Healthy Apple Baked Oatmeal Bars
You’ll love these baked apple oatmeal bars! They are easy, delicious, made with nutritious ingredients, and a great breakfast or snack to take on the go. Made with plenty of fresh apples, wholesome oats, and cozy and sweet honey and cinnamon. Simply mix, bake, and enjoy!
Friend: “I need a nut-free, nutritious snack!”
Me: I’ve got you. Many years ago a friend asked for a nut-free healthy snack for our (at the time!) young toddlers, and this is what I came up with.
It’s one of those things that I remember clearly (what I did last weekend on the other hand I have no idea) as we were living downtown Minneapolis in a temporary apartment after moving from LA. We spent a lot of time in the stroller that summer, taking long walks to the park, always with these apple bars in hand.
Over the years, there have been many tests and tweaks to get them just right. They’re…
😋 Seriously delicious: Cozy cinnamon apple flavor in every bite, these bars are satisfying, yummy, and perfectly sweet.
🛒 Made with simple ingredients: Nothing fancy here, just pantry staples and fresh apples!
🥣 Wholesome enough for breakfast: There have been plenty of mornings that these are a breakfast, they’re lightly sweetened and full of fiber.
🍎 Great use for apples: A fun way to use up fall fruit and enjoy fall flavors.
🧊 Freezer-friendly: Store and thaw for future snacks or school lunches, we like to keep a stash in the freezer and then take them out in the morning for school snacks.
🧁 Soft texture: Perfect for all ages – toddlers to adults!
You’ll also want to try my pumpkin overnight oats, mini banana muffins, mini blueberry muffins, and creamy peanut butter apple dip.
This recipe makes a delicious, nutritious oat apple breakfast bar. Keep them in the freezer, and a 30 second microwave zap yields a quick and tasty breakfast! Will definitely bake these again! A winner. –Deborah
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to make these bars: oats, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, apples, butter, milk, honey, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: Use a mandoline slicer to get the apples really thin. This was not something I did initially in the recipe development process, but after making Pinch of Yum’s apple cake, I realized the thinly sliced apple method would work really well with this recipe.
- Feeding kids without pressure: I came up with this recipe when my kids were young toddlers and we still enjoy it, all these years later! It’s packed with nutritious ingredients, minimal sugar, and can be eaten in a variety of ways. Take pieces on the go for a quick snack or lunch dessert or heat in a bowl with a drizzle of milk for a delicious breakfast. I would recommend serving a small piece of the healthy apple oat bars if it’s a new or learning-to-like it food. Serve with a few sides like fruit and milk.
Healthy Apple Baked Oatmeal Bars Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
HEALTHY baked oatmeal bars are packed with wholesome oats, apples, and lots of cozy and sweet flavors. It’s a filling breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups thinly sliced and chopped apple (about 2-3 medium apples)
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Prepare 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray or parchment paper.
- Cut apples. Using a mandoline slicer, thinly slice apples. Then roughly chop the apples so you have very thin pieces that are about a 1/2-inch x 1/2-inch. (I usually cut apples in half and then use a mandoline slicer on the peel side first, carefully making my way to the apple core.
- In a large bowl, mix together oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the cut apples.
- In a medium bowl, melt butter. Add in milk, honey, eggs, and vanilla and whisk together until combined. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread out in an even layer with the back of a spatula if needed. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.
- Let cool before cutting into squares.
Notes
- You can also make these into mini bites by baking them in a mini muffin tin. You’ll want to cut down on the baking time by about 5 minutes and you’ll also have some extra batter; it’s the perfect size for an individual baking dish.
- Storage: Store these individual bars in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. They don’t have any preservatives in them so they will mold at about day 4-5! Gently reheat the easy oatmeal bars in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Freezer storage: These breakfast bars freeze well for 2-3 months in freezer-safe bags. Take them out to thaw on the counter or put them right into a lunchbox and they’ll be ready to eat by lunchtime.
- Ingredient notes: You can really use any apple here, but Honeycrisp, Pazazz, zestar, gala, or pink lady apples all work well.
- Special tools: A mandoline slicer will help get your apples thin and uniform, and I highly recommend using one!
- Serve with: Yogurt, fresh fruit, breakfast proteins, milk, eggs, etc.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re serving this as a meal, be sure to add a side or two:
- Fresh fruit: Try berries, fresh citrus, or sliced bananas.
- Protein: Drizzle with peanut butter or serve with cottage cheese, milk, hard-boiled eggs, breakfast sausage, or nuts.
