, clean eating, and whole wheat – made with oats, peanut butter, and no refined sugar

 
Six years ago, Dad and I planned an epic baseball trip. I poured over the official MLB schedules in March and eventually pinpointed a week where multiple Midwestern teams all played at home. We saw 5 games in 7 days — including Tom Glavine’s historic 300th win at Wrigley Field! — and only drove across, oh, 4 states in the process.  

With that many miles of farmland crops and counting cows, we heavily relied on gas stations for snacks to get us through the trip. While Dad seemed satisfied with a bag of peanuts or some sunflower seeds, I craved fresh fruit and lean protein. Since AMPM’s and ARCOs rarely stocked those, I often wandered around for a bit before grabbing granola bars instead.

My limited options included Nature Valley, Nutri-Grain, and Clif bars, with only a few flavors of each. (Think honey, strawberry, and chocolate chip.) At least they felt healthier than the greasy donuts and hot dogs at the check-out counter!

Since our current trip spans 3 cities and 2 days of driving, I planned ahead (just like for breakfast!) and baked my own snack bars… These healthy soft-baked oat bars, to be exact!

I made them soft and thick like some of my favorite cookies, with a subtle sweetness from honey and a slight nuttiness from whole wheat and peanut flours. They’re completely clean-eating friendly, and if my dad’s excited expression is any indication, we won’t have to stop at a single gas station this week for snacks!
 

a homemade soft baked oatmeal bar, partially wrapped in white parchment paper, on a wooden table with a yellow bowl holding peanuts in the background – easy recipe for healthy breakfast and snack bars – low fat, low sugar, clean eating, and whole wheat – made with oats, peanut butter, and no refined sugar

 

KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY SOFT-BAKED OAT BARS

I already teased a few of them… Here are the key ingredients you’ll need to make these soft-baked oatmeal bars!

Oats. I’m sure you’ve already figured this out! For this recipe, you’ll need instant oats. They’re also called “quick cooking” and “one-minute” oats — but they’re not the kind that come in individual packets with flavors like apple cinnamon or maple brown sugar!

Instead, instant oats only contain one ingredient (oats!), just like old-fashioned rolled oats. However, they’re smaller and thinner, and that’s really important! It means they soften faster, which yields the best chewy and soft texture in your healthy soft-baked oat bars.

Flour. I already spilled the beans earlier… You’ll use whole wheat flour to make these healthy oat bars! It has more micronutrients and fiber compared to all-purpose flour. It also provides a subtle nuttiness and cozier flavor!

Tip: If you’d like to make your soft-baked oat bars gluten-free, then use certified gluten-free instant oats and see the Notes section for my gluten-free flour recommendation!

Tapioca flour. Tapioca flour creates an even softer texture in these oat bars. It traps moisture in the dough (similar to how cornstarch works in these cookies!) to yield an irresistibly soft and chewy consistency after baking. You can find it at some standard grocery stores, many health-oriented ones, and online as well!

Peanut butter. This helps bind together the ingredients and adds a hint of nuttiness in the background. Remember to use creamy peanut butter, not crunchy! (And if you’re up for making your own, I have a super quick and easy recipe!)
 

rectangular soft baked oatmeal bars, partially wrapped in white parchment paper, on a wooden table alongside a yellow bowl holding peanuts and a wooden spoon holding oats – easy recipe for healthy breakfast and snack bars – low fat, low sugar, clean eating, and whole wheat – made with oats, peanut butter, and no refined sugar

 
Powdered peanut butter. Yup, a second type of peanut butter! Powdered peanut butter is a fine dry powder with a consistency similar to cocoa powder. It’s made from partially defatted peanuts, meaning it’s much lower in fat and calories compared to regular peanut butter, so it adds a bright pop of peanut flavor while still keeping these healthy oat bars low calorie and low fat. It also gives them a big protein boost!

Hint: You can’t substitute regular peanut butter because that would throw off the ratio of wet and dry ingredients. However, powdered peanut butter is much easier to find than it used to be! Many mainstream grocery stores now stock it, and you can also buy it online.

Egg. This binds together the mixture… Just like you’d expect!

Raisins. A surprise secret ingredient! I looked at the ingredients lists of some of the store-bought granola bars I used to eat, and I noticed many of them contained raisins… Yet I could never taste, detect, or spot them. It completely puzzled me — until I figured out their secret!

