Oatmeal On-The-Go Bars
I eat oatmeal EVERY day. I’m actually eating a bowl of it right now as I write this post — no joke. Oatmeal is one of my favorite foods, not only because it’s heart healthy and nutritious, but also because it’s nutritious, filling and beyond easy to make — which is perfect for moms that are constantly on-the-go. But I’m not the only one in our house who loves oatmeal. At breakfast, Kenya asks for oatmeal as often as he asks for pancakes, omelets and waffles.
I wanted to come up with a recipe using oatmeal that would be perfect for those days that you’re racing out the door and don’t have time to cook (I think that’s most mornings for many of us). I liked the idea of doing breakfast bars since almost every mom I know always has a LARA, Clif, or Odwala bar in their bag for themselves alongside their wallets, diapers, wipes, and sippy cups. These bars are different from the brands I just mentioned — they are essentially oatmeal in bar form, but they are equally delicious. Just prepare a batch and keep them in the fridge for several days. All you have to do as you’re heading out for the day is grab a few bars for you and your kids and you’re set.
For all of you “on-the-go” moms, this bar’s for you.
Oatmeal On-the-Go Bars (Makes 18 Bars)
2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 Cup Milk (any kind of milk — rice, almond, soy, cow’s — will work)
3 Tbsp Agave
1/2 Cup Applesauce
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla
3/4 Cup Dried Fruit (Cranberries, Raisins, Blueberries, and/or Cherries)
1/2 Cup Nuts (Walnuts, Sunflower Seeds, and/or Pepitas)
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the first 5 dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Mix the milk, applesauce, egg, agave, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stir to combine and then stir in the dried fruits and nuts.
5. Pour the oatmeal mixture into a buttered or greased 7 x 11 inch baking dish.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until thickened and golden.
7. Cool, cut into squares and serve.
*Allow to cool, cut into squares and place in a ziploc bag to freeze up to 4 months. When ready, allow to defrost in fridge for 24-48 hours.
*Refrigerating the bars will make them last up to 5 days.
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Can I substitute honey for the agave, if so, what would be the ratio?
Thanks again for another great recipe!!!
Yes you can! It would the same measurement that the recipe calls for.
Thanks for this recipe, I can’t wait to try it. For kids too young for nuts or dried fruit, can I use mashed banana or fresh blueberries instead of dried?
Go for it!
I use a peeled, diced apple instead of the dried fruit/nuts for my little one and they’re delicious!
What can I use to substitute agave?
Honey or Maple Syrup
Great recipe! I’ll give this try soon
Hi,
If you don’t have agave can you substitute sugar of some sort and if so, how much?
These look awesome!
Thanks!
You can substitute in honey or maple syrup and use the same measurements!
Do you use toasted nuts or untoasted? (For example, would you use the pepitas from your roasted pumpkin seeds recipe?) Thanks!
I used untoasted, they bake off in the oven. You can use both.
I made them tonight and they are FABULOUS! Ironic thing is the day before I bought organic oatmeal on the run bars then found your recipe. Must say……your bars are 100% better. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Just made these & they are absolutely brilliant! My 17 month old can’t get enough of them! Thank you for a great recipe:)
That’s convenient.
I too love Oatmeal. I made these with Spelt Flour and added craisins, sunflower seeds, and a few chocolate chips. YUMMY!!!
More agave and applesauce recipes please!
Could you freeze these? I am not sure we could eat them all in a few days
Yes her recipe said that once they are cooled you cut them up and then you can freeze them for up to 4 months!
Wonderful! I just made these this morning. Substituted honey for the agave and used finely chopped walnuts and a dried mixed berry blend for the dried fruit. I also added a 1/4 cup of Stevia in the Raw for a little more sweetness. My 3-year old has already eaten two of them. Thanks for the recipe!
Myself and my little 21 month old boy LOVED these! So healthy and so easy! Thanks! Will definately make more!!! And I thank you for putting the comments at the end on how to keep them (I never know how long things should last, etc).
I also would like to know if they freeze well. Just done it and the kitchen smells great!
