These Breakfast Oat Bars are a delicious and convenient snack that’s perfect for busy mornings or a midday energy boost. You can easily swap in your favorite fruits, nuts, or seeds, making them perfect for everyone’s taste.
Visual Instructions
These visual instructions help you see the process. You can also find the full printable recipe with instructions and ingredients at the end of the post.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt.
3 and 4: Add in the dried fruit and seeds/nuts (or your choice of substitutes). Mix until combined.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack and cool for about 20 minutes before slicing into squares or rectangles.
Ingredient substitutes and alternatives
Dried Fruits: Raisins, cranberries, dates, or apricots, dried apple Feel free to include your favorites
Swap or skip seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin) or add chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews).
Measurement: Aim for a total of 3.5 oz (100g), whatever combination you use.
Tip: For smoother bars, leave out seeds/nuts entirely. If skipping them, increase oats by 2 tablespoons or add 1-2 tablespoons of flour to ensure the bars stay firm.
All purpose flour alternative: Whole wheat flour
Gluten-Free Option: Add 1-2 extra tablespoons of oats or flour and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Yogurt: Use thick yogurt like Greek yogurt or double cream yogurt for better consistency. If using thinner yogurt, add 1-2 tablespoons of extra oats or flour to ensure the bars stay firm.
Sweeter Breakfast Oat bars
If you want your Breakfast Oat Bars to taste sweeter, try these simple ingredient swaps or additions
Increase sugar: Add an extra tablespoon or two of brown sugar or white granulated sugar.
Sweetened yogurt: If you're using plain yogurt, swap it for sweetened yogurt or even vanilla yogurt to naturally increase sweetness.
Add sweeter types of dried fruit: Sweet options like raisins, dates, or dried figs can add more natural sugar without the need for additional sweeteners.
Chocolate chips: For a richer flavor, add ¼ to ½ cup (about 45-90g) of chocolate chips.
Use Applesauce: You can replace 2–3 tablespoons of yogurt with the same amount of applesauce. If you'd like a sweeter result, you can replace up to ¼ cup (60g) of yogurt with applesauce.
- Applesauce is thinner than yogurt, so you may need to adjust the dry ingredients slightly to maintain the consistency of the batter. Adding 1–2 tablespoons of extra flour or oats should help balance it out.
Recipe
Breakfast Oat Bars (Egg-Free)
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (280 g) thick plain yogurt (or full-fat Greek yogurt) (see note 1)
- ¼ cup (50g) brown sugar (or white granulated sugar)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (80g) flour (all-purpose or plain)
- 1 ½ level teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (75g) rolled oats (see note 2)
- ¾ cup (115g) dried fruit of choice, chopped (see note 3)
- 3.5 oz (100g) total seeds/nuts (see note 4)
- Position the oven rack in the middle and preheat to 350°F / 180°C (160°C fan).
- Line an 8x8-inch (20x20 cm) baking dish with parchment paper, ensuring the paper overhangs the sides for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt, brown or white sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir until the mixture is combined.
- Add the rolled oats, chopped dried fruit, and seeds/nuts (or your choice of substitutes). Mix until well combined.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack and cool for about 20 minutes before slicing into squares or rectangles.
Storing (cool completely before storing)
- Room Temperature: Store the oat bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Refrigeration: Place them in an airtight container, for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: To store for longer, freeze the bars. Wrap each bar individually in parchment paper or plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. They can last up to 2-3 months in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
- If using thinner yogurt, add 1-2 tablespoons of extra oats or flour to ensure the bars stay firm.
2. Oats: It's best to use rolled oats (also called old-fashioned oats) as they provide a chewy texture and hold up well in these bars.
- If you prefer a softer texture, you can use instant oats, but rolled oats are most recommended.
- If you choose to toast the oats, place them in a dry pan over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant. This step adds extra flavor to the bars.
3. Dried Fruits: I used dried cranberries, apricots, and dates. You can swap in any dried fruits you like.
- For a sweeter option, try using fruits like raisins, dates, or dried figs for added natural sweetness.
- If you prefer, chop the dried fruits into smaller pieces for even distribution.
4. Seeds/Nuts: I included flaked almonds and sesame seeds.
- You can swap or skip seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin) and add chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews) instead.
- Just aim for a total of 3.5 oz (100g), adjusting based on your preferences. For smoother bars, leave out seeds/nuts entirely.
- If skipping them, increase oats by 2 tablespoons or add 1-2 tablespoons of flour to ensure the bars stay firm.
For more detailed tips on this recipe, scroll up to the post above.
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Janene says
Great quick and easy recipe. Thanks for sharing.
The Gardening Foodie says
You are very welcome Janene.
Enjoy and happy baking 😊