Steel Cut Oatmeal Bars Recipe

These steel cut oatmeal bars are easy to make using simple, healthy ingredients. They’re the perfect filling breakfast option for busy mornings or a grab and go snack. They even make a great dessert! You can also easily customize these delicious oatmeal bars to your personal tastes using the options listed! 

Why I Love These Oatmeal Bars

I love making my own oatmeal bars. They’re fast, inexpensive, and absolutely delicious. I use steel cut oats to give the bars a slightly firmer chewy texture, then grab whatever strikes my mood as add-ins.

You can go from coconut cashew with chia seeds to peanut chocolate chip in a breeze. Or make them both in the same batch by simply splitting the mix before adding your extras! And did I mention they’re delicious?!

Here’s some more reasons I think you’re going to just love these!

• It’s a delicious and easy breakfast you can even make ahead of time.
• Also can act as a healthy dessert or snack.
• They’re super customizable. Add the mix-ins you have on hand.
• Easy to make more indulgent. Increase sugar/mix-ins.
• Love making this ahead of time and reheating quickly in the morning.
• Great for meal prep and make-ahead breakfasts

Recipe Ingredients

This recipe uses simple ingredients you probably even have in your pantry already.

Steel cut oats - Also called “Irish oats” or coarse oats. These add a nice, firmer texture than regular rolled oats. You can usually find these in the grocery store near the instant oats and quick oats.

Flour - You can use all-purpose flour or a gluten free brand like Bob’s Red Mill for a GF option.

Baking soda - Make sure baking soda is fresh for best results. 

Salt - feel free to omit the salt if you are using salted butter.

Melted butter - salted or unsalted butter will both work for this recipe. If you are using salted butter, you might opt to skip adding the extra salt from the recipe. 

Eggs - For an eggless option, try using unsweetened applesauce or a flax egg.

Brown sugar -  light or dark brown sugar can be used. You can also replace all or a portion with raw sugar or coconut sugar if desired.

Honey - Add more for extra sweetness or replace with pure maple syrup or agave nectar.

Vanilla extract - Flavoring extracts are very concentrated, so be careful not to use too much. One teaspoon is sufficient for this (and most) recipes.

“Add-ins” - Add-ins can include no more than 1 ½ cups of raisins, dried cranberries or other fruit, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, trail mix, coconut flakes, and anything else you can think of. Mix and match all you like.

Just try not to exceed 1 ½ cups.

What To Put In Oat Bars

Use your favorite mix-ins to add a personal touch to your oatmeal bars. Great options include

• Crunchy or creamy peanut butter, almond butter, or other nut butters.
• Unsweetened coconut flakes.
• Chocolate chips or peanut butter chips - or both to give a these bars the sweet treatment.
• Dried fruits - blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, peaches, apricots, etc. You really can’t go wrong. Fresh fruit should be used sparingly because of its moisture released when baking.
• Nuts - crushed cashews, peanuts, or almonds are great add-ins to your bars. 
• Seeds - sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia or flax seed, etc.

How to Make Steel Cut Oatmeal Bars

Make this great recipe in just a few easy steps.

Step 1

Cook steel cut oats according to the package instructions, but only cook them for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the oats.

Step 2 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. 

Step 3 

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

Step 4

Add the cooked oats, butter, eggs, brown sugar, honey and vanilla. Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture until combined.

Fold in any add-ins you are using.

Step 5

Spread the oat mixture evenly inside the prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula to press the mixture into the corners.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, until they are a light golden brown. 

Step 6

Let the baked mixture sit in the pan for about 10 minutes to let it cool a little. Carefully lift the parchment onto a flat surface and cut into squares for individual portions.

Recipe Notes

• Using parchment paper in the pan saves having to clean the pan and makes it easy to lift the bars out of the pan.
• Spread the bar mix evenly in the pan so it cooks evenly.
• Allow the bars to cool a little before attempting to lift them from the pan. I like to give it 10 minutes or so.

How to Serve Oatmeal Bars

Serve these oatmeal as part of a great breakfast with fruit and yogurt or on their own. 

Sometimes I like to add a schmear of peanut butter on them for breakfast or when having them as a snack.

They also make a great dessert option. Use them as the base for ice cream or top them with some jam and a dollop of whipped cream.

How to Store Homemade Oatmeal Bars

Allow the oatmeal bars to cool to room temperature. Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stored properly, these bars will be at their best for 7-10 days.

You can also freeze these oatmeal bars up to 2 months in a freezer safe bag. I like to put a small piece of parchment paper between the bars so they don’t freeze together.

Steel Cut vs Rolled Oats

Steel cut oats - also called "coarse oats," "Irish oats," and “Irish oatmeal” - are less processed oat groats than rolled oats. They are the least processed type of oats and are closer to the whole grain and all the health benefits that come along with that.

Because of this they do take longer to cook and will absorb less liquid. They also have a firmer, chewier texture and a more robust, nutty flavor. Oh and they are higher in fiber than old-fashioned oats.

Can I Use Rolled Oats Instead of Steel Cut

Yes, you can substitute rolled oats for steel-cut oats in equal amounts. But don’t cook the rolled oats first the way you would the steel cut. The texture in the final result won’t be the same.

Is Oatmeal Gluten Free?

This is a trickier question than you might think. Oats by themselves are gluten free. However, some oats can be contaminated by other grains as they are processed. If you need GF oats, it’s best to read the label to make certain they are certified gluten-free oats.

Best Oatmeal Recipes

• Easy Creamy Oatmeal
• Raisin and Spice Oatmeal
• Peach Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries
• Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Oatmeal