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Oatmeal Bars
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Oatmeal Bars

Quick and easy Oatmeal Bars with a soft melt-in-your-mouth crumb that take less than 10 minutes to prep. Customize with your favorite jam filling.  
Course breakfast/dessert
Cuisine Americansem
Keyword how to make oatmeal bars, oatmeal breakfast bars, oatmeals bars recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 15 bars
Calories 219kcal
Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 3/4 cup butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12- ounce jar raspberry preserves

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 7x11-inch baking dish with butter or shortening. 
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. 
  • Stir in the egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Split the mixture in half and pat half of it into the prepared baking dish. 
  • Warm the raspberry jam in a saucepan over low heat. Using an offset spatula, spread the jam over the oatmeal mixture.
  • Crumble the rest of the oatmeal mixture over the raspberry jam. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • For best results, let the bars fully cool before slicing

Notes

  • Grease the baking dish well. I like to grease it with shortening. Jam is sticky, and it needs a good coat of butter or shortening.
  • If you don't have a 7x11-inch baking dish, use a 9x9-inch baking dish.
  • For optimal flavor and taste, use rolled oats, not quick oats or steel-cut oats. 
  • Any flavor jam works with this recipe, including strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, peach, apricot, or cherry.
  • You can replace 50% of the butter with almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, or coconut oil. 
  • Let the dish cool before slicing, so the bars hold together well.
  • Because of the jam, cover and refrigerate the bars after they cool.
  • For chocolate chip oatmeal bars, skip the jam and add 2/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spoon them into the baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Store the bars at room temperature in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. 
  • To freeze first fully cool the bars. Then slice them and layer them in a sturdy freezer-safe container with wax paper or parchment paper between the layers. Thaw in the fridge overnight. 

Nutrition

Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 187mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 307IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg