Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Bars
Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Bars is an easy Mix-n-bake recipe ~ perfect for breakfast or a snack to add to the lunch box
It is that time of the year where my son is almost done with his studies for the year. Only one more test and he can relax, meaning relax from his studies as he is also working full-time.
Every year around this time, he also ups his time spent in the gym and is always ravenous when he gets home. He goes to the gym straight after work and gets home a while before we have dinner.
I like to keep these old-fashioned Oatmeal bars on hand for him, to grab whenever he feels the hunger pains can not wait any longer.
He would usually pack a couple of bars together with his lunch as well in the mornings.
I, on the other hand, am a huge snacker and these gooey Oatmeal bars are just perfect for me to snack on. A little better than last nights leftover dessert, right ?
And it is Oatmeal after all, which is breakfast …
Chocolate Chip alternatives:
You can leave out the Chocolate Chips and replace them with Raisins or dried Cranberries, which is also delicious in these snacks.
I have to be honest, I would rather have either the Choc Chips or the Cranberries as neither myself or (especially!) my son are big fans of Raisins. Okay in some desserts and even savory dishes, but not in this kind of treat.
I bake the bars slightly longer than necessary as I like the extra bit of crunchiness it adds to the edges. And I am not talking 10 – 15 minutes here, only about 5 minutes at most.
The bars are ready when the color is golden and if you press slightly down it should feel a little springy. On baking the dough will rise to about twice the size, but will settle back to the original thickness on cooling.
You might also want to slice the baked piece into bars when you remove it from the oven dish, but do not try to move the pieces apart as it will only break. This needs to cool down completely before you can safely handle them by hand.
Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Bars
Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter
- 1 TB Maple Syrup
- 1 t Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)
- ½ t Allspice
- 2 cups Oatmeal (Quick Cooking or Instant)
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg C (350 deg F) – line a 20 x 30cm (9x 12 inch) oven dish with baking paper (let the edges hang over the dish for easier removal)
- Melt together the Butter and Maple Syrup in a large mixing bowl {microwavable} – stir in the Baking Soda and Allspice
- Add the Oatmeal, Flour and Sugar – stir until well combined – add in the Chocolate Chips
- Press tightly into the prepared oven dish and bake 18 – 20 minutes – remove from the oven and let cool in the dish for 10 minutes – remove by firmly holding the sides of the overhanging paper and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely
- Slice into rectangles or squares
Keep in a sealed container.
BEST AVOCADO MUFFINS
These are now on repeat in my house. The grandkids and grandpa live them
Can you use old fashioned oats (not instant or quick cooking)?
Lynne, yes you can use old fashioned oats. Before baking let the mixture sit for 20 minutes to blend and moisten the oatmeal
I made these tonight, and they’re excellent! They will definitely go into rotation. ❤️
Can I sprinkle coconut on them?
Yes, you can Sheila 🙂
These bars are a definite keeper. I added cranberries, almonds and currents and cut sugar in half. I baked for 25 minutes and they are crunchy and hold together perfectly. Used margarine instead of butter. Making another batch tomorrow with raisins and walnuts to “hide” in the freezer!
Sounds delicious, Judy ! I thought it was only me “hiding” treats in the freezer 😉
I just made this recipe. It looked very dry in the bowl and I was concerned it would be difficult to get it to stick together. I re read all the comments etc. I added a half a cup of dried cranberries and chopped walnuts instead of chocolate chips. The dough did not rise and it came out of the oven very dry. I did cut when I removed it from the oven as you suggested and it’s obvious something is wrong. I imagine the ingredients will have a nice flavour but the end result doesn’t look anything like the picture you provided.
I have made these at least four times and my husband and I really like them. We added walnuts and dried cranberries and some cinnamon to them . I bake them in a 7 by 11 inch baking dish or an 8 by 8 inc baking pan. Glad I found your recipe!
I am glad you enjoy the Oatmeal bars, Pam ! Thank you for leaving a comment 😊
I decided to try this recipe, but made a few substitutions. I used brown sugar instead of white. I also omitted the Allspice, and added 1 tsp of Cinnamon. I used 1/4 cup of golden Raisins and 1/4 mini chocolate chips. These came out delicious, but next time I will reduce the butter to 3/4 cup.
@Trina S, I was thinking about adding dried cranberries and leave out the maple syrup and adding Karo syrup instead and like you substitute cinnamon for all spice. Thanks for your input about the butter too.
These were delicious! In place of white sugar I substituted 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup honey. I did finf them really buttery and will try to cut that down some. There will be a next time.
Thank you for leaving a comment, Mindy – glad you liked the oatmeal bars !
These are delicious! I cut the sugar in half. I might try them with butterscotch chips next time! Thanks for the recipe!
Butterscotch chips sound like a delicious idea, Amanda !
So, so good for the kids to grab one, especially during the holidays !
I made these with half of the sugar, and they are still delicious!
Love this wonderful recipe…just what size is a 20 X 30 cm? 9" X 13"? Thanks for sharing with us at Weekend Potluck.
Thank you ! The 20 x 30cm is slightly smaller than a 9" x 13", not enough to make any difference to the baking 🙂
I made these for the first time and they are delicious, I have made them again , my family loves them.
These remind me of the Oatmeal bars Mom used to make except she didn't add the chocolate chips. I just have to try these! (with the chocolate chips of course:)
This looks so easy and it would be a great thing to keep on hand for my kiddos too! I like that it's a lot better than some of the other choices (like last night's dessert :D)
Gym food, my goodness just what I need, Samuel does the same eats us out of house and home. Good luck to D on his test!