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Easy strawberry oatmeal bars have a chewy oat base and ‘crumble’ topping, are filled with strawberry jam, and are low-cost, low-effort, & super satisfying. Plus, you can make it refined sugar-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, and with jam or fresh berries!

completed Easy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars spread on a white surface
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Chewy and Delicious Strawberry Jam Oatmeal Bars

Falling somewhere between oatmeal cookies, fruit crumble, and streusel bars, these sweet and indulgent strawberry oatmeal bars are quick, easy, and inexpensive. They might even become your next favorite treat – whether for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.

They’re made with a sweet and chewy, cinnamon-infused oat base, which doubles as the ‘buttery’ streusel topping, with plenty of pre-made jam in between. The result is a simple recipe of household staples requiring just two bowls, no mixer, and minimal hands-on prep.

There are also several ways to customize these versatile bars, including using fresh berries (great during summer), swapping the jam entirely, adding vegan chocolate chips, or even a decadent glaze drizzle.  Once baked, they’re sweet, tangy, fruity, chewy, and super delicious. Plus, they’re 100% dairy and egg-free, for a crowd-pleasing treat for the whole family.

Looking for more simple vegan ‘bars’? Check out our banana oat chocolate chip bars, gluten-free peanut butter granola bars, or chocolate peanut butter pretzel bars.

Jump to:

The Ingredients and Substitutes

ingredients for Easy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars on a white surface
  • Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or a 50/50 combination of AP flour and whole wheat flour. A gluten-free blend, like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s, should work, too.
  • Oats: This recipe uses old-fashioned oats (rolled oats) – gluten-free certified if needed.
  • Brown sugar: We love the caramel-like flavor of brown sugar, though regular sugar or even an unrefined sweetener, like coconut sugar or raw cane sugar, also works. A sugar alternative will also work – like stevia, erythritol, etc., added to taste.
  • Leavening agents: You’ll need both baking powder and baking soda.
  • Salt: To balance and enhance the flavors in these oatmeal jam bars.  
  • Cinnamon: Just a pinch for delicious warmth, though it’s technically optional.
  • Vegan butter: Use high-quality dairy-free butter (like Miyoko’s) at room temperature. Coconut oil will also work.
  • Applesauce: Unsweetened – to act as a binder in place of eggs. Mashed banana will also work but leaves a stronger flavor than applesauce oatmeal bars.
  • Jam: To make these strawberry oat bars super simple, we use pre-made strawberry jam (Regular, reduced sugar, or sugar-free). Other strawberry preserves should work, too.

Optional Add-ins

There are several ways to adapt this strawberry oatmeal bars recipe, including:

  • Other fruits: As you can imagine, it’s easy to change the flavor of these jam oatmeal bars by swapping the jam. E.g., raspberry, apricot, blueberry, peach, rhubarb, etc.
  • Vegan chocolate chips: Sprinkle your favorite dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips over the strawberry oat crumble bars. Use sugar-free chocolate, if preferred.
  • Nuts: Sprinkle chopped almonds, walnuts, or pecans over the top for crunch.
  • Coconut: Sprinkle raw or toasted coconut into the oat mixture for texture and flavor.
  • Simple glaze: Combine powdered sugar + plant milk (optionally with vanilla extract) into a drizzle consistency.

How To Make Strawberry Oatmeal Bars with Jam

  • First, preheat the oven to 350F/177C and lightly grease or line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.

If lining the pan, it’s best to leave a little overhang for the easiest removal.

  • Then, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, oats, leavening agents, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well. Set one cup to the side, add the vegan butter to it, and use your fingers to mix it into a crumb consistency.
  • Mix the applesauce into the larger bowl, then transfer it to the prepared pan, pressing it down for a flat, even base.
  • Bake the applesauce oatmeal bars base for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven to cool for 5-7 minutes. Spread the jam over the top, sprinkle with the remaining buttered oat mixture, and bake for a further 15 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly.
  • Use parchment paper to press the top of the oatmeal jam bars with your hand (this helps them form and set so they aren’t too crumbly). Leave to cool completely before cutting into squares (or rectangles). Enjoy!

