This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
These no bake oatmeal bars are thick, soft, chewy, and made with just 3 ingredients. I love how customizable they are!
Keen on more healthy snacks? Try my larabars, apricot delight, and peanut butter protein balls!
Inspired by my healthy granola bars, I made a no-bake version using the same wholesome ingredients. The results speak for themselves: soft, chewy, flavorful bars made to be enjoyed in minutes.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Cost-effective. Is it just me, or are granola bars getting more expensive every day? These no bake oatmeal bars are made with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand, and they cost a fraction of the price of store-bought bars.
- Just 3 ingredients. Honestly, these could not be any easier!
- Easy to customize. Switch up the base ingredients or add an endless number of mix-ins. There’s no limit to how you can jazz up these bars.
- They make the perfect no-bake snack. Like homemade protein bars, these bars are perfect for breakfast, a midday snack, or a post-workout treat.
Ingredients needed
- Rolled Oats– I used gluten-free old-fashioned oats to ensure that they were gluten-free. You can use quick-cooking oats (AKA instant oats) or oat bran, but I find that both lack the texture we want.
- Peanut Butter– Smooth and creamy peanut butter with no added sugar. If you don’t want to use peanut butter, any nut butter, like almond butter or cashew butter, will work.
- Maple Syrup– Gives the oatmeal bars sweetness and holds them all together.
How to make no bake oatmeal bars
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Line a 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 2- Combine ingredients. In a microwave-safe bowl or saucepan over low heat, melt the peanut butter with syrup. Add the oats and stir until fully incorporated.
Step 3- Shape. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up before slicing into bars.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Leave some parchment paper sticking out. So they’re easier to pop out of the baking dish when it’s time to slice.
- Melt the peanut butter and maple syrup together. This will guarantee a smooth, warm, and thin texture, making shaping the bars easier and making them much thicker and sturdier.
- Make them nut-free. To make these bars nut-free, swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or tahini (or try nut-free granola bars).
- Adjust the consistency. Depending on the other ingredients, sometimes my bar mixture doesn’t develop the right consistency. If your bar mixture is super thick, add a splash of almond milk. If they’re thin, add 1-2 tablespoons of almond flour or coconut flour.
- Use a warm, sharp knife. To make cutting the bars more manageable, run the knife under hot water, dry it, then clean it between each slice.
Flavor variations
As much as I love the OG bars, sometimes I want to jazz them up with fun mix-ins. Here are some ideas:
- Drizzle with chocolate. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, then drizzle them over the bars before letting them set in the fridge.
- Make a layered bar. Top the bars with a mixture of melted chocolate and peanut butter, then pour it over the oat mixture and let it set in the fridge.
- Add dried fruit. Like raisins, dried cranberries, or dried blueberries.
- Or experiment with different mix-ins. Like chopped-up chocolate, candy bars, M&Ms, or crushed cookies.
Swap the nut butter. Try homemade Nutella, protein cookie butter, or Biscoff cookie spread.
Storage instructions
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 two 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
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
Originally published July 2015, updated April 2021, and republished April 2024
Easy and awesome.. 2 of my favorite combinations!!!!!
1/2 cup maple syrup .can you use honey 3 Ingredient No Bake Oatmeal Bars
Yes you can!
Awesome! So easy and prefer to make these as a snack for myself and my kids.
I eat one each afternoon or between my customers who are horses. I’m a farrier 🐎🙌
I see you store these in the fridge, but how are they if packed in an unrefrigerated lunchbox for a couple hours? I’d also love to add protein powder to the mix…have you tried this?
Yes it’s fine- the prior chilling time keeps them firm. And yes- def add protein powder, I typically add 1/4 cup and some water/milk if the mixture is too crumbly.
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!
I am going to try the original recipe (as my child has IBS), but just interested if can you substitute golden syrup for maple syrup?
Yes you can!
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.
Can i grind oats to powder while giving to 1 year old baby
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!
I am so excited to try these!! I got up this moring and had no idea what to eat. I didn’t want eggs or a smoothie so i went on a hunt and found this!! Its so simple and easy. I’m going to smash up some banana and add some because these would be amazing with banana!!
Thank you! I have been craving oatmeal cookies and was looking for a recipe. No, this isn’t an oatmeal cookie recipe, but this was quick, easy and gave me the oatmeal taste. (I added hemp seed to the mix.)
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.
Hi! How many bars does 1/2 cups gluten free oat bran (Can sub for rolled oats, quick oats or oat flour, however see notes), 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (Can sub for soy nut butter or nut butter of choice if not allergen specific), 1/2 cup brown rice syrup (can sub for any sticky sweetener however see notes) make? What size of pan would you recommend for this? Thank you!
