These soft-baked apple oatmeal breakfast bars are naturally sweetened and a perfect way to start your day! Flour, butter, oats, honey, and chopped apples combine for a delicious, cozy treat.
Can you think of anything better than having dessert for breakfast? But you don’t want a sugar overload first thing in the morning?
That was my goal when I recently ended up with a whole bunch of extra apples.
Something that felt like a treat, but I could still happily serve to start our day. And these apple oatmeal breakfast bars are perfect!
APPLE OATMEAL BREAKFAST BARS
These apple oatmeal breakfast bars feel like dessert, but they’re healthy enough for breakfast.
- Simple ingredients. Whole wheat flour and oats, naturally sweetened with honey.
- Kid-friendly. You’ll get some extra mom points for serving these oatmeal breakfast bars instead of a boring bowl of oatmeal.
- Freezer-friendly. Great for double or triple batches.
- Super affordable. About $4 for the whole recipe!
- Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options for easy substitutions.
- Taste like apple pie but they’re not overly sweet.
Plus, we’re using oatmeal, which is high in fiber, and butter for healthy fats to provide some sustenance to hold everyone over to lunch. (Or snack time, LOL!)
APPLE OAT BREAKFAST BARS RECIPE INGREDIENTS
Most of my recipes can be made with ingredients you already have on hand, simply because I don’t think you should have to make a trip to the store for special ingredients to serve a good meal!
This healthy oat breakfast bars recipe is no different. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Whole Grain Flour. I used whole grain einkorn because my daughter is sensitive to gluten. Any flour will work, including all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour.
- Rolled Oats. Old fashioned rolled oats work well here. Save the steel-cut oats for another recipe.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder + Salt. Typical ingredients for baked goods, these help the oat breakfast bars rise and turn out soft and chewy without being dense.
- Unsalted Butter. Use cold butter to cut into the flour mixture. This gives you little bits of butter throughout, resulting in a flaky, tender finished crust. Use coconut oil for dairy-free bars.
- Honey. You could also use maple syrup, but the flavor of honey is really good in these bars! Remember, we’re going for a breakfast bars recipe here, so they’re not overly sweet.
- Apples. We’ll use both small chunks of apple and pureed apple.
- Cinnamon + Lemon Juice + Vanilla Extract. All for flavor!
I’ve made this multiple times using a variety of apples… Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, red delicious… it all depends on the type of apple you like to eat and what’s available. I like to use two varieties, simply to get a mix of flavors!
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY OAT BARS
These healthy oat bars come together pretty quickly once you have the apples diced. So, start by chopping the apples up and then follow these simple instructions.
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9” x 9” glass baking dish with parchment paper.
Step 2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter using two knives, your fingers, or the paddle blade. The mixture should resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Scoop out 1 cup and set aside.
Step 3. Add the oats and honey to the mixture in the bowl and use your fingers or a spatula to mix together without creating a paste.
Step 4. Pour this mixture into the prepared pan and press down firmly and evenly to create a crust.
Step 5. Add the apple cores and leftover apple pieces (if any), plus lemon juice and vanilla extract, to a food processor or blender and process until the mixture looks like thick applesauce. Make sure to discard the seeds first.
You will need about ¼ cup of this mixture, so add additional apple pieces if necessary. You can also simply use ¼ cup of applesauce.
Step 6. In a medium bowl, combine the pureed apple mixture with the diced apples and stir well. Pour evenly over the crust.
Step 7. Sprinkle the reserved crumb topping over the apples, pressing down lightly.
Step 8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely at room temperature for about 2 hours.
For best results, place in the refrigerator for 2 hours before cutting.
One important note! These bars won’t hold their shape well until they’re cool. I HIGHLY recommend baking these the day before you want to serve them so that they have time to cool and chill in the refrigerator. This also gives the naturally occurring pectin in the apple time to do its magic to the filling.
If you want to serve them warm, you can – but you’ll definitely need a spoon to serve and eat, LOL.
TIPS AND IDEAS FOR BREAKFAST BARS
Just a few tips and ideas for breakfast bars I’ve learned over the course of making these many times:
- Let these bars cool COMPLETELY before cutting. This is at least two hours on the counter, and I highly recommend refrigerating them before cutting and serving.
- If you store these bars in the freezer, be sure to cut them first and wrap the bars twice to prevent freezer burn.
- Make these gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour substitute. Oat flour works in this recipe, too!
- Make dairy-free oatmeal breakfast bars by substituting coconut oil for butter.
- Resist the temptation to slice apples thinly, instead of in chunks. This method results in bars that are very hard to cut into squares… although they’re just as delicious!
- Swap out the apple layer. Did you make this Chunky Homemade Applesauce? Or a simple Apple Pie Jam? Try substituting ½-¾ cup of that in place of some of the apples for another delicious variation.
