Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

19 comments

5 from 130 votes
Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

These strawberry oatmeal bars are a healthy and wholesome breakfast! Loaded with fresh strawberries and sweetened with banana, these healthy strawberry bars recipe needs just 4 ingredients!

strawberry oatmeal bars

Healthy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

We love kick-starting our mornings with oatmeal fruit bars! Our favorites include blueberry ones, mixed berry ones, and these delicious strawberry oat bars!

What started off as a recipe for strawberry granola bars quickly changed into strawberry breakfast bars, when I found myself changing the texture just a little bit.

The texture of these bars is thick, chewy, buttery, and soft in the center, perfect for what you want from a breakfast bar!

Taste-wise, they are sweet and loaded with strawberry flavor, with slight hints of banana. The peanut butter gives it the buttery flavor, without any butter needed. They remind me of strawberry oat squares!

No butter, no oil, and zero milk needed, they are a delicious vegan and gluten-free breakfast!

How to make strawberry oatmeal bars

The Ingredients (and substitution ideas!)

  • Rolled oats– I used gluten-free rolled oats, to keep these breakfast bars gluten-free. Avoid using quick oats or steel-cut oats, as they require different amounts of the other ingredients.
  • Peanut Butter– Smooth and drippy peanut butter, with no added salt or sugar. You can also use almond butter if you’d like to make these without peanut butter.
  • Banana– The riper the banana, the sweeter these bars will be! Banana also helps hold the bars together, without the need for eggs or butter!
  • Strawberries– Obviously needed for a strawberry recipe! Reserve a few sliced up to top the bars with.
  • Vanilla Extract– Optional, but I love the subtle flavor it adds.
  • Chocolate Chips– Again, optional, but you can never go wrong with some chocolate chips!

The Instructions

  • Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan or baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Step 2:  In a large mixing bowl, combine your rolled oats, mashed banana, peanut butter, and vanilla extract and mix well, until fully incorporated. Fold in your chocolate chips and chopped strawberries using a rubber spatula.
  • Step 3: Transfer your batter into the lined pan and spread out in an even layer. Top with extra strawberries and chocolate chips, before baking for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean from the center.
  • Step 4: Allow the bars to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Step 5: Using a sharp knife, slice into 8 bars. 
strawberry oat bars

Strawberry bars with frozen strawberries

Fresh strawberries are best, as the texture remains consistent throughout, and will also yield a sweetener cookie.

If you only have access to frozen strawberries, be sure to thaw them completely, and use a paper towel to soak up any extra moisture.

Strawberry Breakfast Bars Tips

  • Oven makes and models vary, so the time offered in just an average. Your bars should be moist in the center and will continue to cook while cooling down. Avoid adding extra strawberries or chocolate chips, as this will change the texture.
  • Be sure to use certified gluten-free rolled oats or gluten-free quick cooking oats to keep it 100% gluten-free.
  • These strawberry bars rely on the banana, chocolate chips, and strawberries for sweetness. If you prefer a sweeter cookie, add some liquid stevia or a dash of maple syrup.
  • Keep these bars nut-free and peanut-free, by using either sunflower seed butter, wow butter or tahini.
  • Strawberry oatmeal bars make a fantastic lunch box snack and can easily be packaged up for them. Simply wrap them in parchment paper to avoid it falling apart.
  • Feel free to switch up the fruit- Raspberries, blackberries, pineapple, and chopped apple are all fantastic options. These are easy to adapt fruit oat bars! 

Storage Tips

  • To store: Strawberry breakfast bars should be stored in the refrigerator, in a sealable container. They will keep well for up to 7 days.
  • To freeze: Freezing breakfast bars are a fantastic idea for quick grab-and-go breakfasts, or make this as part of meal prep! Place individual bars in ziplock bags, and keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw them in the fridge the night before you want to enjoy them.
healthy strawberry oatmeal bars

More healthy strawberry recipes

strawberry breakfast bars

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

5 from 130 votes
Easy and healthy strawberry oatmeal bars made with wholesome ingredients! Using just 4 simple ingredients, this strawberry oat bars recipe are the perfect quick and easy breakfast- Vegan and Gluten-Free!
Servings: 9 Bars
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine your oats, banana, peanut butter, and vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated. Fold in your strawberries and chocolate chips. 
  • Transfer the batter in the lined pan and spread out on an even layer. Top with extra chocolate chips and strawberry, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden on the edges and a skewer comes out clean from the center. 
  • Allow the bars to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Notes

Use fresh or frozen strawberries. If you use frozen ones, be sure to thaw them out first completely, before patting dry with a paper towel, to soak up any excess liquid. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1BarCalories: 173kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 6gFat: 9gSodium: 67mgPotassium: 272mgFiber: 4gVitamin A: 19IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 15g
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!
-

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

You May Also Like

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Very good, very easy! I was expecting a firmer texture, more like a granola bar but no, these were soft and yummy. Next time I would add double the strawberries because I really enjoyed those little bursts of sweetness.

  2. 5 stars
    Honestly I love anything delicious(a MUST!), quick, easy and healthy(a bonus!). So I gave these a try yesterday, as I have a huge amount of strawberries in the fridge. Did everything the same but substituted for wow butter because I wanted to test it for school purposes. The kids both loved this and made those heavenly faces. It stayed nice together, but definitely delicate to handle so I made sure to cut in smaller sizes. Also, the middle was soft and a it was a nice twist in flavour combos. I was wondering about using lemon and blueberry but I wonder if the nut flavour wouldn’t pair well… your thoughts?
    Thanks again for another delicious recipe, preparing our second batch tonight <3

  3. Made these using frozen strawberries. These are fantastic, I’ve really been enjoying them as a pre-workout bar. Thanks so much for this easy recipe!

  4. That wasn’t my question. I was asking if the texture of the monkfruit in the raw sweetener used in another recipe was similar to powdered sugar. I wouldn’t use it in this recipe because it’s not called for.

  5. 5 stars
    Good morning. I asked this on two previous posts,but what is the texture of the monkfruit in the raw sweetener like that you linked to in the recent almond flour brownie recipe post? I have a bag of stevia in the raw that substitutes cup-for-cup with sugar, and it’s powdered sugar texture. Is that what the one you linked to in the brownie post is like?