Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

4.93 from 39 votes

Bake a batch of these simple, yet delicious Strawberry Oatmeal Bars to share with the kids. They're easy to make in advance, are packed with strawberry flavor, and are great for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: bars

Calories: 213kcal

Author: Amy Palanjian

Equipment

Ingredients

1½ cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsalted butter (melted)
⅓ cup sugar
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup natural strawberry preserves
1 cup finely diced strawberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a few inches overhang on two sides so you can easily lift the bars out when they're cooled.
To a medium bowl, add the oats, flour, sugar, melted butter, milk, vanilla, and salt. Stir well to combine into a uniform mixture. It will be thick and it should hold together easily when pressed between your fingers.
Set aside 1 cup of the batter to use as the topping.
Add the remaining batter mixture to the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing evenly to cover completely.
Evenly spread the strawberry preserves over the batter. Then, sprinkle on the strawberries and press them down very slightly. Sprinkle with lemon zest, if using to add more bright flavor.
Crumble the remaining dough mixture over top to cover evenly and press it down slightly.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove pan from the oven and let cool on a wire rack until room temperature.
Use the parchment paper to lift the cooled bars out of the pan. Slice into bars carefully using a serrated knife.

Video

Notes

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or up to a week in the refrigerator.
When mixing the wet ingredients into the dry, use your fingers to gently squish the dough together.
Use a jam that you like the taste of since it's a primary flavor in the recipe, either store bought or my Strawberry Rhubarb Chia Jam.
Let the bars cool fully before you lift them out of the pan and slice. Use a serrated knife to slice and/or push down slowly but firmly when slicing as you get through the top crumble layer.
Gluten-free: Use gluten-free cup for cup flour instead of the all-purpose and GF certified rolled oats.
Dairy-free: Use vegan butter or coconut oil for the butter and dairy-free milk.
To make without oats, substitute quinoa flakes.

Nutrition