If you've always wanted to make your own homemade snack or breakfast bars, you're in luck. These Honey Oat Bars are easy and delicious, and they only need a few basic ingredients. This is an easy snack for the family, perfect for school lunches or a fun treat to whip up for a busy day.
I love the chewy texture of the old-fashioned oats paired with the sweetness of the brown sugar and honey. I'll grab one of these for a quick breakfast or toss one in my bag for an afternoon snack on the go.
It's a simple, sweet treat that still curbs my sweet tooth, so I count that as a win! Once you make this easy no bake oat bar recipe, you'll never have to buy any from the store again.
Be sure to try this Cinnamon Granola Recipe and this Chocolate Granola Recipe for two other quick snack ideas.
Ingredients
- Old-fashioned rolled oats - For the best chewy texture.
- Salted butter - For flavor.
- Brown sugar - Adds sweetness.
- Honey - Adds more sweetness and helps hold the bars together.
- Vanilla extract - For added vanilla flavor.
- Salt - For taste.
- Cinnamon - Optional, but a delicious addition.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Honey Oat Bars
Line a square pan with parchment paper.
Step One: Pour the oats into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, sugar, and honey to a saucepan and heat. Cook and stir until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil.
Step Two: Reduce the heat and continue boiling for the time specified in the recipe card. Remove from the stove and stir in the vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.
Step Three: Pour the mixture over the oats and stir until evenly coated.
Step Four: Transfer to the prepared pan. Press the mixture down firmly. This is essential for the bars to hold together.
Step Five: Let cool, then refrigerate until set.
Step Six: Cut into bars and serve.
Top Tip
Use the back of a spoon to press the oat mixture firmly into the baking dish. This keeps your hands clean and helps the bars hold together once they're set.
Substitutions
- Maple syrup - You can use maple syrup instead of honey for sweetness. You can't really call them honey oat bars after that swap, but you could call them maple oat bars! Keep in mind that the bars may set differently with maple syrup.
Variations
- Almond butter - Stir in some almond butter or peanut butter for other flavors.
- Chia seeds - Adding a few to these no bake granola bars is a great way to increase fiber.
- Sunflower seeds - Topping with sunflower seeds adds a nice crunch.
- Chocolate - You can add some dark chocolate chips or even drizzle some melted chocolate over the top of these honey oat bars.
- Coconut flakes - I love adding the texture of coconut to this delicious recipe.
For another great recipe that uses oats, try our Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars.
Equipment
All you need to make these homemade oat bars is a square pan, a saucepan, and a rubber spatula.
Storage
Once the honey oat bars are done, store them in an airtight container on the counter for a few days. They don't have to be kept in the fridge, but refrigerating them can help them stay firmer.
You can also freeze them to enjoy later by placing them in a freezer-safe bag.
Common Questions
If you are having trouble getting the oats and other ingredients to stick together, you may need to recheck the ratio of ingredients to be sure that a step wasn't missed. Also, be sure that you're pressing the mixture down firmly into the pan. This step is important to help everything stick together. Make sure the bars have cooled and set completely before cutting, too.
Absolutely. They're a great snack or treat to make ahead of time so that they're ready to enjoy when the snacking bug hits.
I've never tried it, but it may work. The granola is going to give the bars more crunch than chew, so be aware of that change. Also, depending on how big the granola pieces are, they may not stick together as well, so pressing down firmly into the prepared pan is going to be important.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Honey Oat Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup salted butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon optional
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Add the oats to a large bowl.
- Combine the butter, brown sugar, and honey in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil.
- Reduce the heat slightly and boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.
- Pour the hot honey mixture over the oats and stir until thoroughly coated.
- Transfer to the prepared pan and press very firmly into an even layer.
- Let cool for about 30 minutes, then refrigerate until completely set. Cut into bars.
Nutrition
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