Hi Joy! The beauty of these bars is that you can make them in any size pan and slice them any size you like 🙂 I usually get 9-10 bars 🙂
Around what size are each bars? Just so I know how much ingredients to buy to make a certain amount of bars
Looking for an alternative to brown rice syrup. Do you think honey would do the trick?
Hi Heather! Honey would definitely work, but you’d probably need to add a little bit more- It’s not as sticky as brown rice syrup! 🙂
Looking for serving size and nutritional info
Hi Cassidy! If you plug the information into a calorie counting website, it will provide all the information you need 🙂 Once you cut them into your desired bar size, you can calculate each individual serving size based on that 🙂 Enjoy!
These came out fantastic. Next time, I’d like a pattern artfully arranged in the chocolate chips. Maybe you can spell Meg or banana. 🙂
YES. Will spell out Meg. And a picture of steak. 🙂
Love your blog and the recipes I’ve tried so far, but after making a couple of no-bake bars with sunbutter, I’ve discovered I don’t really like it. I find the texture too dense and rubbery. Perhaps its because I used a jar variety and didn’t make my own from sunflower seeds? I’m not allergic to peanuts but I try to stick to paleo/primal as much as possible. Would love to see your version of a paleo fig cookie/pastry.
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that Ellen. Sometimes the texture can take some getting used to. If you not allergic, please try cashew or almond buter- They are my other stand bys 🙂
Hey Arman,
I love that you use sunflower seed butter in this recipe! What a great idea and what a nice addition of flavor.
Linda
Thanks so much, Linda- If only they didn’t give the green tinge!
I was surrounded by so much peanut butter at school, that it’s kind of a miracle I made it through without dying. Could you imagine how horrible that would be? A world without The Spoon? 😛
It would be a calamity!
Hey these are perfect for me!
You betcha!
Thanks for this simple recipe Arman!
Your so welcome, Joanne! 🙂
Hey, question. Why do ALL your recipes ALWAYS look kick ass?!?!?! 😉
You’re a gem 🙂
OH MY GOD IS THE SUNFLOWER BUTTER?!?! The last recipe I made were sunflower butter chickpea blondies…and they turned GREEN in the oven! I thought it was the imitation vanilla I used X-) Why does it do that?! I need to research this! Thanks Arman!
Yes!!!!!!
Sunbutter is SUPER tasty. I don’t really buy it though, cause I don’t have much of a budget for it. However, next time I do I will try this. YAYAYAY!!!!
I make my own, Emily- It’s way more cost effective 🙂
Agreed! Make your own. That way you can also flavor it however you’d like… add cinnamon, yum!
YES! Cinnamon would be a great addition!
Lots of allergies! Which is why I love that schools are actually making cafeterias safe for kids with them. These bars look amazing– sun butter is my fav!
That’s so true, Michelle- Thanks so much- It’s so good…especially salty 😉
You’ve got some serious geometry skills, as in those bars are so perfectly shaped! And the look delicious.
Thanks so much, Jess!
I always have these ingredients on hand so it would def be so easy to make these in my college apartment! I agree that food allergies have grown a big deal in the last decade, in elementary school my bff was allergic to peanuts and there was a serrate lunch table for those kids who were allergic to peanuts, now there are so many more allergies wheat, dairy, eggs and things you would never think people would be allergic too!
Oh wow- I have heard about the separate lunch table shenanigans. I swear with all these new foods, more allergies become prevalent!
It’s ‘funny’ how almost all bloggers overseas seem to know the banning of certain foods for allergy reasons. That was never an issue around here. Nonetheless, I’m sure the simplicity and low cost of these bars has the potential of convincing many parents to prepare their own bars instead of going for sugar-laden storebought ones.
Things change in society and lifestyle influences have this impact. My friend in Hamburg says there are allergy issues at her workplace 🙂
It seriously scares me how prevalent food allergies are in schools these days! I worked at a day care for over a year and seriously would go around pouring 10 different kinds of nut milks, soy milk, 2% etc. then go down the line of who is gluten free, who is pork free, who has to be put on a lockdown from nuts (can you imagine if i was allergic to nuts =l) It also frightens me that people think it could be the GMOs/artificial things that are leading to allergies and disorders like autism and AHHH WHAT IS THE WORLD..
but before it gets too eternally depressing, let me just say how much i love sunflower butter, even though it is a heinous color of poopy brown. These look delicious though, even if i am “green” with envy 😉
WHAT? that is insane how things have changed! I swear life was so much less complicated as a kid.
No allergies for me, however I actually do love sun butter! Love how simple yet tasty this recipe is, perfect for anyone :)!
Thanks so much, Niki 🙂
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 🙂
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 🙂
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!
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!
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!
Yum! These sound great and I can’t believe how simple they are!
Thanks so much, Rachel! 🙂
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!
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.
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.
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 🙂
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).
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!
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)
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)
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!