Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are perfect for making on a Sunday evening to have a quick, go-to breakfast all week long that will keep you full.
Jump to RecipeI’m always trying to find new ideas for breakfast, it’s our least exciting meal of the day here. Typically we all just have a quick bowl of cereal. Every now and then we go wild and have some oatmeal! Knowing that I tried to figure out a way to make oatmeal breakfast bars for the family.
So I started looking online for other recipes that we could do that don’t take too long in the morning. I came across a recipe for fruit oatmeal bars and figured we would give it a try! We were skeptical at first, but they were really good and we have made them a few times since then. They keep in the refrigerator really well so we can grab them out in the morning, which is my kind of breakfast!
If you are using frozen fruit for this recipe, make sure it is completely thawed before cooking. You can also substitute other fruits as desired. Strawberries, blueberries, and bananas are our fruits of choice here.
One of the best parts about this breakfast is the make-ahead aspect. I like to make these bars in the evening when I have a little bit more time, then they are ready in the morning for breakfast. You can eat them cold straight from the refrigerator, or warm them in the microwave. I like to reheat mine for about 10 seconds. It’s just enough to take the chill out but still have a cold breakfast.
Tyler has asked if I could pack one in his lunchbox the next time we make oatmeal breakfast bars. Since they are good warm or cold, I don’t see why they wouldn’t still be good by lunchtime. Especially if you send a freezer pack in their lunchbox like I usually do.
Make-Ahead Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Step by Step
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups natural oats
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- 2 bananas
- 1-2 tbsp brown sugar
Preparation
Preheat your oven to 375F. Generously spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. I learned the hard way the first time I made this recipe that they will stick to the edges if you don’t have enough grease in there. In a large bowl, mix your oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, half of the chocolate chips, and half of the fresh berries.
Pour the fruit mixture into the greased baking dish and spread it out evenly.
Slice both of the bananas and layer them on top of the mixture without overlapping and covering as much of the mixture as possible.
Top the bananas with the remaining berries and chocolate chips, again spreading out as evenly as possible.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla extract.
Pour the egg mixture over the berries, ensuring that the oats are evenly soaked.
Bake the oatmeal bars for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle 1-2 tbsp of brown sugar over the entire dish. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the top of the casserole is golden brown.
Allow the bars to cool for a few minutes before cutting. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy for a few days.
Recipe
Originally Published On: February 7, 2016
Last Updated On: October 26, 2021
Oatmeal Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups natural oats
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- 2 bananas
- 1-2 tbsp brown sugar
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish generously with cooking spray
- In a large bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, half the chocolate chips, and half the fresh berries and stir well
- Pour evenly into the baking dish
- Slice the bananas and add to the top of the mixture
- Add the other half of the berries and chocolate chips
- Combine the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl and whisk thoroughly
- Pour egg mixture on top of oatmeal, ensuring the oats are soaked evenly
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove and add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the top of the casserole
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the top of the casserole is golden brown
- Allow oatmeal bars to cool before cutting
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
More Recipes with Oats
- Vegan Breakfast Cookies
- Overnight Oatmeal Cups
- Granola Bars
- Harry Potter’s Treacle Tarts Recipe: Sweet and Vegan
- Soft and Crumbly Fig Streusel Bars
- Apple Crisp
- Make-Ahead Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Pumpkin Maple Bread
- Oatmeal Energy Balls
More Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes
- Make-Ahead Pancake Casserole Breakfast
- Make-Ahead and Pull-Apart Mini Cinnamon Bites
- No-Bake Cereal Bars from Crumbs
- Make-Ahead Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Easy Pull-Apart Caramel Coffee Cake Recipe
- Make-Ahead French Toast Casserole
- Granola Bars
- Breakfast Hot Pocket
- Vegan Breakfast Cookies
More Recipes with Strawberries
- Chocolate Strawberry Cake
- Strawberry Cobbler
- Simple Strawberry Lemonade
- Berry Croissant Bake Breakfast Casserole
- Mixed Berry Yogurt Parfait
- White Chocolate Strawberry Dessert Bars
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie: McDonald’s Copycat
- Strawberry Muffins with Applesauce
- Quick and Easy Fruit Kabobs
- Make-Ahead Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Simple Strawberry Yogurt Parfait
- Strawberry Pineapple Daiquiri Frozen Drink Recipe
- Berry Shortcake with Cornmeal Cookies
- Cream Cheese and Berry Breakfast Pastries
- Strawberry Mojitos
- Frozen Fruit Cups: The Perfect Summer Treat
- Everything Yogurt Parfait
Other Chocolate Chip Recipes
- Oreo-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Chocolate Fondue
- Cherry Chocolate Cookies
- Triple Chocolate Coconut Bars
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
- Double Chocolate Fudge Recipe with Only 5 Ingredients
- Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies I’ve Ever Eaten
- Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Peppermint Chocolate Ganache Thumbprint Cookies
- Chocolate and Caramel Cockroach Clusters
- Make-Ahead Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Vegan Breakfast Cookies
- Better-Than-Sex Cake or Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake
- Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce
- Vegan Mounds Bars
- Overnight Oatmeal Cups
- Cookies and Cream Dip
- Chocolate Chip Cookies with No Butter or Dairy (Vegan Recipe)
- Brownies from Scratch
- Banana Bread Cheesecake
- Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Cobweb Cake
- Paleo Brownies in the Blender (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free)
Looks yummy! I find myself eating a lot of granola bars but they have things like chocolate chips in them, these seem like a healthier choice!
