These healthier no bake oatmeal bars are soft and chewy. They need just 4 ingredients and don’t require any flour, eggs, dairy, refined sugar, butter or oil. The bars also don’t require any baking or cooking. The bars store well and can be made ahead of time.
A stack of 4 oatmeal bars

These chewy oatmeal bars are easy to prepare. You can also customize them with different mix-in or add some drizzled chocolate on top. I like keeping them stored in the fridge for whenever I need a quick snack or dessert.

Ingredients

  • Quick oats
  • Applesauce
  • Honey
  • Cashew butter (or peanut butter)

Quick oats: I prefer using quick oats for this recipe because they bind better. You can use rolled oats but your bars won’t hold together as well.

Applesauce: I used unsweetened applesauce, but you can use sweetened. Applesauce adds natural sweetness and helps provide moisture for the bars. You can also substitute with mashed bananas.

Honey: Honey is added for sweetness and to help the oats bind.

Cashew butter: Make sure to use natural cashew butter with no added oils. You can also use natural peanut butter with no added oils if you prefer the flavor of peanut butter. The bars will not set up if you use cashew butter or peanut butter with added oils.

How to Make No Bake Oatmeal Bars

  • The applesauce and cashew butter are first mixed together. The oats are then mixed in. Finally, stir in the honey until you have a very thick mixture.
  • Spread and press the mixture into your prepared baking loaf pan. Place into the fridge until set. Cut into bars with a sharp knife.

Oatmeal bars cut into squares

Texture

These bars have a soft and chewy texture. They are lightly sweet. If you prefer sweeter, you can add a little more honey, use a sweet mix-in, or add a sweet topping on top.
A bite taken from an oatmeal bar

Expert Tips

  • I used store bought unsweetened applesauce to save time but you can also use homemade applesauce.
  • This recipe works best with honey because honey has a very sticky consistency that will help the oats bind better without adding too much liquid.
  • Make sure your cashew butter or peanut butter has no added oils. The bars will not set up if you use one with added oils.
  • Cashew butter provides a light nutty flavor to the bars. If you use peanut butter, the peanut butter flavor will be very strong.

A stack of no bake oatmeal bars

More Oatmeal Bars

5 from 3 votes

4 Ingredient No Bake Oatmeal Bars

These healthier oatmeal bars don't require any cooking or baking. They need just 4 ingredients and don't require any flour, eggs, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil.
Servings: 8 bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (118g) unsweetened applesauce
  • 6 tbsp (96g) natural cashew butter with no added oils
  • 2 cups (180g) quick oats
  • 2 tbsp (1 fl oz/30ml) honey, or more to taste

Instructions
 

  • Line an 8 x 4 inch or 9 x 5 inch baking loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal later.
  • Add applesauce and cashew butter to a large mixing bowl. Stir and mix with a spatula until the ingredients they are evenly combined. Add in the oats and mix until they are fully incorporated. Add in the honey and mix until evenly combined. Your mixture should resemble a thick dough. You can taste the mixture and if you feel it is not sweet enough, you can add one more tbsp of honey.
  • Spread mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Apply some light pressure with the spatula across the surface to help compact the bars and smooth the surface. Place the mixture into the fridge for a few hours to firm up. The bars are ready when they feel firm enough to cut and the mixture should no longer feel moist and sticky. Once the bars are ready, slice into bars with a sharp knife. Store uneaten bars in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

  • Please note these are meant to be healthier oatmeal bars so they are not as sweet as typical oatmeal bars. You can add more honey or drizzle some chocolate on top for extra sweetness. You can also add some sweet mix-ins like chocolate chips or dried fruit.
  • Make sure to use natural cashew butter with no added oils or the bars will not set. You can use natural peanut butter with no added oils instead of cashew butter.
  • I made these bars with Amazon Grocery Quick Oats,* Amazon Grocery unsweetened applesauce,* Kirkland raw honey, and Octonuts cashew butter.*
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Serving: 1bar, Calories: 167kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 3mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, NET CARBS: 19
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.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!