Easy healthy oatmeal breakfast bars recipe (gluten free, vegan) made by using a mixture of gluten free rolled oats, dried cranberries, raisins, prunes and baked in the oven for a golden crust. Soft and chewy in texture, these easy healthy oatmeal breakfast bars are full of fibers and nutrients, they’re naturally gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free and vegan.
Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
If you’re looking for a gluten free breakfast bars recipe, then these simple healthy oatmeal breakfast bars are great for a to-go breakfast or healthy snack.
Because these are soft baked oatmeal breakfast bars they are perfect for toddlers too and kids will love them!
This easy healthy oatmeal breakfast bars recipe is one of my favorite and oldest recipes I’m baking regularly. Its so yummy and satisfying and everyone in my family loves it.
These blueberry peach oatmeal cookies, or blueberry muffins with crumb topping, or these oat flour pancakes is another way of using oats to make a delicious to-go breakfast or snack.
Easy Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars Recipe
- These healthy oatmeal breakfast bars are totally gluten free (I used gluten free certified oats), dairy free, nut free (for those allergic to nuts) and egg free – prefect for those having dietary restrictions or those following clean eating / vegan diets.
- The sweetness comes from dried fruits, there is no sugar or refined sweeteners added.
- These gluten free breakfast bars are pretty easy to make: mix everything in one bowl, spread in a pan and bake!
- The gluten free oats and fruits are pre-soaked for a couple of hours, to make them softer and to remove the oil and dirt.
Reasons To Make These Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Really easy to make – these healthy oatmeal breakfast bars are made without the artificial ingredients of commercial bars.
- Kid friendly, my toddler also loves snacking on them when on the go.
- The recipe can be easily modified to change the flavor and texture and suit your own tastes.
- These vegan oat bars are sweet enough to satisfy your sweet tooth craving without packing in too much sugars.
- The recipe uses whole real ingredients providing protein and fiber that will keep your stomach satisfied.
- Freezer friendly – these gluten free vegan oatmeal breakfast bars can be made ahead in bulk and last a long time.
Soaking The Oats And Dried Fruits
Soaking the oats helps decrease the amount of phytic acid and increase their nutritional value. Dried fruit is dirty (especially bulk sold) and they often have added sugars, juices, or oils. So soaking and discarding the water afterwards helps remove all those things.
Additionally soaking the dried fruits will make them plumper, juicier, and softer even after baking. Some dried fruits have health-promoting benefits for the microflora in the digestive tract (like dried prunes) also because they help regulate the bowel movements.
Use High Quality Ingredients For Healthy Vegan Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Using organic dried fruit ensures that you don’t eat pesticide residues on the skin of the fruit.
Also try to buy unsulphured version. Most dried fruits have been treated with a sulphur dioxide solution intended to preserve the fruit’s bright color and moisture.
If you are among those who have sensitivities to chemicals then you may experience from mild to serious allergic reactions.
Healthy Homemade Breakfast Bars On The Go
They make a great to-go breakfast option for busy days or grab-and-go snack. And they pack a lot of nutrition for an “on the go” snack.
Whether you are at work, in a meeting, or looking for an easy snack your kids will love, these tasty and healthy oatmeal breakfast bars are sure to satisfy a growling gut.
Tips For Making Vegan Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
1. Once cooled, these healthy oatmeal bars can be kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen up to 4 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.
2. For an extra crispy crust after baking, turn off the oven and let them sit in the oven with the door closed for at least 40 minutes or so.
3. This recipe yields somewhat soft baked oatmeal breakfast bars, so if you want them crunchier add some nuts, more sweetener and more oil. Adjust the baking time and temperature accordingly, longer baking will make them crispier.
4. Allow to cool completely, then cut into bars. For a cleaner cut chill the pan in the fridge before slicing.
More Recipes With Oats
If you make these healthy oatmeal breakfast bars, let me know how they turned out for you in the comments below!
Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars To-Go (Gluten Free, Vegan)
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free organic rolled oats - soaked
- 15-17 dried prunes - soaked and chopped (preferably unsulfured)
- ½ cup sunflower seeds - soaked
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds - soaked
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries - soaked (preferably unsulfured)
- ⅓ cup dried raisins - soaked (preferably unsulfured)
- 6 tbsp coconut oil
- 6 tbsp maple syrup
- 3 tbsp flax meal - optional, but it will help hold everything together better
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract - (optional)
Instructions
Soak The Oats And Dried Fruits
- Combine the rolled with 3 times as much water (room temp) with 1 tbs lemon juice for at least 8 hours or overnight. Soak the dried fruits for at least 2 hours with warm water to make them plumper, juicier, and softer even after baking.If you don't have time, soak the oats at least 1 hour before baking. Discard the water.
Mix All Ingredients And Bake
- In a medium bowl mix all ingredients and spread on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. I'm using a 3 Quart glass oblong baking dish.
- Press down with a spatula to keep everything compact and compressed.
- Cook until lightly brown, approximately 1 hour at 330 F. For an extra crispy crust after baking, turn off the oven and let them sit in the oven with the door closed for at least 40 minutes or so.
- Allow to cool completely, then cut into bars. For a cleaner cut chill the pan in the fridge before slicing.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Sandra
Wednesday 1st of February 2023
Do you discard the liquid from both the oats and fruit before mixing, or just the water from the oats if you only soak for an hour?
HealthyTasteOfLife
Thursday 2nd of March 2023
Yes both. Soaking usually involves discarding the water.
Lori
Friday 27th of January 2023
Can a different dried fruit be used instead of prunes, like dried cherries or apricots?
HealthyTasteOfLife
Saturday 11th of February 2023
sure
Terri
Wednesday 16th of November 2022
Sounds great. Please tell me carbohydrate amount per bar. I don't see that value. Tu
HealthyTasteOfLife
Wednesday 23rd of November 2022
I updated the info in the recipe box, its about 27.12 carbs per bar.
Peg
Thursday 23rd of June 2022
The sunflower and pumpkin seeds I have are organic and sprouted; is it still beneficially preferred to soak them?
HealthyTasteOfLife
Thursday 30th of June 2022
That's great, in this case you would just need to moist them with water for a minute or 2, this will prevent them from drying and burning while baking.
LouAnn
Sunday 23rd of January 2022
Can’t do oil or vegan butter. Any substitute for the oil in this recipe??
HealthyTasteOfLife
Sunday 23rd of January 2022
If you could think of any fat that doesn't overpower the taste, but I don't think there is one. The purpose of using fat is to help with crispness and browning, but you could omit it anytime.