I do add some chocolate chips in these, but you could always take them out if you want. I’ve made it both ways and it’s delicious either way. My boys prefer the chocolate chips and it gets them to eat all of that fruit, so we take it as an even swap 🙂
I am going to look so fancy when I bring my homemade oatmeal bar to work. Thanks for sharing, I hope it turns out great.
They are great for grabbing breakfast on the go!
I’ve never thought of making oatmeal bars by myself. Your instruction is clear and easy to follow so I think I should try this out. I hope it will live up to my expectation!
It’s a pretty easy recipe to follow. You are mostly just mixing a few things, layering in a dish, and baking. I hope they live up to your expectations, too!
This looks amazing!!! Unfortunately my stomach has become really sensitive the past couple years, especially to fruits and oats ☹️. Looks so good though!!
Oh man, that’s all my oldest son eats, I don’t know what he would do without fruit and oats.
Those look scrumptious and rekatively easy — my kind of recipe.
Yes and yes! We all enjoy these for breakfast, and they are so easy to put together.
I’m actually going to try making these for an upcoming road trip. Will be great to have as snacks in the car vs. just eating chips!
Oh that’s such a great idea! My boys are still too messy of eaters in the car but as they get older I’ll have to remember to make something like this for our many road trips every year.
OH how awesome is this?? These look so healthy and delicious. I definitely have to try this recipe out! Thanks so much!
Oatmeal bars are a great option for breakfast, and they keep me full for a long time in the morning which is always good, too.
These look really good! I have a slight addiction to good breakfast foods and this will definitely be something I try. Thanks for the post showing me how to make them.
There is nothing wrong with loving good breakfast foods! We make a lot of breakfast items here, too, since it’s both of my boys’ favorite meal.
These look so good! Will be trying them out for my family in the near future
I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine does!
I love oatmeal bars. Will definitely making this yummy oatmeal bar. Great for packed lunches.
Yep, I’ve brought them with me when I needed to bring lunch a time or two!
I’m just going to sit here and drool at this recipe and file it away for when Whole30 is over.
It’s always good to have something to look forward to 🙂
All I can say is wow. That bar just looks too amazing. I can only imagine how great it tastes. So many delicious flavors involved.
Thanks! It’s definitely a great combination of so many wonderful breakfast flavors all put into one.
I need to make this for me and my family! This is the perfect breakfast for us to grab and go on busy mornings.
That’s exactly why I like it, too. It’s great to have breakfast quick on those busy school mornings.
This looks great. I am sure adding bananas makes all the difference in the world.
We all love bananas at my house, so any time we can add bananas to a recipe we will do it!
These look amazing! I have been looking for easy breakfast recipes to try.
The best part of this recipe is the ability to make it ahead the night before so breakfast is very quick in the morning!
Oh my goodness these look delicious! Kimmie is still on her cooking streak, so maybe the next time she’s restless to cook something but doesn’t know what, I can get her to try this recipe.
It’s a great recipe for her to try out! My boys love helping with this one, so I’m sure she could do it, too, since she is a bit older than they are.
They look yummy. To be honest Oats put me off but i would love to take a bite of this delicious bar. would try this recipe out soon
I understand, not every recipe is for everyone. My son loves anything with oats, so we’ve tried to find a few ways to make them for him besides a plain bowl of oatmeal.
I love the variety of fruit that is in these bars. We need to make some for after school snacks so that my granddaughter can grab something healthy when she gets home.
It would be perfect for an after-school snack. We used strawberries, blueberries, and bananas, but you could add any other fruit/berries that you want to these.
This is such a great idea! I never would have thought to make these, but they look amazing and would be so helpful during the school year when I am in a hurry and need made ahead breakfasts for the kids!
Those crazy school mornings are usually the root of my make-ahead breakfast recipes!
Oooo these bars look so yummy!! A perfect breakfast to make ahead for back to school time! So need to make some
We started school a few weeks ago here, but I plan to make another batch over the weekend so we have a quick breakfast in the morning that I know everyone will eat.
Besides these oatmeal bars looking absolutely delicious and perfect for breakfast OR a lunch snack like you stated is the quality time it looks to provide. I love that the kids can be there helping every step of the way! My kids love cooking with me and I know they will LOVE to make these awesome oatmeal bars with me. I will buy the ingredients this weekend!
We have so much fun together in the kitchen (most of the time). It’s a great one for them to help with and then they really enjoy the food once it’s done, too!
These are really good and super easy! Kids, granny and hubby love them! Thank you 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!