Has anyone tried freezing these?
I make a double batch of these every other week. Then I cut into squares and individually wrap them in parchment paper and then put them in a large ziplock back in the freezer. I take them out as needed and reheat in the microwave or you could let them thaw for a while.
I cant wait to make these. I have a picky 2.5 year old, and a 18 month old. They both will not eat oatmeal!! So I am going to see if they will eat it this way! Thank you. I just found this website and its awesome!!!!
Can’t wait to try these, just one question…can you use quick oats instead of Old Fashioned??
These are a life saver in the mornings! I am sure you can use quick oats but since I have not tested it with them I wouldn’t be able to tell you how they turned out. I’m sure there wouldn’t be a problem so I say go for it!
has anyone tried to substitute something else for the flour?
Just made these tonight and my one year old loves them! She’s an “on the move” breakfast eater… doesn’t like to sit down, so these are great! Left out the nuts. My husband and I keep eating them as well… looks like we’ll be making more soon!
[...] dinner, I decided to bake up another batch of homemade cereal bars. I found this recipe at Weelicious.com, and OMG, can I just tell you how infatuated I am with this site??? I [...]
Made these one night last week after my 7 year old saw the recipe. It was SUPER easy to throw together using ingredients I had on hand. I used quick oats, not regular. I substituted maple syrup for the agave, and used almonds & raisins because that’s what I had in the pantry.
My house smelled SO good while these were baking! All 3 of my kids (ages 7, almost 5, and almost 2) loved them, and I did too!
My kids loved them! And of course, so do I. I did use the quick oats without a problem and I realized at the last step that I didn’t have any cranberries or raisins so I chopped up some dates. And the simplicity of the recipe is really great!
I have been looking for oatmeal recipes, besides oatmeal cookies, to help boost my milk supply. I remembered your site had a few different oatmeal recipes. This is something that I will make in the morning (minus the nuts since we don’t have any, will try with extra dried fruit)
Thanks! I love your recipes.
I was thinking the same thing. You could throw in a couple of tablespoons of flax and maybe even some brewer’s yeast and really get the full effect. I am also going to try them with steel cut oats.
Hi there, we threw in a couple of spoons in peanut butter in our second batch…yum. ? for you, do you cut them after putting them ibbrge fridge or once cooled? Mine shred a bit, don’t cut neatly!
Thanks much.
I cut them once they are cooled.
Hi, this recipe looks good, is all purpose flour ok for this recipe instead of whole wheat flour? My daughter has a reaction to wheat but I’d love to try these out for her.
Have you tried Spelt or another grain? All-Purpose flour is a wheat product, but spelt or kamut are not wheat – they are a different grain. I know several wheat intolerant people who successfully use spelt (you can find it at most health food stores or order online. Wheat Montana is a great place to order grains. Bread Beckers is where my co-op orders our grains, and I just found eatgrains.com). Good luck!
Also, has anyone tried this recipe without the dried fruit? Those are the only things I’m missing here.
These sound great to make as our baked treat today. We are snowed in and dont have any applesauce
is there something that could be substituted?
You could probably use the same amount of babyfood prunes or 1/3 cup of melted butter. I just made them and they are super delicious!!
I didnt even think of babyfood! good call, I have a whole case of organic puree desert/fruits.
Is there any way to find out how many carbs is in a serving? Our youngest one is diabetic and would LOVE to make these for her! I just need to know the carb count to dose her insulin. Please let me know, Thanks!
Any chance that you could guesstimate how many calories are in each bar?
P.S. I tried these with a gluten free egg substitute and they turned out great
Thanks for the recipe, my first introduction to Weelicious!
any idea how many points these are? (weight watchers)
These are fantastic! I’m making a second batch for my husband to take skiing — we’ve already almost eaten the entire first batch I made two days ago. Thanks so much for an AWESOME recipe! It’s great to have such a healthy, easy on the go snack.
I do not have the applesauce. Can I omit it or substitute it with other things? Please advise.
You could use butter or maybe even yogurt. The applesauce is a substitute for oil/fat. I saw above that someone suggested baby food.
