Healthy Vegan Oat Bars

by Alena
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These easy vegan oat bars are made with just a handful of everyday ingredients and ready in 30 minutes. They’re a great homemade treat, breakfast or snack for the whole family and naturally gluten-free!

If you love chewy, soft and nutty snacks or breakfast bars you need to try our popular vegan oat bar recipe!

It’s made with simple pantry ingredients, ripe banana and crunchy nuts, and can be customized to your preferences.

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Our healthy oat bars offer great taste, texture, and a wonderful nutritional profile: complex carbs, healthy fats, protein, and fiber join forces to keep you full and satiated for hours!

You can make these vegan oat bars within only 30 minutes and add a layer of raspberry chia jam to make fruity flapjacks or top them with granola!

close up of 8 baked vegan oatmeal squares on a piece of parchment paperpin it

Why you’ll love them

  • Budget-friendly & accessible
  • Vegan, gluten-free and tasty
  • Endlessly customizable
  • Nutritious and satiating
  • Great for meal prep & to-go snacking
  • Kid-friendly & healthy

We’ll share with you how you can customize these vegan oat bars to your preferences in just a bit. Here are the basic ingredients!

white table with different sized bowls containing banana, flour, oats, cinnamon, chia seeds, dates and salt to make vegan oat barspin it

Ingredients needed

  • Rolled oats – obviously. They double as flour if you process them in a blender!
  • Bananas – great as an egg & sugar replacement.
  • Soy milk – more nutrients, creaminess & plant-based protein!
  • Cinnamon – our favorite spice for baked treats.
  • Nuts, seeds & dried fruit — our favorite combination is dates, walnuts, chia and coconut.
  • Maple syrup – adjust to your prefered level of sweetness!

In terms of kitchen equipment, get an 8×8 baking dish, two mixing bowls, a spoon and measuring equipment.

white table with a bowl of whole food plant based oatmeal bar batter that is being mixed with a spoonpin it
baking dish with vegan oat bar batter which is being topped with coconut shredspin it

How to make vegan oat bars

  1. Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C) and line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. Make oat flour by pulverizing rolled oats in your blender.
  3. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a spoon.
  4. Mix wet ingredients (mashed banana, soy milk and maple syrup) in another bowl using a spoon.
  5. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix until you create a somewhat homogenous batter.
  6. Fold in nuts, seeds or dried fruit, then pour the batter into your baking dish.
  7. Spread it evenly and top with addition nuts or seeds if liked.
  8. Bake for around 20 minutes until firm and lightly golden on the top! The baking time depends on how thinly you spread your batter and how soft or crunchy you want them to be.
  9. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes on a rack before slicing into bars!
woman cutting vegan oat bars on a baking traypin it

Storage & serving

Our vegan oat bars taste wonderfully fresh from the oven but keep well for 3-4 days at room temperature when stored in a container.

You can keep them for up to a week in the fridge and even freeze any leftovers!

Wrap the oat bars individually in parchment paper and place them in a freezer-friendly container. They can be frozen for a couple of months and defrosted for 30-60 minutes at room temperature.

Enjoy the vegan oat bars alongside some creamy almond milk or almond latte, fresh fruit, berry smoothie or our mango chocolate smoothie!

two vegan oat bars on top of each other on a white plate standing on a tablepin it

Tips & FAQs

If you don’t end up with the perfect texture of your oatmeal bars, here’s a tip for how to save them!

Cut them into small bites or crumble them to use as a muesli or granola replacement for breakfast. Top with fresh fruit, milk, nuts or almond yogurt!

Adjustments

  • Oat flour: swap with all-purpose flour
  • Bananas: swap with applesauce
  • Soy milk: use any plant-based milk
  • Maple syrup: go for your favorite sweetener
  • Dates: raisings or dried figs also work
  • Walnuts: pecans, cashews, almonds are all tasty

Make the oat bars higher in fat by adding 2 tablespoons of nut butter to the batter or using more nuts.

To ensure the oat bars are 100% gluten-free, you need to make sure your oats are labeled as such and are not contaminated with glutinous grains!

For a smoother texture of your oatmeal bars, use only oat flour (1.75 cups or 210 g) and no rolled oats.

vegan oat squared on some parchment paperpin it

Are oat bars healthy?

This obviously depends on the exact oat bar in question but they are usually a healthier snack choice because they are based on whole grains.

Choose healthier oat bars by making some that are lower in added sugar and saturated fats while featuring more wholesome ingredients like nuts or dried fruit.

Are oat bars usually vegan?