FAQs
Yes, these will work for young kids! If your feeding a baby under one, be sure to not use honey in the recipe, use maple syrup instead as babies under one can not have honey.
Yes, while the flavor is best with a little added sugar, I completely understand not wanting to add a lot for young kids! You can omit the brown sugar and sweeten only with the apples and honey.
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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Yum, I love oatmeal in any form and especially when it is easy to transport! I will be making these this week and I know Sloane will love them too!
I hope she approves, I know she has a high standard for baked goods! 😉
we just made these. I wasn’t sure what to do with the butter. Mine turned out a little bit more cake like than your pictures. Not sure what I did wrong, but they were still good.
Hi Arianne, thanks so much for writing, I just added the butter into the instructions. Sorry about that! You just dot it on the top, so it really just adds flavor, doesn’t do much else. Glad you liked them!
I just made these. They came out a little more cake like. I am putting them back in the oven a little longer as the
top is brown but underneath is still wet. I did substitute almond milk. I think it might be better with a half cup of milk instead of a cup. Just thinking out loud. They are good, though.
Hi John! How did it turn out with a little extra time in the oven? They definitely are more cake-like than granola bar, so hopefully they turned out just right!
In an effort to make these plant based, I made these with a couple of substitutions – almond milk, and peanut butter instead of eggs. The honey is questionable – but, decided to change that next time. They turned really good. Will definitely be making these again.
I’m so happy to hear this, Sharon! Thanks so much for sharing your swaps too, I know others will appreciate it!
Hi, Emily~
I’m glad to find you ^^
I’m korean and also live in Korea.
So.. I’m just confused what kind of measuring cup you used. Cause 1 cup means usually 200millimeter in Korea. Thanks ~~ and take care amid outbreak of Covid 19.
Do have to refridgerate these?
You can store them at room temperature for 2-3 days or freeze them! They freeze really well.
They were decent. I didn’t love the texture, it was a little tough but maybe I just don’t like oats like that. They don’t taste like store bought which is good and bad. I guess I thought they’d taste different but always worth trying new recipes.
This recipe makes a delicious, nutritious oat apple breakfast bar. Keep them in the freezer, and a 30 second microwave zap yields a quick and tasty breakfast! Will definitely bake these again! A winner.
Thanks Deborah! So glad you enjoyed them. I just took one out of the freezer for my daughter’s lunch. 🙂
This is a family favorite! Dan and I really like eating these bars as much as our grandgirls! They have just a hint of sweetness, and satisfying, as well as high on the yum factor.
I followed the directions. They were very good. A little crumbly.
Hi Emily! I love your content. I’m making these bars tomorrow as the next day is my first day back to full-time work and I need a quick breakfast. Do you think quick oats would work? Maybe just be a little more mushy? I have a huge Costco container of quick oats, so I might give it a try and see what happens. Thanks!
read through all the posts to find this answer… Wondering if it worked with instant oats? I’ve got a big container too!
This is one of our favorite breakfast bars ~ moist, flavorful and just sweet enough.
Making up a batch soon for lunches! 🙂
I make this recipe every 2 or 3 weeks. It is easy and healthy. I have learned to chop the apples small and not to overcook. When I put all of the ingredients together and stir Inlet them sit and soak up the milk before I put them in the oven.. Yummy
Thanks Marj, glad you are a fan!
Could I omit the flour and add protein powder to make them healthier. I’m not able to eat anything with carbohydrates in it and would love to try these.
Hi Crystal, the flour sort of acts as a binder in these bars so I’m afraid the protein powder wouldn’t work in the same way, but let us know if you try it out! Maybe if you blended the mixture together so it wasn’t quite as chunky?
It was okay. Kinda flavorless though.
Hi Debby, sorry you felt it was flavorless!
This recipe sounds great! I’m looking forward to making it today.
There’s only one small issue. The adds do not go away when I hit the print recipe option. I would use up way too much ink if I have to print adds. Is this something you’re able to change on your end?
Anyways, thanks for the recipe!
Hi Stephanie, the ads won’t actually print. They do sometimes show up on the print page, but they won’t print! I just confirmed with my ad network and we tested it. Hope you love the oat bars!
I did the sugar substitute by adding maple syrup perfect amount of sweet and sticks with the “breakfast” bar theme. Loved it warm out of the oven. I added pecans as well.
This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
You need a ‘’jump to recipe’’ icon! After cooking, baking for 50-60 years it’s nice to not read all the flutter that preludes a recipe!
I have one at the top of the post! 🙂
This recipe is a winner for sure! We loved them! Thank you!
Hi Brenda, so glad you all enjoyed. Thanks so much for leaving a comment!