Good luck!
But how much butter should I use?
I made these today. They are good but a little bland. I substituted maple syrup for the agave and even added extra cinnamon and some brown sugar and they’re still very bland. Any suggestions?
[...] white sugars. I made this batch with a mix of yellow and red raisins and walnuts. The recipe takes only minutes of preparation and pretty soon your family can be enjoying these bars any time [...]
I have been making these using Celimix and Ener-G egg substitutes and they have turned out great every time! Thanks for the recipe. My kids are allergic to dairy, eggs, and nuts, and we have not found a single homemade or store bought bar that is free of those allergens, healthy, and delicious. Thank you, thank you!
I just made these with a gluten free flour blend and flax seed egg since my son has a wheat and egg allergy. Turned out great!!!
Made these several times with my 2 year old. My son loves them almost as much as my husband. Second batch I used a cup of carrots & 1/2 cup dried papaya & pineapple they were delicious !!
Thanks again for all the great & healthy recipies !
Great recipe. I omitted the nuts, and just did raisins. Also, did honey since I had no agave. They’re not that sweet, but not really bland either. Perfect for my toddler who gobbled up two. And, my two anti-oatmeal eaters in the family ate one as well and liked ‘em.
I may try some mini chocolate chips next time, or pineapple.
I made these thinking they would have more flavor…almost like a cookie. They don’t. Then I reminded myself they would be a great breakfast bar and in that regard they are pretty good. Then my 22 month old woke up from his nap and asked for a treat. I handed him one thinking he would throw it on the floor. He is happily gobbling down his 2nd one! He won’t eat a bowl of oatmeal so I’m pretty excited about this!
Can I make these with steel cut oats?
are these soft?
Thanks for posting nutrition info April. For any others following Weight Watchers Points Plus – they are 6 pp per bar.
Just noticed 6pp is based on April’s post of 12 bars per batch – recipe is for 18.
These are very tasty! I’m sure I will be making them all the time once I start breastfeeding again soon.
Is there a way to boost the protein content?
I just made a batch of these for the first time tonight and they are AWESOME! I made them with raisins and sunflower seeds and also added about 1/4th cup of wheat germ.
More for us!
I made them pretty mild on the sweetness aspect because I wanted to have them with my morning coffee, however my 23month old son gobbled a slice up without a pause! The hubby wasn’t a fan but that’s ok
Could these be made with all purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour? Hoping to use what I have on hand. Thanks!
Oh my gosh, I LOVE these!!! I told my 4-yr-old they are called “Craisin and walnut brownies” so he’d eat them (if I said “oatmeal” he wouldn’t eat it). SO SO good!!!
[...] Oatmeal on the Go Bars – I am trying these out this month in my batch cooking! [...]
I made these with GF oats, substituted the flour with 1/2 cup GF Oat flour and 1/2 cup Almond flour. I also added a TBSP of Chia and Flax seeds – turned out great. My son loved them. Thank you!
Thanks for the GF substitution. I keep my 9 month old GF and I am GF too. Never hurts to have everyone GF. Anyhow, I was wondering what a good sub for the WW flour would be. I will give it a try.
Cyndi
[...] Oatmeal on the Go Bars [...]
My son loves the Earth Best breakfast bars, but they’re SO expensive, so I’ve come to Weelicious to find a breakfast bar recipe. This recipe looks yummy, but my son is 16 months old, so I don’t want to add the nuts or dried fruit (dried fruit would be ok if I finely chop it up). Do you have any substitute recommendations to make this more baby/early toddler friendly? Is there a better recipe suited for me that I didn’t see?
Thanks in advance!
Scratch that comment, I just saw commenter #2 and it answered my question.
Thanks!
Made these today as part of Once A Month Mom’s June Whole Food Plan. Yum!
I’ve never used agave is this a sugar substitute? So if I wanted to simply use sugar how do I convert the amount?