Many store-bought oat bars are vegan, yes! However, they may contain honey, a non-vegan sweetener, eggs or dairy products.

You can make some easy vegan swaps if you’re following a non-vegan oat bar recipe or check the ingredients of any store-bought breakfast bar.

Delicious add-ins & variations

We never get tired of making oatmeal bars simply because we can create so many different versions! Here are some great add-ons and add-ins you can try.

  • Peanut butter or almond butter
  • Raspberries or blueberries
  • Chocolate chips
  • Dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, apple or banana chips
  • Pistachios, almonds, peanuts
  • Sunflower, hemp, pumpkin or sesame seeds
  • Spices like vanilla, gingerbread, anise, cloves or cardamom
several baked vegan oat bars on a white table one of which is being taken awaypin it

More healthy vegan snacks

If you liked these easy vegan oatmeal bars, try some of the following goodness next!

Did you make our vegan oat bar recipe and like it? Comment below, leave a rating and Pin the recipe here!

woman cutting vegan oat bars on a baking tray

Healthy Vegan Oat Bars

Yield: 12 pieces
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

These easy vegan oat bars are made with just a handful of everyday ingredients and ready in 30 minutes. They're a great homemade treat, breakfast or snack for the whole family and naturally gluten-free!

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup rolled oats (90 g)
  • 1 cup oat flour (120 g)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 2 ripe bananas, chopped or mashed
  • ½ cup soy milk
  • 1-2 tbsp maple syrup

Optional Add-ons

  • â…“ cup walnuts, chopped (40 g)
  • 5 dates, chopped
  • ¼ cup coconut flakes (20 g)
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C) and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients: oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix with a spoon.
  3. Add the mashed banana, soy milk, and maple syrup to another bowl. Mix thoroughly with a fork.
  4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix them thoroughly. Fold in any nuts, seeds, dried fruit or add-ins of choice!
  5. Put your mixture onto the baking dish, spreading it evenly. The bars should be 1-1.5 inches (3-4 cm) thick.
  6. Sprinkle with toppings of your choice and press them down gently.
  7. Transfer into the preheated oven and bake for around 18-20 mins until firm and lightly golden. The baking time depends on how thinly you spread your batter and how soft or crunchy you want them to be!
  8. Once the oat mixture has turned golden, remove it from the oven. Place the baking dish on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then slice your oat batter into bars.
  9. Enjoy warm or store in a container and eat over the next few days!

Notes

  • Make your own oat flour by pulverizing 1 â…“ cups (or 120 g) rolled oats in your blender or food processor.
  • Use any plant-based milk for this recipe.
  • You can swap the ripe banana for applesauce if you want!
  • Find more tips & adjustments in the article.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 139Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 102mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 4g

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Alena sitting in a cafe with a bowl of fresh plant-based food and a glass of coffee in front of her

About Alena Handwritten FontAlena Schowalter is a Certified Vegan Nutritionist who has been a vegetarian since childhood and vegan since 2012. Together with her husband, she founded nutriciously in 2015 and has been guiding thousands of people through different transition stages towards a healthy plant-based diet. She’s received training in the fields of nutrition, music therapy and social work. Alena enjoys discussions around vegan ethics, walks through nature and creating new recipes.

104 thoughts on “Healthy Vegan Oat Bars”

  1. Hi,
    I made the bars bur they did not look like yours, more like a solid cake. I weighed the rolled oats and oat flour. The weight of the rolled oats was equal to 1 cup but 1 cup of oat flour weighed 96 grams only. So when using 220 grams as in the recipy, the mix became very dry and more like a cake dough. I had to adjust with some more soy milk. Next time I will try to use 1 cup of oat flour only. Maybe you can check if 220 grams is correct.
    Regards Ã…got

    Reply
    • Hey, thanks so much for your feedback! You’re totally right, the 1 cup of flour doesn’t come down to 220 grams… not sure why I jotted down that number. I’m so sorry about this but luckily you kind of saved it by adding some more soy milk. Will change this asap.
      Any way I can make it up? ;)
      Warm wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
  2. Healthy breakfast bar options are hard to find, and this recipe looks SO good. Can’t wait to give these a try!

    Reply
  3. I just made these, very tasty! I wasn’t sure what size pan to use. A 9×12 seemed like it would be too big of a pan for the mixture to be 1-1.5 inches high. I bet a 8×8 pan would be perfect. The only thing I had beside a cake pan was a round cake pan, so I used that. I will definitely make again, thanks for sharing! The add in possibilities are endless lol.