You’ll blitz the raisins into a paste in a blender or food processor. That paste adds natural sweetness, and it also helps bind together the other ingredients. Kind of a neat trick, right??

Sweeteners. That’s right — plural. You need two! My family loves the combination of peanut butter and honey, but I found that the honey flavor could overwhelm the cozy peanut taste in these oat bars when I used it as the sole sweetener. To combat that, I turned to agave as the second sweetener. That yielded a lovely flavor balance — and they’re both clean eating friendly!
 

overhead view of soft baked oatmeal bars, each partially wrapped in white parchment paper, with a stack on a square teal plate and one directly on the wooden table, alongside a yellow bowl of peanuts and spoons holding oats and more peanuts – easy recipe for healthy breakfast and snack bars – low fat, low sugar, clean eating, and whole wheat – made with oats, peanut butter, and no refined sugar

 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY SOFT-BAKED OAT BARS

Now let’s quickly cover how to make the best soft-baked oatmeal bars! They’re simple and straightforward to whip up, and I also have a handful of tips for you to ensure your batch turns out perfectly.

Hydrate the raisins. This is really easy to do! You’ll add the raisins to a microwave-safe bowl, cover them with water, and put a lid or plastic wrap on top. Pop that in the microwave, and then let them sit and soak up the water.

This hydration step makes the raisins extra plump and juicy. It also makes them easier to blitz into a paste before adding them to the batter!

Mix by hand. That’s right — skip the stand mixers and hand-held mixers! Those tend to overmix low fat and low calorie batters and doughs, like this one, which then leads to a tough, gummy, or rubbery texture. However, if you mix by hand, you’ll end up with the best soft oatmeal bars!

Bake. After pressing the dough into the pan, slide that in the oven. These bars bake relatively quickly, so don’t stray too far from the kitchen!

Cool completely. I know… It feels virtually impossible to wait — especially with their tempting aroma wafting through the house! Yet for the best chewy and soft texture in your healthy oat bars, wait all the way until they’ve reached room temperature and finished setting to slice them. I promise they’re worth the patience!
 

soft baked oatmeal bars, partially wrapped in white parchment paper, on a wooden table with more bars and a yellow bowl holding peanuts visible in the background – easy recipe for healthy breakfast and snack bars – low fat, low sugar, clean eating, and whole wheat – made with oats, peanut butter, and no refined sugar

 
Time to eat! And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy soft-baked oat bars!

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Soft-Baked Oat Bars

© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 10 bars
Just like cookies can be crisp and crunchy or soft and chewy, so can oat bars! These wholesome, healthy oatmeal bars are perfect for breakfasts and snacks. They’ll keep for at least four days (if not closer to a week!) if stored in an air-tight container.
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Ingredients 

Instructions

  • Combine the raisins and water in a microwave-safe bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds. Let the raisins sit for at least 30 minutes to continue soaking up the liquid.
  • Preheat the oven to 300°F, and coat an 8”-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Add the raisins and remaining water to a food processor or blender, and pulse until fairly smooth. (There may be a few larger chunks remaining; that’s okay!)
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats and next 5 ingredients (through salt). In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Stir in the puréed raisins, agave, honey, and creamy peanut butter until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet in 3 parts, stirring after each addition until just incorporated.
  • Press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake at 300°F for 17-20 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn golden. Cool completely to room temperature before slicing into 10 bars.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure the oats and flours correctly using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either will dry out the bars and leave them cakey, bready, or dry, instead of soft and chewy.
 
IMPORTANT PAN SIZE NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Pan dimensions are measured along their top rims, not their bottom sides. Some square baking dishes have sloped sides, so they’re 9” across the top and closer to 8” across the bottom. If that’s true for your baking dish, it’s actually a 9”-square pan and too big for this recipe. Because it has a larger surface area (81 in2), your bars would turn out really thin, barely hold together, and be prone to overbaking.
 
OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also known as “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal.
 
In a pinch, to make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.
 
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour. Oat flour (gluten-free if needed) may also be substituted, but be very careful when measuring it because it tends to be more absorbent than wheat-based flours!
 
POWDERED PEANUT BUTTER NOTE: Powdered peanut butter is made from partially defatted peanuts. This means it’s lower fat, lower calorie, and higher protein compared to regular peanut butter or finely ground peanuts. (It kind of looks like tan cornstarch and has a similar ultra-fine, almost dusty texture.)
 
