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Ever had a sweet tooth but don’t want to ruin a whole day of healthy eating with an indulgent dessert? Try these yummy but healthy strawberry oatmeal bars. A crunchy oat crust topped with juicy strawberries, a sweet oat crumble and a simple glaze drizzle. And no need to feel guilty, these bars are made with old fashioned oats, whole wheat flour, and fresh fruit.
Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Not only are strawberry oatmeal bars sweet, and pretty healthy, they are also so simple to make. No complicated batter, no heavy stand mixers needed, no pie weights or piping bags. Just two bowls, a spoon, and a 9×9 square baking pan.
Start by combining 1 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats, 1 1/4 cups of whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg and salt. Pour in 8-10 tbsp of unsalted butter, enough to moisten the oats and form clumps. Press half of this mix into a square pan blind bake in a 350 oven for about 5 minutes to firm up. Set the rest aside.
Dice up about 1 1/2 cups of strawberries and mix them with 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 1/2 tbsp of granulated sugar and 1 tbsp of lemon juice (the juice of about 1/2 a lemon). Pour them in an even layer over the par-baked crust. Top with the remaining oat crumbles and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack or in the fridge to cool completely. Trust me, I rushed this process, and while they were probably even more delicious warm, they fall apart pretty easily.
Note that this recipe was made for a 9×9 pan. If using an 8×8 pan, I suggest cutting all the ingredients back by 1/4 or baking lower and longer (350 for an extra 5-10 minutes).
Simple Sweet Glaze
These strawberry oatmeal bars are pretty sweet on their own if you have really ripe strawberries, but in case your berries aren’t at peak ripeness, or you just like a little extra sweetness, this glaze is the way to go!
Simply combine:
- 3/4 cup of powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk (any kind)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, and if it is too thick, add in 1 tsp of milk at a time. This glaze is pretty straight forward, but feel free to jazz it up any way you want: food dye, lemon zest, almond extract. Make it your own.
Pour it right on top of you cooled bars and cut into 12-16 pieces.
Want More Dessert Ideas?
- Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peach Cobbler Cheesecake
- White Peach Sangria Cupcakes
- Raspberry Lemonade Blondies
- Margarita Cookies
Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
- 1½ cup old fashioned oats
- 1¼ cup whole wheat flour sub AP flour 1:1
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1½ cups fresh strawberries diced
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 1½ tbsp granulated sugar or ¾ tbsp of stevia
- 1 tbsp lemon juice about ½ a lemon
Glaze
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk any kind
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
- Preheat the oven to 375°
- In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour in melted butter and mix until oats are moist and clumps form
- Press half of the oat mixture into a 9x9 square pan. Set the other half aside
- In a bowl, combine strawberries, cornstarch, sugar/stevia, and lemon juice. Pour the strawberries in an even layer over the pressed oats.
- Crumble the remaining oats on top and bake 35-40 minutes or until the fruit bubbles up and the oat crumble is golden brown
- Place on a wire rack or in the fridge to cool completely.
Glaze
- While the bars are cooling, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and lemon juice in a bowl. Once the bars are cooled completely, drizzle the glaze over top and cut into 16 squares. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container in the fridge up to one week.