    Reply
    • Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback! Sorry it wasn’t very clear what pan to use, smaller ones definitely work better. Will add it to the article :)

      Reply
  4. I just tried the recipe and I loved it. I used peanuts, walnuts and chocolate as toppings . They only got around 2cm high though, but they taste delicious and I can’t wait for them to cool!

    Reply
  5. Just made this recipe, it’s amazing! I made a few changes, such as:
    I added vanilla extract to the wet ingredients
    I mixed in some chopped almonds, dried cranberries, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds
    I added extra cinnamon; in the recipe and as a topping.
    Will definitely make these again, thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  6. Hi I wanted to know what would happen if I didn’t add the baking powder? I have all the ingradients on hand except the powder. Thank you!

    Reply
  7. As far as the calories are concerned, is it 143 cal. per bar? or is that for the 12 servings that the recipe makes?

    Reply
  8. Just made these,delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe! I omitted the maple syrup and added the five dates to the milk and blended them together. Used five large dates. Added all the optional add-ons when mixing the dry and wet ingredients together. Except no more dates. Baked 20 minutes in an 8by8 parchment paper lined baking dish. Very filling and tasty! Hoping my son will grab some for breakfast.

    Reply
        • I’d use a slightly smaller quantity as applesauce does add more liquid compared to a banana. An average-sized banana is about 4 oz so use 2-3 oz applesauce and see if the batter comes together nicely!

          Reply
          • Thank you Alena. I added 1 packaged individual serving which is 3.9ounces/111grams of of unsweetened applesauce. The bars turned out perfectly but I found them too unsweet. So I’m sure your original bananas make it a lot more delicious. I might even try 1 banana and some applesauce next time (soon)…I’m traveling next week and need these bars to fly with me…they are super nutritious and I want to thank you for this great recipe for us vegans!!!

          • sounds wonderful, thank you so much for sharing! You can add some maple syrup or additional dried fruit when using applesauce to make the oat bars sweeter if you don’t want to use any banana :)

  9. Hi Alena, the photos look like you mixed the chia seeds in with the mixture?
    I made these today and topped it with dates, walnuts and coconut, they were delicious,I opted to use water instead of milk .

    Reply
    • Thanks so much for the feedback – yes, you can either put the chia seeds and other add-ons into the mixture itself or top the oat bars with them! Sorry if that step caused any confusion :) And sure, you can just make them with water!

      Reply
    • you can use any other grain flour, I’m very sure! Haven’t gone through all of them but whole wheat, spelt, all-purpose, all of them should work. Not sure about things like almond flour, though.

      Reply
  10. Hi, I just made these bars and they were delicious. I normally don’t bake but am sick and was craving comfort food. I had all the ingredients on hand; added chia, dates and walnuts to the mid. I blended 1.3 c oats and measured out one cup for the recipe. 8×8 Pan. So easy and fast. And filling. These will be great to bring into work for an east breakfast. Thank you for sharing the recipe!!

    Reply
  11. Thank You! Just made these and they are not only perfect as a great snack or quick meal but so healthy and yummy! I used the majority of two very ripe bananas and added a little unsweetened applesauce. Also, mixed almond milk instead of soy (since that’s what I had). For extras I put in six diced prunes, chopped almonds and chia seeds. I did use an 8×8 baking dish and increased the baking time to 23 mins. Very moist and chewy. Will definitely make again and play with different “extras”. :)

    Reply
    • Hi Jaime, I don’t ever calculate the nutritional value in my recipes except for the calories per serving when putting it up on the blog! Sorry, you probably need to do this yourself if it’s very important. Really depends on your add-ons here, too.

      Reply
  12. Thank you! This has become a staple item for grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches. We doubled the recipe and use a 9×13 pan lined with parchment, keep the maple syrup measure low, use unsweetened almond milk, and add raisins and walnuts. We add the raisins with the almond milk to help break the sticky goodies up. Sometimes, the bananas were peeled, mashed lightly, then frozen/thawed for shopping convenience. I bought a pack of six oat flours to make it easier for weekend food prep, although at first was making our own oat flour. 23 minutes at 350 oven.
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GL6PXLC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    I used https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076 to analyze our double-recipe 10 servings bar and ended up at 317 each.
    Again, thank you for posting this recipe!

    Reply
  13. This recipe is amazing!
    It’s super versital. The first time I made it was with the coconut and dates.
    This last time I did dates and craisins, and drizzled melted vegan chocolate I had left over from a different recipe over the top.
    This is a recipe that is just plain good in it’s own right (not a good-for-gluten-free-vegan).
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • thank you soooo much for this epic review!! Made my evening, I’m such a lucky girl to be able to share healthy + tasty food with people around the world :)

      Reply
  14. How long would you estimate they will last in the refrigerator? I’m trying to decide whether to freeze or not. These are delicious and have a thick, satisfying bite to them! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • They are too yummy to last for more than 3 days in our fridge, haha! I’d give them 4-5 days or so but haven’t actually tried – would love some feedback if you decide to do so :)
      Very happy you like them!