If you can find powdered peanut butter that contains nothing except peanuts (or peanuts and salt), that’s my top recommendation (such as PBfit Pure Peanut, PB2 Pure Peanut Butter Powder, or Crazy Richard’s 100% All Natural Peanut Powder).
 
I know it’s not always easy to locate, so more widely available products like PB2 Original or PBfit Original are decent second choices.
 
I don’t recommend making your own peanut flour or substituting almond flour. They don’t have the same powdery texture, so the mixture won’t have the same consistency.
 
TAPIOCA FLOUR NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: The tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch — they’re the same thing!) helps keep the bars soft. You can substitute 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for the 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour, if you prefer.
 
SWEETENER NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Pure maple syrup or agave may be substituted for the honey. Pure maple syrup may also be substituted for the agave. I don't recommend substituting honey for the agave; when using honey as the sole sweetener, the honey flavor can overwhelm the peanut flavor.
 
I generally don't recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. It's often water-based, which makes your oat bars turn out more cakey or bready.
 
CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER + ALTERNATIVES: This is my homemade creamy peanut butter recipe. You just need 5 minutes to make it! Do not substitute crunchy peanut butter.
 
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Use certified gluten-free instant oats (like these). For the gluten-free flour, use the following: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will also work, if measured like this.
 
VEGAN OPTION: For a vegan version, substitute pure maple syrup or agave for the honey. Substitute ½ tablespoon Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for the egg white.
 
HOW TO STORE: Store leftover oat bars in an airtight container. They should keep for at least four days. (If refrigerated, they’ll keep longer!) These oat bars also freeze really well!
 
{gluten-free, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat, vegan option}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
♡  Almond Butter Oatmeal Bars
♡  Brownie & Oat Snack Bars
♡  Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Protein Bars
♡  Peanut Butter Protein Balls
♡  Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy breakfast recipes and healthy snack recipes!

soft baked oatmeal bars – easy recipe for healthy breakfast and snack bars – low fat, low sugar, clean eating, and whole wheat – made with oats, peanut butter, and no refined sugar

 

 

Comments

  1. Amy, I just finished a run with my daughter (who, although only 11, makes me eat her dust every, single time!), and I wish, wish, wish that I had one of these gorgeous Oat Bars to munch on right now! Can’t wait to make them! Oh – and have a fab time with your Dad! So awesome! One year, long before I had kids, my dad and I did a mini version of your trip, and flew to Chicago to see games at both Wrigley and Comiskey. We even saw our Indians play, narrowly missing a thrashing by the local fans! 😀

    Reply

    • Thanks Shelley! I’d be even slower than you. Elderly ladies using canes can walk faster than I jog! Wrigley is a beautiful stadium! We actually had a similar experience today — we’re Oakland A’s fans and saw them play the Orioles at Camden Yards this afternoon! They lost though, so the fans didn’t seem too upset by my cheering. 😉

      Reply

  2. ALWAYS plan ahead..best way to go! These look delicious and as always your photography set up is gorgeous!! I love that you and your dad do this, what a fun time! Just last night I bought myself a Mojo bar because I wanted something sweet for dessert..they are quite tasty but definitely sugary so I treat them as my dessert! HA I try to tell myself that makes it ok..better than a Snickers right!? Or whatever a dairy free equivalent would be..:)

    Reply

    • Aww thank you Brittany; it means a lot to me that you like the photos! 🙂 Mojo bars are definitely better than Snickers! Especially the PB Pretzel ones. They’re my absolute favorite, even if they don’t have any dark chocolate. (Now if they just added a few chocolate chips, it’d be the best “snack” bar ever!)

      Reply

  3. Um, YUM!?!? This is EXACTLY the kind of snack I’d like to reach for when I have the after-work munchies but it’s too early for dinner… especially with those nutrition facts! And would be an awesome grab-n-go breakfast for a certain someone I live with who can’t seem to get out of bed more than 10 minutes before he leaves for work… Now, just got to go find that elusive PB2!

    Reply

    • Oh boys… Mine is so similar! 😉 As for PB2, I’d say check the larger Whole Foods near you and see if they have it. I’ve also seen it at one Walmart (but just one; most don’t carry it), and other “fancier” (aka not Safeway) or larger grocery stores may have it too!

