These no bake oatmeal bars are thick, soft, chewy, and made with just 3 ingredients! Ready in just 5 minutes, they are a healthy and delicious snack that is easily customizable!
No Bake Oatmeal Bars
When it comes to healthy snacks, my favorite recipes to make are granola cups, granola bars, and these no bake oatmeal bars.
Growing up, I was considered to be quite the snack monster. My mom would always have to pack extra snacks in my lunch box, just to make sure my raging appetite could be satisfied. Being a doting parent, the snacks she’d pack would always be healthy, and often be fruit, crackers, or oat based bars.
It’s funny, as, throughout school and high school, I was NEVER a fan of packaged oat bars. My mum would always pack them for me and 9 times out of 10, they’d still be in my lunch box when I got home. It wasn’t until I started high school that I began to appreciate them as a filling and healthy snack. Now that I’m considerably older, snacking is still on my agenda, although this time, I make them myself. While I typically have a protein bar or a fat bomb, I’ve recently loved making no bake oatmeal bars!
I’ve been meaning to share a no bake oatmeal bar recipe for quite some time. They’ve been my go-to snack lately, and keep me energized between meals! I love how it needs just 3 ingredients to make. No refined sugar and no dairy are needed, but you’d never tell. The texture is thick, soft, and chewy, and stable at room temperature. They are pleasantly sweet and full of peanut butter flavor, without being overpowering.
With my work schedule often being away from home for most of the day, these have been an even bigger life saver, and I’ve included making some as part of my weekly meal prep.
How do you make no bake oatmeal bars?
The Ingredients
- Rolled Oats– I used gluten-free oats, to ensure that they are gluten-free. You can use quick-cooking oats (instant oats) or oat bran, but I find those both lack the texture we want.
- Peanut Butter– Smooth and creamy peanut butter, with no added sugar.
- Maple Syrup– Gives the oatmeal bars sweetness, but holds them all together.
The Instructions
Start by microwaving your peanut butter and maple syrup together, until combined. Next, add in your oats and mix until a thick batter remains. Transfer into a lined 8 x 8-inch pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, to firm up.
Tips to make the best oatmeal bars
- Melt your peanut butter and syrup together, before adding it to the oats. Melting them together ensures a smooth, warm, and thin texture, making it easier to mix into bars. Once the bars have been refrigerated, they will be incredibly thick and sturdy!
- Feel free to substitute the peanut butter for either almond butter or tahini.
- For some added textures and flavors, add some nuts, seeds, or chocolate chips.
Storing and Freezing peanut butter oatmeal bars
- To store: Place leftover bars in a sealable container and keep them in the fridge at all times. They will remain fresh for at least 2 weeks.
- To freeze: Chill your bars and then freeze them, by placing them in a ziplock bag. They will keep well frozen for up to 6 months.
More healthy snack recipes to try
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Balls
- No Bake Oatmeal Cookies
- Puppy Chow
- Protein Energy Balls
- No Bake Cereal Bars
3 Ingredient No Bake Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats gluten-free, if necessary
- 1 cup peanut butter * See notes
- 1/2 cup maple syrup ** See notes
Instructions
- Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl or stovetop, melt the peanut butter with syrup until combined. Add the oats and mix well, until fully incorporated.
- Transfer the mixture into the lined pan and press into it firmly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, to firm up, before slicing into bars.
Notes
Nutrition
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Not sure why mine didn’t firm up but it tasted fantastic as a cereal. The next time, I plan to be more accurate in my measurements and use a bit less oats which may be the problem. What do you think?
Sure! They are quite sturdy, but some brands could impact how they set etc 🙂
Would honey work? I always have that on hand.
Absolutely!
What a fantastic easy and tasty slice.
Being a retired pastrycook i am always making slices and cakes but i think its time to get a bit healthier and your oatmeal slice
Is a winner.
Made it today and it is a big hit with the family.
Will be trying more of your treats.
Thank you very much,
Gary.
Hi, I know this is a really old post but is it safe to microwave some for like 5 – 15 seconds? (I’m really sensitive to cold things due to asthma)
I don’t see why not!
Hi there. These look great, but I would like to know approximate yield. Planning to make this as part of a preschool class cooking project. If you used a 8 x 8 inch pan, I would imagine that the recipe will yield 16 bars. I’m planning on buying the ingredients, but the preschool teachers will direct the kids in making them, so I would like to give them clear instructions. Thanks!
Hi Leanna! I made them in an 8 x 8 inch pan, but I tend to get around 10 bars from it, mainly because I like larger bars 🙂
Thank you! The kids at my son’s preschool loved eating these as much as they did making them.