These healthy apple oatmeal bars are soft and chewy. They are just 3 ingredients and don’t require any flour, eggs, added sugar, butter or oil. They store well and can be eaten for breakfast, snack or dessert.
I am always trying to find new ways to serve oatmeal to my family. These apple oatmeal bars are so quick and easy to make. I like to keep a batch in the fridge or freezer for a quick breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
- Applesauce
- Peanut Butter
- Rolled Oats
Applesauce: I used unsweetened applesauce but you can also use sweetened applesauce. The applesauce gives these bars apple flavor and some sweetness. I buy premade applesauce so it’s easy to just open a jar and add it into the batter. No need to mash any fruit, etc, which saves a lot of time. If you need a substitute for applesauce, I also have a version that uses bananas.
Peanut Butter: Make sure to use natural unsweetened peanut butter. This is peanut butter that only has peanuts and salts in the ingredient list and doesn’t contain any added oils. You can also use natural unsweetened almond butter or natural unsweetened cashew butter.
Rolled Oats: This recipe works best with rolled oats because the batter does have a lot of liquid and rolled oats are better at absorbing the liquid. Rolled oats are also known as old fashioned oats. This recipe will not work with steel cut oats.
How to Make Apple Oatmeal Bars
It takes less than five minutes to prepare the oatmeal bars batter. The applesauce and peanut butter are first mixed together. The oats are then stirred in. The batter is then ready to go into a baking pan and bake.
The bars are baked for about 15 minutes. Once cooled, they are ready to be served.
Tips
These bars are only very lightly sweetened and have no added sugar. If you prefer sweeter, you can easily make them sweeter by adding some honey to the batter or by adding mix-ins like chocolate chips, dried apples or other dried fruit.
These bars store well and can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
More Oatmeal Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Oatmeal Bars
- 3 Ingredient Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
- Crispy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
3 Ingredient Apple Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 cup (251 g) unsweetened applesauce
- 6 tbsp (100 g) unsweetened natural peanut butter
- 2 cups (175 g) rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Add applesauce and peanut butter to a large mixing bowl. Stir until the ingredients are fully mixed and the mixture is uniform in color. Add in oats and stir until they are evenly mixed in. If adding any mix-ins, add them in now.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to evenly spread it across the pan and smooth the surface.
- Bake for about 13-15 minutes or until the bars look set and cooked. Let bars cool fully before removing them from the pan and cutting and serving. Store uneaten bars in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- These oatmeal bars have a very low amount of sweetness. If you prefer sweeter, you can add 1-2 tbsp of honey to the batter (add it at the same time you add in the oats). You can taste the batter and adjust the sweetness as needed. You can also add mix-ins like chocolate chips, dried fruit or chopped nuts.
- Rolled oats are also known as old fashioned oats
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Can I you instant oats?
We have not tested this recipe with instant oats. This recipe works best with rolled oats because the batter does have a lot of liquid and rolled oats are better at absorbing the liquid!
I don’t know what I did wrong but it just didn’t settle. Tastes amazing though but wish I knew where I went wrong
Hi Catherine! I would suggest making sure everything is mixed properly or maybe a few more minutes to cook!
I made the oatmeal bars I used sweetened applesauce added dairy free chocolate chips and cranberries delicious
That sounds great!
Can you freeze these?
We haven’t tried freezing them – sorry!
I love that they are quick, easy and tasty.
We’re glad you tried them! Thank you for the great review.
Just made it exactly as the recipe wout any add ons. Eating as I write this bc it deserves recognition. A healthy snack and it’s delectable when eating it while it’s warm out of the oven. A treat for adults and babies. It’s good plain but next time I will add honey, pinch of salt, fruit etc.
We’re so glad you loved the recipe!
Ugh. Thought this was “the” recipe, since I have an egg allergy. Unfortunately, I also have sensitivity to nuts, some more that others that are now totally avoided, but this is not a healthy recipe for all.
You can substitute with sunflower seed butter.
Peanuts are not nuts, they are a legume
I love your recipes. Is there a similar recipe or something that can be used instead of peanut butter? Thank you
Yes, you can also use natural unsweetened almond butter or natural unsweetened cashew butter.
I used “wow butter” since I am allergic to nuts and it came out great! I like the texture and my 1 year old daughter does as well
That’s great! Glad you both enjoyed them.
Thanks for sharing your recipes with us . I love them . I also love the fact that , they are healthy. I don’t miss them. They are also affordable . Thanks a lot.
You are welcome!
Made these this morning just as written for a potluck breakfast at work. They were a big hit. Love the way you always think outside the box with your recipes.
I’m so glad you liked them and that they were a big hit!
It sounds like quite a easy recipe I will try it and you can do so many different fruits
Hi, can I use tahini instead of peanut butter?
Sorry I have not worked with tahini before so I don’t know
I love oats!
We do, too!
I loveb this recipe
Thank you so much
Kindly email to me
You can print the recipe card at the end of the post – it has all of the info you need to make the recipe.
I just start the keto diet. I can’t believe how much better I feel. I got energy. I was a couch potato. Now I am doing things in my house. I wish I would of know about this years ago when I still had all of my family with me. Any more it just me and the kitty’s. GOD bless everyone
You need to try our other Keto Recipes!
Very healthy and tasty recipe thankyou
So glad you enjoyed!
Lovely
Thank you!