Thanks for this recipe! My 5 year old has a severe tree nut and sunflower seeds/oil allergy, and this recipe has been a blessing. It’s extremely difficult to find granola bars that are okay for her to eat, healthy, and that she likes. I usually make the recipe with dried cherries and a few chocolate chips, in place of the nuts. This recipe has become a staple in our house. The best thing? Not only does she love them, but my husband, my other 2 kids, and I love them as well. She doesn’t have to feel that, once again, she has to have something different than the rest of her family. Thanks!!!
I was wondering if anyone has tried fresh sour cherries in something like this. If you have, what liquid should I reduce? Applesauce?
Thanks!
Just wanted to say that I tried this when my son was 2.5 and he would not eat them. He just turned 3 and he is obsessed with making and eating them!! Thank you…he will not eat oatmeal any other way and I love how easy it is to feed him breakfast or snack. (And his pregnant Mommy loves them, too!)
[...] it quite often. A few of my favorites include: Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Pancakes, Drop Biscuits, Oatmeal Bars, Sweet Potato Muffins, and Cinnamon Honey Roasted Chickpeas. So, I’ll take a moment while [...]
I am making these this weekend…made your blueberry oat scones last weekend. As always, they were a hit, so I’m sure these will be too! Thanks, Catherine
Does the pan size make a big differince? I don’t have a 7 by 11 so I used one of my 9 by 13 pans.
This looks like an amazing recipe! Do you have any thoughts about using pureed plums instead of apple sauce?
[...] So, I bit the bullet and made my own Monday through Friday (kind of, um, almost) meal plan. And here it is (click the image to access the document). The yogurt referred to here is goat’s milk yogurt, and the meatballs, chicken and rice, and applesauce are all homemade dishes. The oatmeal bars are via the delightful, and sometimes intimidating, Weelicious. [...]
giggles and gags…
[...]Weelicious ™ – Fast, Easy & Fresh Homemade Home Made Baby Food Babyfood Recipes, Toddler Food and recipes for the entire family! » Blog Archive » Oatmeal On-The-Go Bars[...]…
Out of milk and stuck at home in the snow! Any ideas for a sub bc my son loves them?
Just wondering if anyone has used tofu or something else as an egg substitute? My nephew could likely eat these if it weren’t for the egg… Any thoughts?
ChronicDistraction.com…
[...]Oatmeal On-The-Go Bars | Weelicious ™ – Fast, Easy & Fresh Homemade Home Made Baby Food Babyfood Recipes, Toddler Food and recipes for the entire family![...]…
These look delish! My nursing babe is allergic to dairy, so I’ll have to try it using vanilla rice milk. Hope they turn out ok w/ the substitute! Anyone try it w/ water?
These would be perfect for those first couple months post-partum too! You know, when all you have time for is to walk through the kitchen real fast and grab something to put in your face. Ha ha. (This will keep it from being cake or some kind of cereal bar w/ingredients I can’t pronounce.)
Could you make them plain w/o the nuts and fruit? Would you have to alter any of the other ingredients? Please help:-)
Just made these this morning. They were super easy for me and my 2 1/2 year to make together. Something so quick, easy and healthy is great to have being 8 months pregnant and having a toddler. My husband wasn’t big on them, but I think next time I’ll drizzle his with a little maple syrup. My son and I liked them though. We omitted the nuts and added rehydrated cranberries and blueberries. The extra kick of sweetness from the fruit is a nice breakfast treat!
I used a 9×13 pan and cooked for exactly 20 min. They came out perfect!
I used almond milk for the milk plus I was out of eggs so I used 1/2 ripe mashed banana. My girls couldn’t get enough!
Sorry, my mistake, I used to use allrecipes but forgot that you had to have a paying membership now to use that feature. Instead I went to spark people and entered the recipe there. Here is the link to the information that I found where I used dried blueberries and almonds as the nuts and fruits.
Nutrition Facts
12 Servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 176.9
Total Fat 3.7 g
Saturated Fat 0.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.0 g
Cholesterol 15.4 mg
Sodium 60.7 mg
Potassium 168.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 43.9 g
Dietary Fiber 6.0 g
Sugars 14.0 g
Protein 4.6 g