      Reply
  15. Um, these oat bars are such a great way to kickstart the morning. Not to sweet, customizable. Like seriously so easy and delicious. I added all the suggested add-ins and drizzled my bars with peanut butter and honey. CAN YOU SAY YUM! I love love these oat bars.. Will be making these regularly.

    Reply
    • Hey Sophia,
      thanks for the question! Since this is a recipe for vegan oat bars, we went for maple syrup as the sweetener – honey is an animal product and therefore not considered vegan :) However, if you want to use it, I assume it’s just as sweet as maple syrup so swap for the same amount!
      Hope you’ll enjoy this recipe.
      Best wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
  16. Wow. These are the first oat bars I tried and they’re already my favourite recipe. I made some with walnuts, dates and almond butter and some with cashews and dried apricots. Yummy!

    Reply
  17. I made these tonight. They are amazing! I used my almond flour because I have tons of it and they turned out great. Awesome recipe, thanks!

    Reply
    • depending on the amount you want to use, swap it for some of the wet ingredients like the plant-based milk. It won’t change the baking time, no :)
      Let us know about your creation, we always love a good oat bar idea!

      Reply
  18. Hi! My boyfriend is allergic to bananas. Do you know of any other wet ingredient we could substitute for? Thanks!

    Reply
    • yes, use some applesauce or nut butter instead! Cannot tell you the exact amount right now but you’ll notice once the right texture of the batter is created :) Let us know how they turn out!

      Reply
    • Hi Meg, they’ll probably turn out only slightly different when omitting the baking powder :) I think I never tried doing it so I’d be happy to know how they turn out!

      Reply
  19. Unfortunately this wasn’t a hit for me. I made it with
    1 cup rolled oats (90 g)
    1 cup plain flour (120 g)
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1 tsp baking powder
    ¼ tsp salt
    Wet Ingredients
    2 bananas, mashed
    ½ cup almond milk
    1-2 tbsp honey as I had no maple syrup
    â…“ cup walnuts, chopped (40 g)
    ¼ cup coconut flakes (20 g)

    Perhaps the key is over ripe Bananas as mine were just yellow and the maple syrup. My slice mostly tasted like flour and cinnamon. I’ll probably try to use maple next time, please extra ripe bananas perhaps some sultanas and vegan butter.

    Reply
    • sorry to know they didn’t turn out so well! Yes, we always use very ripe bananas. These oat bars are one of our most popular recipes on the blog, so I’m not sure what happened in your case — perhaps the maple syrup would be sweeter than honey. Since you left out the dates, that’s also some natural sweetness that was missing ;) swapping them for sultanas would be great! Sure, you can use some vegan butter, our recipes just follow the wfpb guidelines which is why they are refined fat free. Let us know how they turn out!

      Reply
  20. Hi there,
    Hoping to try to make these in the next couple of days – just wondering if you can swap out the oat flour for GF all purpose flour and if so how the conversion would work.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hey Erin,
      thanks for your comment! I actually never tried this but I’d swap it for the same amount in weight and see whether I end up with a good consistency of the batter or if I’d need to adjust with some more or less liquid, for example.
      Pretty sure you will create delicious bars, this recipe is hard to mess up ;)

      Reply
    • Hey Nany,
      I’ve made them before with some frozen raspberries mixed into the batter before baking but not yet with a whole layer of frozen berries — in the article, I linked to a recipe by Hummusapiens who created something that you might be looking for :)
      Best,
      Alena

      Reply
  21. I just started a new job and wanted a healthy breakfast I could eat during the long commute, these came out great!! Super easy recipe and easy to change up depending on what you have. Mine reminded me of a cross between banana bread and carrot cake.

    I roughly doubled the recipe and added in some extra walnuts, chia seeds and chopped dates in the mix, plus desiccated coconut on top.

    Reply
    • sure, they can be replaced with applesauce but you might need some additional sweet ingredients, either more dried fruit or some maple syrup if you want :)

      Reply
  22. So happy I found this recipe! It is perfect as is. You can also do just about anything with it and it turns out great. You can make it more cakey or more bar like and put just about any mix in you can think of.

    Reply
  23. Hi! I’m trying to make the bars lower calorie by using instant oats instead of oat flour. What quantity instant oats should I use? Thanks so much!!

