These Oatmeal Granola Bars are made to taste like an iced oatmeal cookie — in a more nutritious form of course! These bars are simple to make with no baking required!
Try some other favorite granola bar recipes next — Chewy Granola Bars with miniature M&M’s, Chocolate Granola Bar with three types of chocolate, or from-scratch Granola Bars with almonds and chocolate chips.
Oatmeal Granola Bars
The Clif® Kid Z bars are one of the all-time favorite store-bought bars. They’re soft, chewy, and reminiscent of a soft oatmeal cookie! The kids love them too, and it’s surprising how quickly a Costco-sized box disappears.
Since they aren’t the cheapest granola bars, it was time to try making something similar at home. While these bars turned out a bit different from the Clif Kid Z bars, they taste like an iced oatmeal cookie in a satisfying, soft granola bar way. These bars are soft, chewy, sweet, and evenly finished with sweet white chocolate icing. Honestly, these are even better than the Clif bars!
How To Make Granola Bars With Oatmeal
- Prep: Line an 8×8 pan with parchment. Leave extra parchment hanging over the sides for straightforward lifting later.
- Blend Oats: Turn 1 cup oats into flour-like consistency. Make sure no large chunks remain for a smoother texture.
- Blend Dates: Process dates into a paste and mix with oat flour. Soak hard dates in hot water first to soften.
- Combine: Mix in almond butter, syrup, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and remaining oats.
- Set: Press the mixture evenly into the pan and refrigerate for 1 hour. Firm pressing helps the bars stick together.
- Glaze: Melt white chocolate with oil, then blend in vanilla, sugar, and milk.
- Finish: Chill with glaze for 20 mins, then cut into bars. Use a sharp knife for clean cuts.
Oatmeal Granola Bars Tools Needed
- High-powered blender: Dates can be tough on a blender, even when fresh and soft. To break them down into a thick paste without burning out the motor, use a very high-powered blender (like Vita-Mix or Blend-Tec) and scrape down the sides as needed.
- Hand mixer or stand mixer: Mixing all the ingredients in a large bowl can be too much for a wooden spoon. An electric hand mixer or stand mixer works best to ensure everything is thoroughly combined for the right flavor.
- 8×8-inch baking pan: This mixture fits evenly in an 8×8-inch baking pan.
- skippable but helpful: Line the pan with parchment paper for straightforward removal and less mess. A firm spatula is great for scraping the bowl and pressing down the mixture.
Oatmeal Granola Bar Ingredients
The ingredients in these bars greatly impact their flavor and texture.
- Old-fashioned oats: Half are blended into oat flour, while the other half remains whole, giving two textures from one ingredient.
- Deglet Noor dates: Dates provide natural sweetness and a chewy texture. Fun fact: dates are fresh fruit, not dried! Leftover dates can be used in a Cauliflower Smoothie or Gluten-free Zucchini Muffins.
- Almond butter: This adds flavor, nutrition, and helps make the bars filling. Choose a slow-roasted, lightly salted almond butter you enjoy on its own.
- Pure maple syrup: A natural sweetener made from boiled-down maple sap, not to be confused with pancake syrup, which is made from corn syrup and maple extract. Maple syrup adds both flavor and stickiness to these bars.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the cookie-like flavor.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and boosts flavor.
- Cinnamon: Essential for that classic oatmeal cookie taste.
Quick Tip
What makes granola bars stick together? Granola bars stick together due to sticky binders like almond butter, maple syrup, and blended dates, which act as natural adhesives in the mixture.
Oatmeal Granola Bar Tips
- Be sure to use old-fashioned oats. Quick oats and steel-cut oats will both create the wrong texture and won’t work properly in these bars.
- Use the right ingredients. Even “tried and true” substitutions (think honey for maple syrup or peanut butter for almond butter) don’t work the same in these bars — this recipe is fairly particular.
- Cut the bars with a large, sharp knife. Once the bars have firmed up, use the parchment paper overhang to remove the bars onto a cutting board and then cut with a sharp knife.
- Make gluten-free Oatmeal Granola Bars. While the ingredients in these bars are naturally gluten-free, make sure to check all your ingredient labels to verify they weren’t processed in a facility with gluten.
Storage
Granola Bars With Oatmeal Storage
After the bars have set, wrap each one in plastic wrap and store in a container or resealable bag in the fridge for up to a week—great for on-the-go snacks!
To freeze: Place bars on a lined tray in the freezer. Once firm (1-2 hours), wrap individually and store in an airtight bag or container for up to 6 months.
To thaw: Let sit for 30 minutes or microwave for 10-15 seconds.
More Nutritious Snacks
- Trail Mixmade with five different variations
- Oatmeal Energy Balls with coconut and chocolate
- Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding naturally sweetened and naturally thickened
- Almond Granola with coconut flakes
- Overnight Oats with four different recipes
Quick Tip
Take your time pressing the granola bar mixture into the pan; the harder and firmer you press down, the better they’ll hold together.
