These coconut oatmeal bars are soft and chewy. They only need 3 ingredients and don’t contain any flour, eggs, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil. The bars take only a few minutes to prepare and store well.
A stack of four Coconut Oatmeal Bars

These oatmeal bars can be eaten for breakfast, snack or dessert. You can also customize them with different mix-ins and adjust the sweetness level to suit your personal preferences.

Ingredients

  • Shredded coconut
  • Quick oats
  • Bananas

Shredded coconut: The oatmeal bars contain shredded coconut to give them their coconut flavor. I used unsweetened finely shredded coconut.

Quick oats: I recommend using quick oats rather than rolled oats. Quick oats are rolled oats that are thinner and smaller. Quick oats bind better and cook faster.

Bananas: The oatmeal bars are naturally sweetened with very ripe mashed bananas. If you prefer your bars to be sweeter, you can also add a little maple syrup into the mixture. You will taste the bananas in the oatmeal bars. You can substitute the bananas with unsweetened applesauce. You likely would want to use a little maple syrup if using applesauce since unsweetened applesauce is not as sweet as mashed bananas.

Other mix-ins: If you want the coconut oatmeal bars to have a richer flavor, you can add in a little melted coconut butter which will add some fat to the coconut bars and also enhance the coconut flavor. You can also add chocolate chips, nuts or dried fruit for sweetness and texture.

How to Make Coconut Oatmeal Bars

  • The mashed bananas and quick oats are mixed together until the oats are fully incorporated. The shredded coconut is mixed in until it is evenly mixed into the batter.
  • Spread the mixture into your prepared baking pan.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes or until the bars are lightly golden around the edges and surface and the bars are set.
  • Allow them to fully cool before cutting and serving.

Texture

These bars have a soft and chewy texture, like baked oatmeal but in bar form. They are only lightly sweet since they are sweetened only with bananas. If you prefer sweeter, you can add some maple syrup to the batter or you can add sweet mix-ins like chocolate chips or dried fruit.
Soft and chewy Coconut Oatmeal Bars

Expert Tips

  • These are meant to be healthier oatmeal bars so they are only lightly sweet and don’t contain added butter or oil. However, you can customize them and make them richer or sweeter to suit your personal preferences.
  • To add sweetness, you can add a few tablespoons of maple syrup or honey.
  • To add richness, you can add a few tablespoons of melted butter or melted coconut butter.

Coconut Oatmeal Bars cut into squares

More Oatmeal Bar Recipes

5 from 4 votes

3 Ingredient Coconut Oatmeal Bars

These coconut oatmeal bars are soft and chewy. They need just 3 ingredients and don't require any flour, eggs, added sugar, dairy, butter or oil. The bars can be eaten for breakfast, snack or dessert.
Servings: 12 bars
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups (360g) finely mashed very ripe or overripe bananas
  • 2 cups (175g) quick oats
  • 1/4 cup (19g) unsweetened finely shredded coconut

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8 inch by 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal later.
  • Add mashed bananas and quick oats to a large mixing bowl. Stir and mix with a spatula until the ingredients are evenly mixed and the oats are fully incorporated. Your batter will be very thick. Stir in the coconut until evenly mixed. You can taste and if the mixture is not sweet enough, you can add 1-3 tbsp of maple syrup to the batter. If adding any mix-ins, add them in now. See notes section for mix-in options.
  • Transfer the batter into your prepared baking pan. Use a spatula to evenly spread it across the pan and smooth the surface.
  • Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the bars are set, lightly golden around the edges and surface and cooked through. 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

  • Mix-in options:
    • To make the bars have a richer taste, you can add 2 tbsp melted coconut butter or 2 tbsp melted unsalted butter.
    • You can sweeten the bars with a few tablespoons of maple syrup or honey.
    • You can also add sweet mix-ins like 3-4 tbsp chocolate chips or dried fruit.
    • For more texture, add 3-4 tbsp chopped nuts.
  • These bars are meant to be healthier oatmeal bars. They are soft and chewy, similar to baked oats texture. The bars are only lightly sweet on their own. If you don't like the taste of banana, you can substitute with unsweetened applesauce.
  • I used Let's Do Organic finely shredded coconut* and Amazon Grocery quick oats.*
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Serving: 1bar, Calories: 89kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 0.4g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, NET CARBS: 14
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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