Strawberry Oatmeal Bars – The Big Man’s World ® – by Gastro Guru

These strawberry oatmeal bars are thick, gooey, and loaded with juicy strawberries and melted chocolate. Naturally sweetened with bananas, they want simply 5 fundamental components.

Yearning for extra oatmeal bars? Attempt my no-bake oatmeal bars, oatmeal raisin bars, and oatmeal chocolate chip bars subsequent.

In case you usually make my wholesome granola bars however need one thing with a bit extra substance to it, you’ll love my strawberry oat bars. 

They’re one of the best of each worlds. With a gooey, mushy texture and delightfully candy taste, you’d by no means guess they’re filled with fiber and tremendous wholesome.

Desk of Contents

1. Why I like this recipe
2. Components wanted
3. The way to make strawberry oatmeal bars
4. Recipe suggestions and variations
5. Storage directions
6. Extra recipes utilizing oats
7. Strawberry Oatmeal Bars (Recipe Card)

Why I like this recipe

• Food plan-friendly. These bars are naturally flourless, vegan, oil-free, and made with no added sugar. 
• Straightforward to customise. You may add, swap, or substitute a lot of the components to utterly remodel the flavour. 
• Good any time of the day. I’m a dessert for breakfast type of man, however additionally they make a fantastic noon snack or post-workout deal with. 
• They’re nice for meal prep. These bars freeze like a dream and will be simply packed in a lunch field for a wholesome deal with.

Components wanted

• Rolled oats. Additionally known as old school oats, they supply a chewy texture we love in bars! Use gluten-free rolled oats if wanted, however I counsel avoiding fast oats or steel-cut oats since their texture gained’t actually work on this recipe.
• Peanut butter. Clean and drippy peanut butter with no added salt or sugar. You can too use almond butter if you happen to want. 
• Banana. The riper the banana, the sweeter these bars can be! Banana additionally helps maintain the bars collectively with out the necessity for eggs or butter.
• Contemporary strawberries. Clearly wanted for a strawberry recipe! Reserve just a few sliced as much as prime the bars with.
• Vanilla extract. Elective, however I like the refined taste it provides.
• Chocolate chips. Once more, non-obligatory, however you may by no means go unsuitable with some chocolate chips!

The way to make strawberry oatmeal bars

I’ve included step-by-step photographs under to make this recipe simple to comply with at residence. For the complete printable recipe directions and ingredient portions, scroll to the recipe card on the backside of this publish.

Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.

Step 2- Mix components. In a big mixing bowl, mix the oats, banana, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Stir within the strawberries and chocolate chips. 

Step 3- Bake. Switch the combination to the lined pan and unfold into an excellent layer. Sprinkle further chocolate chips and strawberries on prime. Bake for 20-25 minutes or till a toothpick inserted comes out clear. 

Step 4- Cool. Let the bars cool within the pan for 10 minutes, then switch to a wire rack to chill utterly. 

Recipe suggestions and variations

• Swap the berries. I examined this recipe with raspberries, blueberries, apples, and even pineapple, and let me let you know, all of them tasted unimaginable!
• Make ultra-gooey bars. Fold in ¼ cup of strawberry preserves for softer, extra tender bars. 
• Regulate the sweetness. These bars depend on bananas, strawberries, and chocolate chips for sweetness. Style the batter and add a touch of maple syrup or brown sugar if wanted. 
• Make them nut-free. Swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or tahini. 
• Don’t skip the 10-minute relaxation time. Belief me, if you happen to attempt to transfer or slice the bars earlier than they’ve cooled down, they’ll be approach too mushy. 
• Serve the bars with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a wholesome dessert. 
• Change the flavour. Fold in cinnamon, lemon zest, or chopped nuts for a completely totally different taste profile.

Storage directions

To retailer: Strawberry bars needs to be saved within the fridge in an hermetic container for as much as one week. 

To freeze: Freeze the bars in a freezer-safe container (or in particular person containers for meal prep) and freeze them for as much as 6 months. Let the bars thaw in a single day within the fridge. 

To reheat: Whereas not wanted, you may microwave the bars for 10-15 seconds to melt them up, however they’ll be VERY mushy.

Extra recipes utilizing oats

Initially revealed June 2020, up to date and republished April 2024