Strawberry Oatmeal Bars (Thick, Chewy, 5 Ingredients)
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These strawberry oatmeal bars are thick, chewy, and loaded with juicy strawberries. Naturally sweetened with bananas, they need just five main ingredients.
I developed these strawberry oatmeal bars because I wanted a portable version of my blueberry baked oatmeal. Don’t get me wrong, I love baked oatmeal, but it’s not exactly ideal for eating on the go.
I used my oatmeal breakfast bars as the starting point, but adding fresh strawberries completely changed the texture. My first few batches toasted great, but the bars turned out far too soft and fell apart once they cooled because the berries released too much moisture.
After a few more rounds of testing, I finally landed on the right oat-to-strawberry ratio, which gave the bars a soft, chewy texture while still holding together beautifully at room temperature. They’ve now become one of my partner’s favorite grab-and-go breakfasts for the office.
Table of Contents
Recipe highlights
- Soft and chewy. I wanted these bars to feel more like portable baked oatmeal than dry granola bars, and the oats and strawberries give them the perfect texture.
- Naturally wholesome. They’re flourless, vegan, oil-free, and naturally sweetened, but still taste like a treat.
- Easy to customize. I’ve tested these with different berries, nuts, and chocolate chips depending on what I have on hand.
- Perfect for meal prep. The bars hold together beautifully once cooled and freeze really well.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“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.” – Diana
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with full measurements below.
- Rolled oats. These provide a chewy texture that we love in bars. I suggest avoiding quick oats or steel-cut oats since their texture won’t work in this recipe. Gluten-free oats work just as well.
- Peanut butter. Smooth and drippy peanut butter with no added salt or sugar. I’ve also made these with almond butter, and they taste fantastic. For nut-free bars, use tahini or sunflower seed butter.
- Banana. Banana also helps hold the bars together without the need for eggs or butter. The riper the banana, the sweeter these bars will be.
- Strawberries. Fresh or frozen strawberries work. If you use frozen ones, I suggest thawing them completely and removing excess moisture.
- Vanilla extract. Optional, but I love the subtle flavor it adds.
- Chocolate chips. Again, optional, but there’s something special about the chocolate/strawberry combination.
How to make strawberry oatmeal bars
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
Step 2- Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, banana, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in the strawberries and chocolate chips.
Step 3- Bake. Transfer the mixture to the lined pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips and strawberries on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Step 4- Cool. Let the bars cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Arman’s recipe tips
Adjust the sweetness. These bars rely mostly on bananas, strawberries, and chocolate chips for sweetness. I like tasting the batter first and adding a drizzle of maple syrup if the fruit isn’t especially ripe.
Don’t skip the 10-minute rest time. Trust me, if you try to move or slice the bars too early, they’ll be far too soft and likely fall apart.
Storage instructions
To store: Strawberry bars should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one week. I actually prefer them chilled because the bars become even firmer and chewier after a few hours in the fridge.
To freeze: Freeze the bars in a freezer-safe container (or in individual containers for meal prep) and freeze them for up to 6 months. Let the bars thaw overnight in the fridge.
More oatmeal bar recipes
Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats gluten-free, if needed, 180g
- 1/2 cup peanut butter can sub for any nut or seed butter of choice, 125g
- 2 large bananas mashed, 240g
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup strawberries chopped, 40g
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 the oats, banana, peanut butter, and vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated. Fold in the strawberries and chocolate chips. The mixture should look thick and scoopable, not runny.
- Transfer the batter to the lined pan and spread it out into an even layer. Top with extra chocolate chips and strawberries, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden on the edges and a slightly soft middle.
- Allow the bars to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
These were delicious!
Thank you, Juanita!
Chocolate strawberries oats-maybe all of my favourite ingredients.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Mario. I loved the photos you shared on Instagram! Thanks for tagging me.
What is the sugar content?
It’s in the recipe card, Susan- 8 grams 🙂
These bars are so simple & delicious. I add a half scoop of vanilla protein powder & used white chocolate chips & 1/2 cup of strawberries. Delicious!
Thank you for a great recipe!
So welcome, Linda!
What can you substitute for the bananas?
Hi Erika, unsweetened applesauce is a good sub if you’re not a banana fan!
You MAKE my day!!!! Thank you
You are so welcome!
Can you use oat flour instead of whole oats for a different texture?
Yes you can!!
Oh my! Perfect snacking! Thank you!
What would be your suggestion to make is into protein bars?
Hi Nina, I have a recipe for oatmeal protein bars that you can adapt! Hopefully this helps 🙂
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.
I love these bars! So easy and so many ways to make them different with various fruit. I add cinnamon too and use sugar free chips.
Thank you for a devious recipe for breakfast, or anytime snack.
This is my new go to breakfast!
This is the best breakfast bars, all these delicious flavors mixed together. Second batch in Two days! Everyone loves them.
This is the best breakfast bars, all these delicious flavors mixed together. Second batch I. To days! Everyone loves them.
What I can use instead of banana please ?
You could try applesauce.
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
This was so delicious! I used raspberries instead and added some coconut flakes. Delicious!
These were easy and yummy!
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!
Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?
Yes!
How do you store these? Can they be frozen and how many days do they last unfrozen?
Under storage tips in the body of the post.
Made this today…it was fantastic, thank you for the recipe!
So welcome!
Hi I ended up adding the extra 1/2 cup of quick oats. They are perfect! Thanks for the recipe!
What if I used more of them? Like an additional 1/2 cup?
Feel free to experiment and see. Try 1/4 cup first.
All I have a quick oats!! What can I do?
Use them, but your bars will be soft.
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.
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?
Hi Emma, I’ve only used whatr is there, so feel free to experiment and see!
Hi Emma, I’ve only used what is there, so feel free to experiment and see!