Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
These healthy breakfast bars are a wholesome way to start your day! Made with plenty of oats and spices, these soft-baked bars taste perfectly cozy and comforting. They’re quick and easy to make too! Leftovers will keep for at least four days (if not closer to a week!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (see Notes!)
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg white (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
- 6 tbsp (90mL) unsweetened vanilla almond milk (room temperature)
- optional: mix-ins (see Notes!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and coat an 8”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil, egg white, and vanilla. Stir in the maple syrup until completely incorporated. Stir in the milk. Add in the oat mixture, and stir until just incorporated. If using any optional mix-ins, gently fold them in.
- Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake at 300°F for 9-12 minutes. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan. Allow them to rest for an additional 6+ hours once at room temperature for the best soft and chewy texture before slicing into squares.
Notes
IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These bars aren’t overly sweet! They have the sweetness level of breakfast muffins or scones. If you’d prefer them to be sweeter, then substitute an equal amount of pure maple syrup for the milk. (For example, use an additional 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup, and decrease the milk to ¼ cup.)
For a stronger spice flavor, increase the cinnamon by an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon. (← I love strong spice flavors, so this is what I usually do!)
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure both the oats and flour 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. This is especially true of the oats; they act like little sponges and soak up lots of moisture.
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.
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not over-bake these bars! They’re ready to come out of the oven when the edges feel firm but the center still look slightly glossy and underdone. The heat from the pan will continue to cook the center all the way through while you let the bars cool to room temperature and set.
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.
BUTTER + COCONUT OIL ALTERNATIVES: Stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one) may be substituted for the unsalted butter or coconut oil. Many neutral-tasting oils will also work.
EGG WHITE ALTERNATIVE: If you prefer to use the whole egg, then use 1 large egg AND reduce the milk by ½ tablespoon to compensate for the added volume from the yolk.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Alternatively, substitute ¼ cup (48g) coconut sugar or light brown sugar AND 2 ½ tablespoons (38mL) milk (any type!) for the pure maple syrup.
I don't recommend substituting sugar-free maple syrup. It’s often water-based, and that tends to make these oatmeal bars turn out cakey, bready, or dry.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened vanilla almond milk.
OPTIONAL MIX-INS NOTES: Add in up to ¼ cup of any of the following: miniature chocolate chips, shredded unsweetened coconut, chopped peanuts, chopped pecans, chopped cashews, chopped walnuts, chopped or sliced almonds, fresh blueberries, raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, or other chopped dried fruit. The baking time and temperature will remain the same. (You’re welcome to try adding more; I just can’t personally vouch for the results!)
If using dried fruit, I highly recommend hydrating it first! To do so, add the dried fruit to a microwave-safe bowl, and cover it with water. Place a lid or plastic wrap on top. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute, and let the dried fruit sit for 15+ minutes (or while measuring the other ingredients and making the dough). Thoroughly drain any remaining liquid before folding in the hydrated dried fruit.
See the “Can I add anything to them?” question in the “FAQS About Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars” section in my blog post above for more information!
DAIRY-FREE VERSION: Use the coconut oil option or stick-style vegan butter (I like this one and this one).
EGG-FREE + VEGAN VERSION: Substitute ¼ cup (56g) unsweetened applesauce for the large egg white. Alternatively, substitute 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons (30mL) warm water.
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Use certified gluten-free instant oats. For the gluten-free flour, use the following: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Certified gluten-free oat flour and many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will also work, if measured like this.
HOW TO STORE: Store leftover oatmeal bars in an airtight container. If refrigerated, they’ll keep for at least four days (if not longer!). These oatmeal bars also freeze really well!
{gluten-free, dairy-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar, vegan option, egg-free 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.