Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars If you love a warm, cozy breakfast but need something you can grab on busy mornings, Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are the perfect solution. They’re lightly sweet, soft-yet-sturdy, and easy to customize with your favorite fruits, nuts, chocolate chips, or spices. Think of them as a wholesome cross between oatmeal and a snack bar—comforting, filling, and made with simple pantry staples.
Oatmeal Breakfast Bars:
These bars are also ideal for meal prep. Bake once, slice, and you’ve got breakfast (or a healthier snack) ready for the week. They store beautifully, reheat well, and taste great cold too—making them a smart choice for school lunchboxes, office snacks, or post-workout fuel.
History:
Baked oatmeal became popular as a practical, oven-baked version of traditional stovetop oats—especially in home kitchens where batch cooking saved time. Over time, bakers began adjusting the texture to make it sliceable, creating “oatmeal bars” that were easier to pack and eat on the go. Today, baked oatmeal breakfast bars are a modern meal-prep favourite, often made with healthier sweeteners and add-ins like bananas, berries, nuts, and seeds.
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Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 ¾ cups milk (dairy or unsweetened almond milk)
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 tbsp melted butter or coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ripe banana, mashed (optional but adds moisture and sweetness)
- ½ cup mix-ins (choose: blueberries, chopped apples, raisins, nuts, chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper or grease it well.
- In another bowl, whisk wet ingredients: eggs, milk, honey/maple syrup, melted butter/oil, vanilla, and mashed banana (if using).
- Pour into the prepared pan and press gently to even out the top.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until set and lightly golden.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes, then slice into bars.
Notes
- Rolled oats give the best chewy texture—avoid steel-cut oats for this recipe.
- For extra protein, add 2 tbsp chia seeds or ¼ cup chopped nuts.
- Let the bars cool before slicing so they set properly and don’t crumble.
- Sweetness is flexible—reduce honey/maple syrup if using sweet mix-ins like chocolate chips.
- These bars are freezer-friendly and perfect for batch cooking.
Tips for Oatmeal Breakfast Bars:
- Use parchment paper for easy lifting and clean slicing.
- Want firmer bars? Bake 2–5 minutes longer and cool completely.
- Add a thin yogurt drizzle or peanut butter on top for a bakery-style finish.
- For fruit add-ins like apples, dice small so the bars hold together well.
- Store individually wrapped bars for the easiest grab-and-go breakfast.
FAQs for Oatmeal Breakfast Bars:
1) Can I make these bars without eggs?
Yes. Replace eggs with 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 5 tbsp water, rest 5 minutes).
2) Can I make them dairy-free?
Absolutely—use almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk and swap butter for coconut oil.
3) How do I store baked oatmeal bars?
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
4) Can I freeze them?
Yes. Wrap bars individually and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight or microwave.
5) Why are my bars crumbly?
They likely needed more cooling time, or the mixture was too dry. Add a little more milk next time and press the mixture evenly into the pan.
Conclusion:
Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are a simple, delicious way to make mornings easier without sacrificing nutrition. With hearty oats, warm cinnamon flavor, and endless customization options, they’re a dependable meal-prep recipe you’ll come back to again and again. Bake a batch, slice, store, and enjoy a wholesome breakfast anytime—at home or on the go.