Healthy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars made with a sweet yet tart strawberry jam, sandwiched in between the perfect oat topping. Made with fresh strawberries, lemon juice, and sweetened with a touch of maple syrup, you will love these bars!
Healthy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Fresh strawberry desserts are one of the highlights of the summer for me. What about you? There are so many delicious ways to fresh strawberries, but this recipe for gluten-free strawberry oatmeal bars is my favorite.
These bars are the perfect combination of sweet, tart, crumbly, and just a little chewy. A delicious strawberry jam is sandwiched in between an oat and almond flour crust that also doubles as the crumb topping. They are great cooled, yet still warm, with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. I know you will love them!
Ingredients
Almond Flour: to keep the crust and topping gluten free, these bars use almond flour.
Oats: for this recipe use gluten free rolled oats for the best results. If you are particularly sensitive to gluten, be sure your oats are certified gluten free.
Dark Brown Sugar: this is used in the crust to add sweetness.
Fresh Strawberries: making these bars with sweet fresh strawberries really makes them even more delicious.
Butter: this gives the crust the best flavor and of course buttery-ness.
Lemon Juice and Zest: this is a must have ingredient to add just the right amount of tartness to the bars. The fresh lemon juice and zest really help to amplify the flavor of the bars.
Maple Syrup: for a touch of sweetness in the filling, these bars use pure maple syrup. If you would like, you can use honey instead of maple syrup.
Vanilla Extract: this gives the filling just the right touch of vanilla flavor.
Corn Starch or Arrowroot Starch: you can use either of these ingredients to thicken the bars.
How to Make Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Step One: First make the crust and crumb topping. Add the almond flour, oats, sugar, and butter to a mixing bowl. Use your hands to work the butter into the flour, sugar, and oats until it is well combined and forms a dough like consistency. Press two-thirds of the crumb-crust mixture into an eight by eight pan lined with parchment paper. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and set aside.
Step Two: Now make the strawberry filling. In a medium saucepan or skillet combine the strawberries, lemon zest, maple syrup, and vanilla extract over medium-high heat. Bring the strawberries to a boil and let them cook for ten to twelve minutes. When the strawberries have turned a deep red color, remove them from the heat. Whisk together the lemon juice and cornstarch to make a slurry and then pour that mixture into the strawberries. Stir until the strawberries have thickened into a jam like consistency.
Step Three: Pour the strawberry jam over the crust and then use a spatula to spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crumb topping evenly over the jam.
Step Four: Let the bars bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the jam is bubbly around the edges and the top is golden brown.
Step Five: Let the bars come to a complete cool. Slice into squares and enjoy!
Will Other Fruits Work?
You can definitely give it a try! If you are thinking of using blueberries, you can follow this recipe for Blueberry Pie Bars!
If you are interested in a raspberry version, these Raspberry Oatmeal Bars are for you!
You can even make a cranberry crumble bar that would be perfect for the holiday season.
Apples will likely work, but because apples do not have as much moisture in them as berries, you may not need to add as much cornstarch or cook them as long to make the jam.
Can I Use Frozen Strawberries For The Filling?
Yes! If you are using frozen strawberries, thaw them completely before using and then drain any extra liquid before adding them to the pan. If your jam filling does not seem to thicken up for some reason, add an extra teaspoon of arrowroot starch.
What Can I Substitute for Almond Flour?
If you have a nut allergy, feel free to use oat flour or gluten free all purpose flour for the almond flour in these bars. Do not substitute coconut flour as it will not work.
Can I Use Coconut Oil Instead of Butter?
If you need to make a dairy-free and vegan version of this dessert you can easily substitute coconut oil for butter. Just note, that the coconut oil will give the crust and crumb topping a slightly coconut flavor. If you do use coconut oil, make sure that the oil is slightly solid and similar to the texture of butter and not melted.
How to Store
Store the strawberry bars in an air-tight container in the fridge for five to seven days to keep them fresh. If they even last that long!
Tips and Tricks for the Best Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
- Use parchment paper. Grease the pan a bit before adding the parchment paper to help the parchment paper stick to the bottom of the pan so it won’t slip around while you are pressing in the crust.
- Let them cool before slicing. I know it’s hard but after the bars are finished baking, you need to let them cool completely before slicing and trying to pick them up. The jam needs to fully set in order for you to eat them like an actual bar. I found that letting them cool in the refrigerator makes the bars easier to slice and eat.
- Chill in the fridge. Speaking of fridge, these bars are actually delicious straight out of the fridge. If you just can’t wait, you can always let the bars cool for 30-40 minutes on the counter until they are warm instead of piping hot. Just know that you’ll probably have to eat them with a fork, which isn’t the worst thing.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the bars. A sharp knife will help you make a clean cut and get through the thick bottom layer of crust.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes to Love
Healthy Blueberry Pie Bars
No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Healthy Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
Healthy Key Lime Pie Bars
Gluten Free Strawberry Oatmeal Crisp
No Bake Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
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Ingredients
For the Crust and Topping
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced
For the Filling
- 3 cups chopped strawberries
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- juice and zest of one lemon
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the oats, almond flour, brown sugar, and butter almond flour to a mixing bowl. Use your hands to work the butter into the flour, sugar, and oats until it is well combined and forms a dough like consistency.
- Press 2/3 of the crumb-crust mixture into a 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan or skillet combine the strawberries, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and lemon zest over medium-high heat. Bring the strawberries to a boil and let them cook for 10-12 minutes.
- When the strawberries have turned a deep red color, remove them from the heat. Whisk together the lemon juice and cornstarch to make a slurry and then pour that mixture into the strawberries. Stir until the strawberries have thickened into a jam like consistency.
- Pour the strawberry jam over the crust and then use a spatula to spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining crumb topping evenly over the jam.