- Or try a different fruit! Chopped pears or peaches would also be yummy in this breakfast bars recipe.
- Since this is a healthy breakfast bars recipe, they’re not overly sweet. If you’re looking for more of a dessert, drizzle the finished bars with a bit more honey or some Salted Caramel for extra sweetness.
- Add some nuts! Walnuts, cashews, or almonds on top would taste delicious.
CAN I REALLY START MY DAY WITH OATMEAL BREAKFAST BARS?
These apple oatmeal breakfast bars look delicious, but can I really start my day with them? Yes!
Full of fiber and carbohydrates, and without a sugar overload, these baked oatmeal bars are a great option for breakfast for those who like baked goods but don’t want to eat empty calories like pop-tarts or pastries.
To help hold you over and keep your blood sugar stable, add protein. This can be a side of meat, like Breakfast Sausage or Bacon, or a glass of Almond Milk with protein powder mixed in.
You also want to make sure you’re getting enough produce. One of my favorite ideas for breakfast bars is to add a green smoothie on the side – I get my produce, and I can add my favorite collagen for that protein boost!
OAT BREAKFAST BARS FAQS
Are oat breakfast bars soft or crunchy?
This oatmeal breakfast bars recipe turns out soft and chewy.
What oats are best for breakfast bar recipes?
Old-fashioned or rolled oats are going to give you the best texture. Instant oats are too small of pieces, and steel-cut oats will not soften enough during baking.
Do you need to peel the apples for oatmeal breakfast bars?
No peeling is necessary! I actually prefer to leave the peels on the apples because there is so much nutrition and fiber in the peel. That’s also where you’ll find the pectin, which helps the apple layer firm up as the bars cool.
Help! My oatmeal breakfast bars are dry and crumbling and falling apart! What should I do?
Let’s troubleshoot! Juicy apples with the peels on will add more moisture and pectin to the finished bars than peeled, drier apples. Letting the bars cool completely AND refrigerating them will give you a firmer finished texture than bars that are still warm. I used einkorn flour, which absorbs the liquid from the butter and honey more slowly than wheat flour. The good news is, even if this breakfast bars recipe turns out crumbly for you, it still tastes amazing when eaten with a spoon!
MORE FAVORITE OATMEAL RECIPES FOR BREAKFAST
- Jam Oatmeal Bars
- Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Leftover Oatmeal Cakes
- Cinnamon Oatmeal Blender Waffles
- Oatmeal Peach Breakfast Crumble
- Cinnamon Granola
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Oatmeal Apple Breakfast Bars
These soft-baked apple oatmeal breakfast bars are naturally sweetened and a perfect way to start your day! Flour, butter, oats, honey, and chopped apples combine for a delicious, cozy treat.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 bars 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 large apples, diced for 2 cups (keep the cores and any leftover apple pieces) (446g
- 1 ½ cups whole grain flour (I used whole grain einkorn) (180g)
- ½ tsp baking soda (2g)
- ½ tsp baking powder (2g)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (7g)
- 8 Tbsp butter (112g)
- 1 cup rolled oats (81g)
- ¼ cup honey (85g)
- 1 tsp lemon juice (5g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (4g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9” x 9” glass baking dish with parchment paper
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter using two knives, your fingers, or the paddle blade. The mixture should resemble coarse breadcrumbs. Scoop out 1 cup and set aside.
- Add the oats and honey to the mixture in the bowl and use your fingers or a spatula to mix together without creating a paste.
- Pour this mixture into the prepared pan and press down firmly and evenly to create a crust.
- Add the apple cores and leftover apple pieces (if any) plus lemon juice and vanilla extract to a food processor or blender and process until the mixture looks like thick applesauce. Make sure to discard the seeds first.
- You will need about ¼ cup of this mixture, so add additional apple pieces if necessary. You can also simply use ¼ cup of applesauce.
- In a medium bowl, combine the pureed apple mixture with the diced apples and stir well. Pour evenly over the crust.
- Sprinkle the reserved crumb topping over the apples, pressing down lightly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Remove the bars from the oven and let them cool completely at room temperature, for about 2 hours.
Notes
- For best results, place in the refrigerator for 2 hours before cutting.
- One important note! These bars won’t hold shape well until they’re cool. I HIGHLY recommend baking these the day before you want to serve them so that they have time to cool and chill in the refrigerator. This also gives the naturally occurring pectin in the apple time to do its magic to the filling.
- If you want to serve them warm, you can – but you’ll definitely need a spoon to serve and eat, LOL.
The directions say cut in butter, but I can’t find any mention of butter in the ingredients. I read the list 4 times to make sure!
Thank you for sharing so many wonderful recipes. I love oatmeal and can’t wait to try!
