Strawberry Oatmeal Bars are a healthier fruit dessert made with fresh strawberries, whole grain butter crumb topping, and a lightly sweetened vanilla glaze. This healthier oatmeal bars recipe is a favorite, because these delicious treats are easy to make and just 100 calories each!
Now that spring is in bloom, it’s time to bake fresh strawberry oatmeal bars, one of YOUR favorite healthy desserts!
These strawberry oatmeal bars have become one of the most cherished recipes on my site over the years.
I love hearing the different ways you’ve stumbled upon it, often through word of mouth, but equally as much because you were looking for healthy desserts under 100 calories, healthy desserts for kids, easy oatmeal bars, or (and perhaps best of all) healthy strawberry recipes you could feel completely justified eating for breakfast.
I have been baking these strawberry oat crumble bars for years, maybe more than any other dessert!
They’re unbelievably easy (one bowl, no mixer!), work with fresh or frozen strawberries, and, as the reviews attest, they are wonderful: scrumptious, buttery, fruity, and sweet—everything a strawberry dessert can and should be.
Just for you, the best recipe for strawberry oatmeal bars!
The Best Strawberry Oatmeal Bars. EVER.
A bewitching cross between a soft bar cookie and a streusel-topped crumb bar, these sweet treats are the perfect use for the fresh strawberries that are finally starting to make their way into grocery stores in big, juicy quantities.
(If you are looking for frozen strawberry recipes, these strawberry oatmeal bars will work with them too! See the recipe notes for more details.)
They’re sweet but not too sweet, buttery, and bursting with juicy berries in every inch.
An Easy Dessert Recipe
Sometimes you want to put a lot of effort into your strawberry dessert. In that case, make Strawberry Cake.
Sometimes (like now) you want dessert FAST. I’ve got you. These oatmeal bars are EASY!
- The top and bottom “crust” of the oatmeal bars comes together in a single bowl.
- Since the recipe calls for melted, not softened, butter, you don’t even need to wait for the butter to come to room temperature prior to baking.
- Most strawberry oatmeal bar recipes require making the filling in a separate bowl; these fresh strawberry bars do not.
- Once you’ve pressed the first crust layer into the pan, simply scatter the filling ingredients—diced strawberries, lemon juice, and a touch of sugar and cornstarch—right over it, then sprinkle the remaining oatmeal crumble on top.
Looking for a strawberry oatmeal bars vegan recipe? Just swap the butter for coconut oil.
In the oven, the strawberries “cook” into a bright, strawberry-pie-like filling that’s reminiscent of homemade strawberry jam.
Made with oatmeal, whole wheat flour, and little added sugar (the sweetness of these bars comes almost entirely from the fresh strawberries themselves), these healthy oatmeal bars are wholesome enough for breakfast or an afternoon snack.
Try one warmed up with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
More Ways to Enjoy
- For those who prefer a sweeter take, a drizzle of vanilla glaze (recipe included below) sweetens the strawberry bars enough for dessert. (Another dessert option: these Strawberry Jam Bars!)
- Mix up the fruit! For example, these Blueberry Oatmeal Bars use the same base recipe, with a different juicy filling.
- If you feel the need to garnish them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, you have my blessing!