    Reply
    • Hi Maria,
      good question! Never actually tried it but I would just wing it and see how much I need to create a good consistency — starting with perhaps a cup and then working my way up. Sorry I cannot give you any clear measurements!
      Best wishes

      Reply
  24. I make these two to three times a week. I add raisins and a small bag of frozen berries. Sometimes I substitute applesauce for the bananas. It is a very healthy, low-calorie snack that everyone loves. Thanks so much for the great recipe!

    Reply
    • yes, very likely so! Just use the same quantities — I did a little research and found that the average banana weighs 6.5 oz so use 13 oz of canned pumpkin :) start with less than that and see when the batter comes together nicely. Love the idea, share with us how the oat bars turn out!

      Reply
  25. Just made these and they came out a little doughy ? I thought they would be a little crunchy?
    Any advice ? Also never really browned on top and I left them in longer .

    Reply
    • sorry to hear that, Elizabeth! Did you customize anything about that recipe? They always turn out crunchy on the outside for me but definitely not super crispy or anything…

      Reply
    • Hi Anna,
      I’ve never tried that but I can imagine quinoa flour not being sticky enough so definitely add at least some quick-cooking oats to the batter :) Let me know how they turn out!
      Best

      Reply
    • Hey Kristie, thanks for your question! I’d use a slightly smaller quantity as applesauce does add more liquid compared to a banana. An average-sized banana is about 4 oz so use 2-3 oz applesauce and see if the batter comes together nicely!

      Reply
  26. Could I substitute apple cider in place of the plant milk? I have leftover cider from another recipe that I don’t want to go to waste!

    Reply
    • never actually tried that but why not? You just need a liquid component to create the batter and I’m super curious to know how it turns out with apple cider :) perhaps go for 50/50 cider and plant milk?

      Reply
  27. Hi! My daughter sent me this recipe. I am actually not a fan of bars because of the hidden fat and processed ingredients in store-bought items. It was my first time baking them myself. I followed your recipe and loved the quick tip on making my own oat flour.
    I added dried cranberries but other than that, I followed the recipe as written. Wow! I am sold. These are my new favourite breakfast or grab-n-go snack. Chef’s kiss!

    Reply
  28. Hi There!
    These look absolutely amazing, I am looking for a recipe that will replace my protein smoothie on days I am not working out and this just about fits the bill! I was wondering if I were to add a vegan protein powder (enough for 20g of protein for each bar) how this would alter the recipe? I imagine the added protein would make the mixture 1. stickier 2. dryer and therefore 3. all crumbly….
    In your opinion, which ingredient would you increase to compensate for the added protein to create a balanced bar?

    Reply
    • Hey Faith,
      that’s a fantastic idea and questions! Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience working with protein powder and cannot give you any tips — I’d have to research this for myself first. Probably swapping some oats and playing with the other components… here’s one recipe you might want to try: https://www.wellplated.com/vegan-protein-bars/
      Best wishes!

      Reply
  29. Hi Alena,
    Thanks so much for sharing all of your delicious nutritious recipes!
    I just made a first attempt at this recipe and it was delicious, however mine seemed to turn out more like a cake/almost like banana bread instead of the oat bar in the images. Any tips?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • there is always some leeway when following recipes — how accurate your oven is (or even mine is when writing it!), how large or small your bananas were, whether you eyeballed or exactly weighed some ingredients etc.
      I’d try to reduce the amount of wet ingredients or just add some more oats/oat flour to create the texture you’re looking for or letting the bars sit in the oven a bit longer.

      Reply
  30. Love these Healthy Vegan Oat Bar Recipe, best one after meal. thanks for sharing instructions and ingredient for this recipe , will definitely gonna love this one.

    Reply
    • Hi Corinne, sure you can recommend our recipe by linking to it or something along these lines! Thanks for the feedback :)

      Reply
  31. Love this Healthy Vegan Oat Bar Recipe , will love to try this one with us. Definitely gonna try this one. Thanks for sharing this one with us .

    Reply
  32. Love these Healthy Vegan Oat Bars, these seems super delicious and amazing . Super excited to try these Healthy Vegan Oat Bars, will definitely gonna try this one.

    Reply
  33. This turned out yummy, i added shredded zucchini to keep it moist and add some veggies. Also added chocolate chips, coconut and pecans. Thank you for sharing this recipe it will be a staple in our house.

    Reply
    • what a great idea! sounds almost like my zucchini muffins which I’ll share on the blog very soon :) glad you liked the recipe!

      Reply

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