Berry Oat Bars | Healthy One Bowl Recipe

Name: Berry Oat Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 C coconut oil (melted); 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour (or gluten free substitute); 1 1/2 C quick oats; 1/3 C maple syrup; 1/3 C coconut sugar (or granulated); 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 C raspberry preserves

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These berry oat bars have become my family's favorite new grab-and-go breakfast or after-dinner treat. They come together really fast and have no refined sugar. Sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar so we can skip the refined sugar! The entire family will love this recipe!

Jump to Recipe

Berry Oat Bars with No Refined Sugar. Simple recipe, ready in less than 30 minutes. Raspberry preserves tucked inside layers of crumbly oat mixture. Perfect for breakfast or dessert!

Ingredients for berry oat bars

Coconut Oil — Melted and cooled. Butter can be replaced if you prefer butter to coconut oil.

All-Purpose Flour — Or to make gluten free, simply swap for our favorite gluten free 1:1 flour substitute; King Arthur Measure for Measure. (See notes below for more on this.)

Quick Oats — Rolled oats can be used as well, however, the texture of quick oats is more subtle and preferred for this recipe.

Maple Syrup — This lends the best flavor to these berry bars, however, honey or agave nectar can be used as well.

Granulated Coconut Sugar — This adds another layer of sweetness, but can be omitted or simply replaced with granulated white sugar if preferred.

Raspberry Preserves — Use your favorite flavor jam of any berry you like. Jelly does not work, so stick with preserves or nice jam.

How to make berry oat bars

Ok, now get ready, this recipe might take a whole 10 minutes to throw together. I love that all ingredients get mixed up in one bowl and you're done! No special equipment or extra dishes to wash. I'm in love with this baking pan from Nordic Ware because it comes with a lid!

Melt your coconut oil in the same bowl you're using to mix everything together (less dishes!). Once melted, throw all other ingredients in, except for the raspberry preserves, and mix until combined. You'll have a slightly crumb-y mixture that holds together when you squeeze. Perfect!

Now, just press about ⅔ of the mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Spread the raspberry preserves, but careful not to go all the way to the edge. Leave a ½" border around the outside, so the preserves don't burn on the side of the pan.

Lastly, crumble the remaining ⅓ of the mixture over the preserves and lightly press so the crumbs hold on and don't fall off when sliced and served.

Bake 25-30 minutes until the top is lightly browned and the edges are set. Allow to cool completely, then slice into 9 equal squares and enjoy!

According to an article on the Under Armor Blog, Kate Chynoweth says this about maple syrup:

With a rich taste, lower glycemic index than white sugar and a low-fructose content, maple syrup has a well-deserved good rep as a sweetener. It contains small amounts of antioxidants, calcium, potassium and iron, and the mineral manganese, which contributes to healthy bone structure. Does this mean it’s healthy to eat syrup? Sadly, no. But there’s a good argument for choosing it over refined white sugar or agave.
https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/examination-healthier-sugar-alternatives/

Berry Oat Bars - sweet enough without the refined sugar

My favorite way to sweeten breakfast treats is with maple syrup. It's basically asking to be in all our morning food, right? The truth is that sugar is sugar. It's empty carbs and should always be eaten in moderation. Maple syrup, though, is my favorite because of it's lower amount of fructose.

I love this article about the benefits of maple syrup! Not only does it taste amazing, but there's actual benefits to adding it to your favorite breakfast!

Maple Syrup is good for Men's health! It's loaded with zinc, which plays a significant role in men's reproductive health. Who knew??

Maple Syrup helps boost energy! ¼ Cup of maple syrup can provide you with up to 100% of your daily manganese needs.

Maple Syrup helps regulate blood sugar levels. Moderation is always key when consuming sugars, but maple syrup is preferable to refined sugar and can actually help regulate insulin.

Maple Syrup is loaded with antioxidants that can have strong anticancer properties.

How to store berry oat bars

To keep oat bars fresh, add sliced bars to a ziploc bag lined with paper towels. The paper towels will keep the bars from getting soggy and will soak up any excess moisture.

The bars can be stored this way at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 8 days.

Recipe modifications

Add Peanut Butter — You asked and we listened! Many asked if you could add a nut butter to this recipe and we developed it for you! Check out our new Peanut Butter and Jelly Oat Bars Recipe and try this variation next time you need that delicious and quick breakfast for the whole family! Tastes great with classic peanut butter, but feel free to use your favorite nut butter (almond, cashew, sunflower, etc) and enjoy!

Add Flaxseed — Another easy way to add sneaky protein to this recipe is to add one tablespoon of ground flaxseed to the oat dough. No one will ever know its there!

Add Fresh Berries or Other Preserves — We make these berry oat bars with raspberry preserves, but feel free to use whichever preserves you have on hand. OR even fresh berries. It will add a good amount of moisture, but if the berries are chopped or smashed, it's another way to avoid extra sugar and get that fresh berry taste.

Make these bars gluten free

The Best Gluten Free Flour

To make this recipe gluten free, simply swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten free flour blend. Also be sure to purchase gluten free oats.

Oats are naturally gluten free, however there is cross contamination in the processing, so gluten free oats need to be used. I like Trader Joe's bag of clearly marked gluten free rolled oats.

I've tried and tested many different gluten free flour blends and the clear winner is King Arthur Measure for Measure (always cheapest on Amazon). It can be used as a direct replacement in almost any recipe and it will taste just as good as the original. You can read about my gluten free flour blends experiment here.

Berry Oat Bars

A delicious and simple morning treat!

4.33 from 34 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: bars

Calories: 334kcal

Ingredients

½ C coconut oil melted
1 ½ C all-purpose flour or gluten free substitute
1 ½ C quick oats
⅓ C maple syrup
⅓ C coconut sugar or granulated
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ C raspberry preserves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, except for preserves.
Using your hands press ⅔ of the mixture into the bottom of your pan until it's even and relatively flat.
Gently spread preserves, leaving ½" around the outside. (The preserves will scald if up against the edge of the pan.)
Using your hands, evenly crumble the remaining ⅓ of the mixture over the top of the preserves and lightly press so the crumbles stay in place after baking.
Bake for 25-30 minutes on a center rack until lightly browned on top.
Let cool in pan on top of a cooling rack. Cut and serve!

Notes

I love to make a batch of these at the beginning of the week and the kids and I grab a bar when we need a quick breakfast or snack. YUM!

Nutrition