Why you’ll love this recipe

• These apple cinnamon oatmeal bars are the perfect meal prep for the entire week.
• It is made in one mixing bowl.
• These oatmeal bars have zero added sugar but are sweetened with banana and apple.
• They taste amazing warmed up or cold.
• These gluten free oatmeal breakfast bars are soft, fluffy and naturally sweetened.
• This recipe is vegan, plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar free.
• You may also like chocolate chip, pumpkin, or birthday cake oatmeal bars.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Below are the main ingredients and substitutions for these Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars. I encourage you to scroll down to the recipe card for full list of ingredients and instructions.

Old fashioned oats and oat flour is really the only ingredient that you can use for this recipe. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, make sure you are using gluten-free oats.

To make oat flour, simply blend oats in a blender for 20-30 seconds.

Since this recipe has no added sugar, use over-ripe bananas for the best results.

Ground flax adds fiber and helps create texture in these oatmeal bars, you can omit.

Almond butter acts as the healthy fat in this recipe. You can use any type of nut or seed butter or switch to coconut oil, vegan or regular butter in replace.

Vanilla extract is great for added flavor, you can omit if you don’t have.

Baking powder helps give these oatmeal bars that fluffy texture.

A pinch of sea salt help balance out all the flavors.

A dash of cinnamon gives this recipe that warm aroma and flavor.

Fuji apples are crisp, sweet and refreshing. You can sub any type of apple that you’d like, I’d stick to red just for sweetness. If you use green it will be slightly on the sour side.

Taste and Texture

These oatmeal bars are chewy, fluffy and have a very sweet but subtle flavor. The apples are still sweet and give a lovely crunch with each bite. I personally love to top mine off with matcha almond butter for added flavor.

How to make

My favorite thing about this recipe is that it’s made in one single bowl, which is great for easy clean-up. Please reference the recipe card at the bottom of this page for a more detailed list and instructions.

1. Mash bananas until there are little to no chunks left. I use a fork, but you can also use a potato masher.

1. Add in the almond butter, vanilla extract and ground flax and mix until well combined.
2. Next, add in the oat flour, old fashioned oats, cinnamon, sea salt, and baking powder. Mix with a rubber spatula until mixture is well incorporated. It will be thick, that’s okay.

1. Fold in the diced Fuji apples last and then add the batter to a greased or lined 8×8 baking sheet and then bake!

1. Let cool before removing from the pan. Slice into and enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

Generously coat the 8×8 baking dish with non-stick coconut oil spray, or line it with parchment paper so that the oatmeal bars don’t stick.

Use a fork or potato masher to really break down the banana so that there are little to no chunks left.

Insert a toothpick in the center to make sure the oatmeal bars are done baking, if it comes out clean it’s ready to go. If it comes out with oatmeal on it, bake for an additional 2-5 minutes.

Additional variations

These oatmeal bars are totally customizable and can be made so many different ways. Try these different add-ins in replace for the apple.

• chocolate chips, dairy-free or regular
• nuts such as pecans, walnuts, cashews, etc.
• add in a different fruit like peaches, pears, blueberries, strawberries, etc.
• sprinkles

How to serve and store

I love to make these oatmeal bars at the start of the week to have a quick and healthy breakfast on hand throughout.

Store these oatmeal bars in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 4 days.

Warm them up in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, or enjoy cold.

Pack them up in lunches for a quick mid-day snack, they taste amazing at room-temperature too.

Add some more nut butter on top like nutella, almond butter, peanut butter or cashew butter.

Frequently asked questions

Other recipes you may like

• Banana sweetened stovetop oatmeal
• Oatmeal cups- four ways
• Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
• Birthday Cake Oatmeal Bars
• Chocolate Chips Oatmeal Bars

If you make these Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars, I would really appreciate a comment and rating down below, under the recipe card. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me over on Instagram, Tiktok or Pinterest!