No Bake Oatmeal Bars
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
My kids can’t bring nuts into their classroom for snack and these looks great to try as a homemade option 🙂 I have no food allergies but might have a few people allergies, you bring up a good point!
Thanks so much, Michele- IT’s crazy how things have changed!
These are great for kids to bring to school since most schools now are going nut free. I do have some allergies including almonds and walnuts which gets really annoying! It’s not a severe nut allergy but I do need to be careful.
Thank Goodness- I can only imagine candy stores suffering without your consumption 😉 (still in fudge mode)
When I was a kid, I didn’t know anyone who had food allergies. Now it seems like everyone has one! I’m very lucky that I can eat whatever I want. These look delicious and crazy easy!
Right? Hi 5 to us (imagine if tomorrow we both couldn’t eat cheese)
I definitely thought I was allergic to my older brother at times when I was growing up, but it turned out that I was only allergic to grass/dust/pollen. I still avoided him at all costs though.
I love easy/no bake recipes! Keep them coming!
Thanks so much, Heather- Appreciate it!
Hahaha…”Keep quiet and eat pie. Minus the pie.” I love it! I just got back from visiting my sister, and I would have loved to use that line on her. Also, these bars look awesome. I’ve never used sunflower seed butter before, but I am totally intrigued. I need to check it out. And then I need the pie that Niki didn’t eat.
With your sister, I would have kept my mouth shut…Those desserts!!! (I may have stalked her IG).
Loving these oatmeal bars Arman! My kids will too. Can’t believe they are only three ingredients. Delicious!
Hope you try them out on them, Allie 🙂
I’m allergic to people who are allergic to peanut butter.
Kidding, of course. I guess I could live off of sunflower seed butter or almond butter while sneaking spoonfuls of peanut butter in a bush somewhere.
But seriously, these look mighty tasty. Hooray for three ingredients!
Peanut butter is allergic to you. You said you’ve never had a boyfriend before.
I just ran out of the fudge. Okay I just ate 4 pieces of fudge for breakfast and need substitutes now. I love that you used sunbutter as this is the only nut butter I still have at home. Yes I completely ignore that sunflower seeds are no nuts. Luckily I am not allergic to any nuts or seeds so I can afford the ignorance!
So this was basically the longest possible way to say that I am making those tonight 😉
YAYYYYY 😀 And tomorrow’s recipe….have peanut butter ready.
Allergic….yes….to gluten (is that even an allergy?), dairy, eggs, soy, apples, oranges. mangoes, cocoa, coffee, seafood, and intolerant to all types of sugar minus agave and stevia. HELP! But I did used to tell my parents that I was allergic to a popular hardware store chain here in the USA. I used to sneeze every time I went in there so my sis was convinced too!
Oh wow hope that it works out- No sugar? Dang!
Yum! These sound great and I can’t believe how simple they are!
Thanks so much, Rachel! 🙂
No Bake… 3 ingredients… Oat Bars… could this recipe be any more perfect?? I think not!! Making them this weekend.
Thanks so much, Elizabeth- Hope you try it out!
thankfully i dont have any allergies because i love nutzzzzz…:P
these look like something I can whip up because #sweettooth. When are you coming to Dallas?
That’s so good- A life without nuts is delicious! Come visit NYC!
Isn’t it so cool how sunflower seed butter turns stuff green? Apparently, the seeds contain chlorophyll so when it is exposed to air or heat, it turns green! It really is no surprise I’m going into Biology at uni #proudsciencenerd
Right? I’ll never forget the first time I made muffins……and I thought I put spinach in it!
Sadly, I am allergic to dairy, but I would be devastated if I were allergic to nuts! I do love sunflower seed butter, so I will try these as is!
Please do, Jessica 🙂
Haha – too funny Nikki claimed she was allergic to YOU! I’ve have a co-worker who says that to me – guess I shouldn’t share these bars with him!
These sound perfect for back-to school snacks or even after school treats!
Hahahaha good point, Shashi! Thanks heaps 🙂