Enjoy a slice warm, at room temperature, or chilled alone, with a dollop of vegan yogurt, scoop of vanilla nice cream, or coconut whipped cream.

FAQs

Can I use fresh strawberries?

Technically, yes, but we haven’t tested it recently, so can’t guarantee results. If you’d like to try, use about 2 cups of finely chopped strawberries combined with 2 tbsp of cornstarch, 1-2 tbsp sugar, and one tablespoon of lemon juice.

Simply mix the ingredients and spread them over the oat base instead of jam. Then bake for 20 minutes, add the top streusel layer, and bake for a further 15-20 minutes (or perhaps slightly more if the strawberries are very juicy).

Can I use quick oats?

We haven’t tried, though we imagine it would make the bars denser. Let us know if you try, though.

Can I bake this in a larger pan?

If using a 9-inch square pan, the bars will be thinner. If you want to make them in a 9×13-inch baking pan, double all the ingredients.

Pro Recipe Tips

  • Measure the flour correctly: It’s best to fluff it up in its bag, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level the top with the back of a knife.
  • If the dough is dry and crumbly: Add extra applesauce or some plant-based milk, one tablespoon at a time, until it forms a dough.
  • Don’t skip the cooling step: These vegan strawberry oat bars are fragile right out of the oven and will firm up and set while they cool for easier slicing and serving.
  • Adjust the filling ratio: Feel free to increase or reduce the amount according to personal preference.

Storage Information

Leave the strawberry oatmeal bars to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

You can also freeze the oatmeal bars with jam for up to 4 months. We prefer to spread them in a single layer to flash freeze and then transfer them to a Ziplock/Stasher bag. Allow them to thaw in the fridge overnight or on the counter for several hours.

completed Easy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars in a storage container

More Easy Vegan Oat Recipes

Photos by Alfonso Revilla

Easy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

5 from 64 votes
Prep: 7 minutes
Cook: 37 minutes
Total: 42 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Easy strawberry oatmeal bars have a chewy oat base and ‘crumble’ topping, are filled with strawberry jam, and are low-cost, low-effort, & super satisfying. Plus, you can make it refined sugar-free, sugar-free, gluten-free, and with jam or fresh berries!

Ingredients 

  • 1 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
  • â…“ cup of brown sugar
  • 1 cup of old-fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • ½ teaspoon of baking soda
  • ¼ cup of vegan butter at room temperature
  • ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce
  • ½ cup of strawberry jam

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and prepare a lightly greased square 8 x 8 cake pan.
  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Remove 1 cup, and place in a smaller bowl. Add the vegan butter to the smaller bowl and using your fingers, thoroughly combine to form crumbs. This will be reserved for the topping.
  • In the large bowl, add applesauce and stir to combine. Spread and press into the prepared square pan and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Once ready, remove from oven (Leave the oven on!) and let the crust cool for 5-7 minutes. Then spread the jam over the crust and crumble the remaining 1 cup crust mixture over the top and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the filling starts to bubble around the edges.
  • Press with parchment paper, putting slight pressure on the bars with the palm of your hand. (This helps form them so they don't crumble out of your hand!) Remove parchment paper after pressing. Cool completely, cut into squares, and enjoy!

Notes

If you don’t have applesauce, you can sub for mashed banana. 
  • Measure the flour correctly: It’s best to fluff it up in its bag, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level the top with the back of a knife.
  • If the dough is dry and crumbly: Add extra applesauce or some plant-based milk, one tablespoon at a time, until it forms a dough.
  • Don’t skip the cooling step: These vegan strawberry oat bars are fragile right out of the oven and will firm up and set while they cool for easier slicing and serving.
  • Adjust the filling ratio: Feel free to increase or reduce the amount according to personal preference.

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 214mgPotassium: 69mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg

Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.

Additional Info

Author: Toni Okamoto
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Method: Oven
Diet: Vegan
Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂
About

Toni Okamoto

“They say you are what you eat, so I strive to be healthy.
My goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy,
‘Cause true wealth comes from good health and wise ways…
we got to start taking better care of ourselves ” – Dead Prez

More about Toni Okamoto

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