- Let the bars bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the jam is bubbly around the edges and the top is golden brown.
- Let the bars come to a complete cool. Slice into squares and enjoy!
Keywords: healthy strawberry oatmeal bars, strawberry oatmeal bars, gluten free strawberry oatmeal bars, strawberry bars
Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: THE MINDFUL HAPA
Leave a comment
My daughter had strawberry Nutragrain bars at school and came home asking for some. I immediately thought of this recipe and told her we could make our own bars. I used a store bought strawberry spread and it was delicious! Great shortcut and now I have a healthier breakfast/snack to offer the kids.
★★★★★
Do these stay intact enough for kids to take to school, or should I find a different recipe?
Hi, Tricia! I haven’t had any problem with them staying in bar form. You could also keep them chilled which would help as well!
My 12-year-old son made these when our bargain strawberries started turn mushy. They were a hit! The instructions were easy to understand and straightforward. We would make them again!
★★★★★
If you double the recipe, would it be better to use a 9×13 pan? Can’t wait to try this!!
Hi, Lydia! yes – I think that would likely work better for a doubled recipe. I hope you enjoy them!
These were soooo good. As soon as my husband finished one, he immediately asked me to make another batch so he could eat the entire first pan. Definitely will be a regular recipe for us!
★★★★★
Hi,
Did you use salted or unsalted butter?
Hi, Brittney – I usually use unsalted. Hope that helps!
Do these freeze well? They are amazing, I want to make a freezer stash lol
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Hi, Emma! I haven’t tried that personally (we always eat them too quickly, haha) but I think it could work! I’d recommend slicing them into individual bars before freezing for the best results.
This looks amazing!! Would I be able to take out the brown sugar? Any replacement ideas?
★★★★★
Hi, Katie! Thanks! coconut sugar would work really well!
This filling. O-M-G! so yummy and easy to make, im going to start making double to use on pancakes, waffles and even on top of yogurt!!
★★★★★
These are delicious! Do yourself a favor and make a double batch.
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Haha! I’m so glad you loved this recipe, JP! Thanks for sharing!
Holy cow, these are amazing! The perfect summertime dessert!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Sarah! Thanks for sharing!
These bars are delectable! I’ve made them three times now and every person who has tried a piece cannot stop oohing and ahing over this deliciousness. Another amazing recipe by Ashlea!
★★★★★
I’m so glad everyone has been enjoying this recipe, Verena! Thanks for sharing!
went strawberry picking and wanted to make something fun so i made these bars for the first time – they were delicious! i didn’t have any almond flour, but regular flour worked just fine. will definitely make again!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you made this recipe work for you, Amy! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
YUM! Made these this morning and had with yogurt for breakfast! So good. Will definitely make again
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked the recipe, Liz! The addition of the yogurt along with the oatmeal bars sounds wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
These strawberry bars are a new favorite in our house! My 5 year old loved helping me make them. The strawberry flavor really comes through and they are perfectly balanced – just enough sweetness with a little zing of lemon coming through!
★★★★★
Yay! So happy to hear that, Laura! Thank you for sharing!
These are awesome. How to I get the crumb-crust to be a little thicker/harder and form into a bar? They crumble when I cut them.
Thanks
Hi, Jeff! I would recommend using more crust on the bottom. I typically use 2/3 of the crumb on the bottom and 1/3 on top and it works well!
I didn’t have lemon juice and these still turned out AMAZING! I will definitely be making these often!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you liked it, Sarah! Thanks for sharing!
I loved the strawberry jam and the crumby crust on these bars. I just love your treat recipes because I’m fulfilling my craving without all the bad stuff.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for sharing, Andrenise! I’m so happy you loved these bars!
These bars are out of this world delicious!! They taste like a Strawberry Dump Cake but without all of the terrible ingredients! I will be making these again and again and again!!
★★★★★
So glad this has become a regular favorite for you, Tannyr! Thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness these were amazing. Tasted like a strawberry cobbler. We used frozen strawberries since they are out of season. Loved these. Thank you.
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Crystal! Thanks for sharing!!
These bars are easy to make and so delicious! I may have just had one for breakfast…fruit and oats are breakfast foods right?! 🙂 Can’t wait to try the raspberry and blueberry versions too!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you loved them, Heather!
Y.U.M.
★★★★★
These bars are delicious! Half the pan disappeared in no time and the rest will soon follow. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
SO EASY to make and YUMMY!!!!
Simple and delicious – the perfect summer treat! I wish these had lasted longer, but they are too good to leave many leftovers! 🙂
Can you use arrowroot or tapioca starch instead of corn starch?
These are AMAZING!! The baking process was therapeutic, and the outcome was delicious. Will definitely be making again.
So glad you liked them, Melanie! I totally agree, baking is very therapeutic for me too.
I have a nut allergy- can I use regular flour instead of almond flour?
I’ve been OBSESSED with strawberries lately and these were the perfect treat, SO delicious! Thank you 😊
These are SO GOOD! They were simple, not too sweet and perfect for the summer!
For the maple syrup, is that 1/4 tsp or tbsp? Thanks!
Hi, Halley! It’s 1/4 cup a maple syrup. I hope you love these!!
Thank you for the response! I made the recipe exactly as called (with 1/4 cup maple) and they are delicious!! The husband is also very pleased. Love your recipes!!
You’re so welcome! I am so happy that you and your husband love these! Thank you for being here and making my recipes. It means so much!
Can I use ghee or coconut oil instead of butter if I’m dairy free?
YES!
Oh these look so good….I’m assuming we use oats and not oat flour (looking at the ingredients vs the instructions….) SO PUMPED!
Thank you! and Yes! Oats not oat flour!