Sorry about that Lorraine – it’s been fixed and updated!
Hi there can I use all purpose flour?
Hi Patricia,
This recipe hasn’t been tested with all purpose flour. If you try it out, let us know how it turns out! 🙂
I made these and they needed a bit more sweet and i take out the peeling part and add apple juice. This recipe is too bland and dry.
I had to add many ingredients to perfect it.
I’m sorry you struggled with this recipe Trula. They worked for me as written. Environment and altitude will effect recipes too!
I’ve made this recipe before and my family loves it, but I haven’t made it since last fall. Yesterday I decided to try it with peaches, so I made a batch after the kids were in bed. It turned out awesome and they were so excited to have a special breakfast when they got up this morning! I did the crust/topping the same as in the recipe, but for the filling I simply used sliced peaches and a little lemon juice (no pureed apples/peels, etc). I probably added about 3 cups of peaches since we have a lot of super ripe peaches to use up soon . . . the peaches were very juicy and I was worried it might turn out soggy but it’s nice and perfectly moist. I love how this recipe isn’t too sweet. Oh, and I’ve always used less salt than the recipe calls for, maybe a scant 1/4 tsp and it’s great that way. Thanks for a good recipe!
You’re very welcome Crystal! I’m so glad these turned out for you when you swapped in peaches too (even omitting the pureed portion, because that was added after the fact when some had trouble with the original…)!! I hadn’t thought of making that swap myself, but peaches are on sale this week! 😉
I figured I’d be safe leaving out the pureed portion since these peaches are so ripe and juicy and I added more than the 2 cups of apples called for. With less ripe peaches it might not work out so well. Anyway, it tastes awesome with either apples or peaches since I’ve made it both ways now! My husband ate a piece for breakfast this morning topped with a fried egg and loved it.
WHOA – fried egg on this breakfast bar?! MIND BLOWN, and must try ASAP!!!
I’m in the uk and have made this at least 10 times, i like sweet stuff so add some caramel to mine over the apples ( i can my own apples into apple sauce i use 2 small jars) and over the top, it gives the sweetness i like, my teen daughter loves them also and have found no problems with being dry or salty, thanks for sharing love this site 😀
Hi Tiffany! I just found your blog. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long. Wow. It’s so refreshing to find a like minded resource like you posting such great stuff!
About the recipe, I was just getting ready to try it out. After reading all the comments I thought, “I wonder if it’s sifting that is causing the problem?” and thought I’d post first. You don’t specify “sifted flour” vs. just scooped flour. I’m very old-school and other than in bread-making and pizza dough, I sift EVERYTHING. If I don’t, I end up with tiny chunks of baking powder or soda that inevitably end up in one “failed bite” of muffin. Of course, I was taught ALWAYS sift as you measure your flour, unless it says “Unsifted Flour” in the recipe. I get the feeling, from reading so many recipes on the web, that the younger generations aren’t all taught this very important point. The test we did in cooking class (way back in 1976) showed a lightly scooped but unsifted cup of flour to be at least 3 tablespoons over a cup, after it was sifted. If the flour had been packed in during storage, transport or in measuring, the overage could even be higher! The sifted cup of flour remained a cup, even after sifting again. Maybe this has something to do with the pesky, crumbly problems some people have had?
Just my two cents worth … hope it helps! Keep up the good work Tiffany. It’s much appreciated.
I made it tonight and you could tell there was no sugar in th recipe. Needs to be a tad seeter.
Feel free to add a sweetener Virginia. 🙂
I read the comments about this recipe being dry, so I tried adding some extra applesauce, but it was still so crumbly that it’s kind of like eating instant oatmeal. I’m not sure what you do so differently than the people who are trying your recipe; I believe you when you say it worked when you tested it, but I think it’s pretty clear that it’s just not reproducible consistently for your audience. It might help if you tell us what kind of apple you’ve been using, since different apples produce very different results. I made mine with Empire apples.
I ended up taking the crumbly oats and adding milk, then microwaving it like regular oatmeal. It made it passable, though it’s still a bit salty, and mostly just tastes like weird butter with apples in it (I added 1/4 tsp, and my husband pointed out the salty taste first thing; he hadn’t even read the comments about that, so it’s an unbiased opinion).
Thank you for sharing the recipe, and I’m glad it works for you, but I don’t see myself trying this one again.
Can you tell me if these turn out crunchy or soft? Looking for something to make snack food for a 1 year old! (who tries and is mostly succeeding at eating whole apples anyways with her 2 little teeth!) I really like the look of this recipe for not being filled with sugar! I can’t use honey though – do I substitute the same amount of brown sugar?
These are soft 🙂 I haven’t tried brown sugar, and don’t know if it would sub as well since it’s solid (not liquid), but you’re always welcome to try!