      Reply

    • In the “Notes” section beneath the recipe directions, there are substitutions to make a vegan version. I’m sorry if that wasn’t more clear! 🙂

      Reply

      • Oh, now I feel stupid 😉
        Thank you for clearing that up. I was a little upset because I thought I would not be abled to make these.

        Reply

        • It’s okay Mary! I tend to gloss over the fine print too. 😉 Don’t forget to substitute for the honey too (agave or maple syrup are my votes!), and I really hope you enjoy the bars if you make them!

          Reply

  7. I would like to know if something like this is possible and just as yummy without PB. My son is allergic to peanuts. A lot of the clean eats snacks have PB in them or notes.

    Reply

    • I could imagine it’d be rather frustrating for you and your son to see a healthy treat but not be able to make it! Is he allergic to almonds? I haven’t tried this specifically, but I’m almost positive that if you swapped almond flour for the powdered peanut butter (aka PB2) and almond butter for the regular peanut butter, the recipe would still work and taste just as good!

      Reply

      • Unfortunately, he just tried a single pistachio and we ended up in the ER room. He and I have decided “no nuts” , too scary and life threatening to try. I really wish he could eat almonds because I could sub much easier with the products you mentioned in several recipes. We just can’t risk it. Coconut milk works well for the milk sub but ?? What else I don’t know except applesauce.

        Reply

        • That’s so scary Karen! What about sunflower butter? A friend of mine enrolled her son in a school that doesn’t allow any nuts whatsoever, but because sunflower butter is made from seeds, kids don’t tend to be allergic to that as much.

          For these bars, you could probably eliminate the peanut butter altogether and simply sub in some extra honey or a touch of oil. And since I treated the powdered peanut butter as flour, you could also substitute regular all-purpose flour or your favorite gluten-free flour instead to make them safe for your son.

          I really hope you’re able to avoid scary nut-allergy situations in the future Karen!

          Reply

    • My son is also allergic to peanuts. You can easily substitute for soy butter which is a staple in my house. Just a note, we just got our 15 yr old allergic son into a peanut desensitization program in Connecticut. It will hopefully protect him against accidental exposure which is our greatest fear!

      Reply

      • Thank you for sharing Lori! I hadn’t heard of soy butter; it’s great to know that there are other options for people with nut allergies. So exciting about the peanut desensitization program too — so happy for you and your family!

        Reply

          • You’re welcome! The powdered PB acts as like flour (similar to almond meal). I’d suggest substituting almond meal, or if your son is allergic to all nuts, then try substituting whole wheat flour instead. If going the whole wheat flour route, I’d recommend adding 6 tablespoons instead of the full 1/2 cup at first. I’m not entirely certain how absorbent powdered PB is compared to whole wheat flour, and it’s always easier to add a little more flour than it is to take some away! 🙂

  8. HI there! I was really excited to try this recipe, but I must say they did not at all work for me. It felt like maybe a liquid was missing, even though I added extra water to the raisins, and more peanut butter than called for. The uncooked mixture was a little dry, but stuck together a bit like a crumble topping did, so I hoped for the best. After baking it was just crumbly and cardboard flavored!
    Those you have in the pictures clearly were not this dry, so I am unsure what I did wrong. I subbed in all honey for the agave, and used your cornstarch substitution. I was hoping for a nice, dense oatmeal bar, and I’d love to give this another go. . .any tips?

    Reply

    • I’m sorry Tabitha; that must have been really disappointing! It sounds like your bars had too many dry ingredients. It’s really important to measure the oats, whole wheat flour, and tapioca flour correctly using the spoon-and-level method. When I scoop them from the container using a measuring cup or measuring spoon, I end up with about 1.5x as much! (Here’s my Baking Basics page, for a quick refresher!) Also, honey is thicker than agave, so using all honey may have a teensy tiny impact as well. But I think if you try remaking the bars being extra careful with how you measure the dry ingredients, they should turn out better! 🙂

      Reply

  9. Hey Amy, can I substitute peanut butter with something else, I am allergic to peanuts 🙁
    Thank you for your help, Mara

    Reply

    • I haven’t tried it myself, but almond flour and almond butter may work as substitutes. I hope you enjoy the bars if you try them Mara!

      Reply

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