Name: Easy Freezer-Friendly Oatmeal Squares (vegan + gluten-free)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 4 cups quick cooking oats (gluten-free if desired); 1/2 cup maple sugar (or coconut sugar); 1 teaspoon fine salt; 1/4 cup raw creamy (and runny not hardened) almond butter (or seed butter of choice for nut-free); 1/4 cup melted coconut oil (or melted vegan butter); 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, oat milk or coconut milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

These easy bars are nutritious enough for breakfast or brunch but good enough for dessert...and you can make a ton and freeze them for when you need a quick breakfast or snack! Freezer-Friendly Easy Vegan Oat Bars are a one-bowl recipe for the most delicious snack bars I've ever had.

This recipe started as a copycat of the Starbucks oat bars. I made a much healthier homemade version that I honestly enjoy just as much. I love it when that happens!

Now my whole family loves these easy vegan oat bars as an after-school snack, breakfast on the go, or even a nutritious dessert option. They're incredibly easy to make, too. No fancy equipment required, just one bowl to measure ingredients into, stir, and bake!

And if you're looking to add some fruit, be sure to try my 1-bowl blackberry oatmeal bake. You won't be disappointed!

These bars have raw almond butter for added protein and less butter/oil, and they're totally refined sugar-free and gluten-free (if you get certified gluten-free oats!). Finally, they freeze really well, so you can prep them whenever you have time and store them for easy snacking on busy days!

Easy Vegan Oatmeal Bar Ingredients

These bars are made with a super straightforward list of my go-to ingredients! They can all be stored in the pantry except for the non-dairy milk, so it's easy to make a batch of these whenever you feel like it.

Quick-cooking oats - Gluten-free if desired! If you don't have quick-cooking oats, you can pulse old-fashioned oats in the food processor a couple times to break them up a bit.
Maple sugar or coconut sugar - I use maple or coconut sugar instead of refined sugar because they're natural sweeteners and don't aggravate my migraines like refined sugars do.
Almond butter - I recently made my own homemade raw almond butter and LOVED the results! Make sure your nut or seed butter is runny, not hardened. You can store jarred nut butters upside down to help the oils incorporate into the butter!
Coconut oil - You'll want your coconut oil in liquid form, so room temperature or warmer. You can also swap for vegan butter if you'd like!
Pure maple syrup - This it the sweetener that I use in so many recipes! This is made from just one ingredient: the sap of maple trees. It's a natural sweetener that makes recipes absolutely delicious. I buy it in bulk!
Plant milk - Any non-dairy, unsweetened milk you like works in this recipe! I love homemade almond milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.
Vanilla - A splash of vanilla with oats and almond butter?! Heavenly!

How to Store Easy Vegan Oat Bars

I usually store cooked and cooled Easy Vegan Oat Bars in the refrigerator, and they're ready to grab throughout the week! They also freeze really well and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a quick thaw you can remove one from the freezer and place it at room temperature for 20 minutes or so. I actually love them frozen; they taste sort of like a soft/chewy granola bar! Frozen oatmeal bars are totally a dessert for me.

Coffee House Oatmeal Bars

I love enjoying these Easy Vegan Oat Bars warm, right out of the oven! So comforting and satisfying. I love them with a warm beverage in hand, like my own little coffee house situation! I have a few vegan drink recipes that would be perfect:

Easy Homemade Pumpkin Milk - Heat this up for a vegan, no-caffeine Pumpkin Spice Latte!
Vegan Chai Latte
Iced Vanilla Mint Moringa Latte
Golden Milk Turmeric Latte or Easy Vegan Iced Vanilla Turmeric Latte
Vegan Gingerbread Steamer
Blender Hot Chocolate or Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate
Homemade Spiced Apple Cider

Oatmeal Bar Toppings

Bars like this are a great base for your favorite toppings or mix-ins! This recipe is delicious as is, and that's how I usually make it myself, but if you have favorite flavors I say go for it! You could even try different toppings on different parts of the pan to see which is your favorite.

Mini vegan chocolate chips (I love Hu brand chocolate gems!)
Hemp seeds or ground flaxseed are my favorite nutrient-dense add-ins for smoothies, and they'd be great in these Easy Vegan Oat Bars as well.
Unsweetened dried fruit like cranberries, raisins, or chopped dates.
Nuts or seeds - Pecans, walnuts, slivered almonds, sesame seeds, pepitas...so many delicious, crunchy options!
Easy Vanilla Blender Icing, Easy Vegan Vanilla Frosting, or melted chocolate would be delicious toppings to turn this into more of a dessert oatmeal bar. My kids would be thrilled about these!
If you love Nutella, try my Healthy Homemade Nutella drizzled on top.
For a caramelly bar, my Instant Vegan Caramel Sauce is really easy to make and would pair perfectly with the oats.

These Easy Vegan Oat Bars are made without dairy or eggs, and they're gluten-free if you use certified oats! They can be made nut-free by using sunflower seed butter, granola (oat) butter or pumpkin butter rather than almond butter. They're also soy-free and free of refined sugar! If you make them, please tag me on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations, and don't forget to leave a review below this recipe.

More Snack Bar Recipes

Easy Freezer-Friendly Oatmeal Squares (vegan + gluten-free)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 4 reviews

Author: Elaine Gordon
Total Time: 30
Yield: 16 1x
Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

Description

These easy bars are nutritious enough for breakfast or brunch but good enough for dessert...and you can make a ton and freeze them for when you need a quick breakfast or snack! Freezer-Friendly Easy Oat Bars are a one-bowl recipe for the most delicious snack bars I've ever had.

Ingredients

Units Scale

4 cups quick cooking oats (gluten-free if desired)
½ cup maple sugar (or coconut sugar)
1 teaspoon fine salt
¼ cup raw creamy (and runny not hardened) almond butter (or seed butter of choice for nut-free)
¼ cup melted coconut oil (or melted vegan butter)
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, oat milk or coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl add the oats, maple sugar (or coconut sugar) and salt. Stir to combine.
Add the almond butter, melted coconut oil (or melted vegan butter), maple syrup, non-dairy milk of choice and vanilla extract. Stir well to combine. You may need to use a hand mixer to combine thoroughly.
Transfer the oat mixture over to the parchment lined baking pan. Place another piece of parchment paper overtop and use the bottom of a small glass to press the mixture down so it is packed tightly.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. To speed the process up, place on a heat safe surface in your refrigerator. Once fully cooled, slice into 15 squares and enjoy.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator separating the oat bars with parchment paper. In the refrigerator they keep for up to one week. Alternatively, you can store in the freezer for up to three months in an airtight container with the bars separated by parchment paper (to avoid them sticking together while they freeze). .