Strawberry Oatmeal Bars is a one bowl, no mixer, fruit-filled, buttery bar recipe that’s bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. Just 15 minutes to prep using 6 simple ingredients, these sweet treats are so easy to make because the crust and crumble topping are one and the same.
Simple Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
This simple Strawberry Oatmeal Bars recipe has a delicious layer of strawberry jam and fresh berries that are sandwiched between a bottom crust and topping, quickly made from the same buttery oatmeal mixture, saving you time in the kitchen and requiring fewer ingredients.
Chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside, these baked Strawberry Oatmeal Bars are the best combination of sweet, tart, soft and tender. They’re wholesome enough for breakfast and have the perfect amount of fruity filling to enjoy as a healthy afternoon snack or light dessert.
Make the most of summer’s sweet strawberries with my Strawberry Shortcake Fudge, Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies, and Strawberry Cool Whip Pie.
Why We Love This Strawberry Oatmeal Bars Recipe
- Quick and easy to prepare in one bowl.
- Uses 6 simple ingredients.
- Flexible recipe that can be doubled to feed a crowd.
- Bottom and topping are made from the same buttery oat crumble mixture to save time.
- Oats are one of the healthiest whole grains, filled with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.
- Healthy for breakfast, sweet for a snack, and delicious for dessert!
- Perfect for potlucks, mid-morning pick-me-ups, on-the-go treats, party platters, or backyard BBQs.
Ingredients
- Rolled oats: Rolled oats are also known as Old Fashioned Oats. For bars with a softer crust, you can use quick oats instead.
- All-purpose flour: You can use whole wheat flour for a healthier bar.
- Light brown sugar
- Salted butter: If you decide to use unsalted butter, you can do so, but make sure that you add an extra pinch of salt for flavor.
- Sliced strawberries
- Strawberry jam: You can use strawberry preserves or jelly if you prefer.
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Substitutions and Additions
- Swap Your Sweetener: Feel free to switch out the light brown sugar for granulated white sugar, maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar.
- Fruit Flavor: You can use this same recipe with mango, cherry, blueberry, grape, raspberry, or any other fruit-flavored jam that you prefer.
Recommended Tools
- 9×9 inch baking dish
- Large bowl
- Mixing tools
- Measuring tools
- Spoon or spatula for spreading
How to Make Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
This Strawberry Oatmeal Bars recipe is easily made in one bowl by mixing up 6 ingredients for both the crust and crumble topping all at once. With a sweet strawberry filling sandwiched between layers of a buttery oatmeal mixture, these are the perfect grab-and-go breakfast, snack, or dessert.
- Mix together the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, and butter until combined.
- Press ⅔ of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly and pressing firmly to the edges.
- Spread the strawberry jam over the rolled oat mixture.
- Lay sliced strawberries on top of jam.
- Crumble and drop the remaining oat mixture all over the top of the fruit filling.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes or until the top layer is golden brown and the jam is bubbling.
- Let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
- Enjoy!
Tips
- Make sure that your bottom layer has a good thickness to it. You want the top layer of rolled oats to be thin, while the bottom layer is thick enough to hold the strawberry jam.
- Even though you are crumbling and dropping the top layer of rolled oats, try to spread it as evenly as possible without disturbing the strawberry layer underneath. That way the bars will have a distinct layer to them.
- For easier removal, you can put down a layer of parchment paper instead of cooking spray in the baking dish. Then you can just lift your bars right out of the dish.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Place your bars in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. They will last about 4-5 days when chilled.
- To Freeze: You can freeze your bars for about 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
I used fresh strawberries for this recipe and haven’t baked these bars with frozen, so I cannot give an assessment. However, if you do use frozen strawberries, make sure that you thaw them completely before using them and then drain any extra liquid before adding them to the pan.
I do not recommend serving these bars straight out of the oven. These bars need time to cool and set for at least 30 minutes. If you try to cut into the bars right away, they’ll fall apart in your hands and will likely scald the roof of your. You can even make them the night before and let them cool overnight.
You can make these bars gluten-free by using almond flour, oat flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour instead of the all-purpose flour used in this recipe. Do not substitute coconut flour because it will not work. Also, read the label to make sure your oats are certified gluten-free rolled oats.
Other Easy Bar Recipes
- Twix Bars
- Blueberry Crumb Bars
- No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
- Pumpkin Bars
- Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Cherry Bars
Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- ¾ cups (1½ sticks) salted butter melted
- ½ cup sliced strawberries
- ¾ cup strawberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add the rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and salted butter.
- Mix until everything is combined.
- Press ⅔ of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly and pressing firmly to the edges.
- Drop the strawberry jam on top of the rolled oat mixture and spread it using a spoon.
- Lay sliced strawberries on top of jam.
- Crumble and drop the remaining ⅓ of the rolled oats mixture all over the top of the strawberry jam.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the top layer is golden brown and the jam is bubbling.
- Let cool for at least 30 minutes before carefully cutting into squares and serving.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Place your bars in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. They will last about 4-5 days when chilled.
- To Freeze: You can freeze your bars for about 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Make sure that your bottom layer has a good thickness to it. You want the top layer of rolled oats to be thin, while the bottom layer is thick enough to hold the strawberry jam.
- Even though you are crumbling and dropping the top layer of rolled oats, try to spread it as evenly as possible without disturbing the strawberry layer underneath. That way the bars will have a distinct layer to them.
- For easier removal, you can put down a layer of parchment paper instead of cooking spray in the baking dish. Then you can just lift your bars right out of the dish.