Baked Oatmeal Bars

Baked Oatmeal Bars Recipe By: Cece Kirkwood 

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Welcome back for another outdoor adventure trail snack! Today’s delicious snack is the Baked Oatmeal Bars! You can’t go wrong with peanut butter, banana and oatmeal. The touch of rich maple syrup mixed with semi-sweet chocolate chips are the perfect addition to wrap up these delectable baked oatmeal bars. 

The best part is how simple they are! They can easily be put together the night before a big hike and are packed with dense nutrients to keep you fueled up your entire time on the trails. 

If you are looking for more nutrient-packed bakes, grab all my trail snacks recipes and fuel up for your next outdoor adventure! 

The Process 

As always, be sure to prepare your workstation before baking: 

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF
• Grease and line an 8×8 glass pan
• Pre-measure ingredients into small individual bowls

In a large glass bowl, mash the banana. Then add in the rolled oats, water, maple syrup, peanut butter, vanilla, salt and (as you’d like) the chocolate chips. Combine everything together using a rubber spatula. The batter will come together really easily!  

Once combined, transfer the batter to the glass pan and use your spatula to smooth everything into an even layer. Then, bake the bars for 20 minutes. When the 20 minutes is up, leave the door closed, but turn the oven off.

Leave the bars in the oven for another 5 minutes. This helps the bars to keep firm while keeping the moisture so they stay “soft baked”.

After those 5 minutes, remove the bars from the oven, top with a bit of sea salt and allow them to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, place the baked oatmeal bars in the fridge overnight to finish firming up. The next morning, slice the bars, pack them in a reusable container and enjoy them on your next outdoor adventure! 

The Tips 

How do I ensure my baked oatmeal bars stay soft baked?

The best tip I learned for baked oatmeal bars is to simply leave them in a turned off oven for 5 minutes after the “baking” is complete. So after 20 minutes of baking, turn the oven off, but leave the bars inside! That extra time in the warm oven will help “set” the bars while keeping the bars soft and delicious! 

Why is this recipe in grams?

Baking is a science and in science you want things to be exact and precise. The best way to do this is by weighing out your ingredients using a simple scale. Ever baked a cookie using the same recipe, yet somehow it turns out slightly different each time? That is because when measuring by volume, you can’t be as precise. It is vital that your ingredient ratios are accurate for a reliable bake every time.

What kind of substitutes can I make to change up the flavors of these bars?

There are a couple adjustments you can make to this recipe to change up the flavors.

• Maple Syrup can be replaced for honey or agave syrup.
• Crunchy peanut butter can be replaced by another nut butter or smooth peanut butter.
• Banana can be replaced for something like applesauce or, in the fall, some canned pumpkin.
• Chocolate chips can be replaced with peanut butter chips or some sort of chopped nut.

How long do the baked oatmeal bars last in the fridge?

These bars can last in the fridge for up to a week! Just make sure to tightly wrap them before placing them into the fridge. I like these bars chilled slightly but if you are eating them at home, you can also warm them up in the microwave! They go great in the morning with yogurt or at night with a bit of ice cream. 

The Baked Oatmeal Bars Recipe

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