These Oatmeal Bars taste just like a Nature Valley copycat. They’re soft-baked, thick, and chewy with rich peanut butter flavor and plenty of peanut butter chips.

Try other gluten-free treats: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake, Healthy Chocolate Cookies, or Blueberry Oatmeal Bars.

Oatmeal bars with peanut butter glaze on top ready to be enjoyed.
chelsea

author’s note

Homemade Oatmeal Bars That Beat the Box!

On a recent road trip, the kids tried Nature Valley’s® Peanut Butter Oatmeal Squares and loved how soft they were. I wasn’t a fan of the ingredients, so after we got home, I made a homemade version.

It took a little testing to get them just right, but once I nailed it, I couldn’t have been more excited. These are so much better than anything you’ll find at the store.

They’re soft, chewy, and taste like a mix between peanut butter cookies and oatmeal. Made with simple ingredients like honey, peanut butter, oats, and oat flour. Peanut butter chips add sweetness, but dark chocolate works as a great swap.

signature
Combining ingredients for oatmeal bars recipe, adding peanut butter chips, transferring dough to a pan, and baking.

Oatmeal Bars Ingredients

  • Peanut Butter: Use no-stir peanut butter for the best texture.
  • Honey & Brown Sugar: Warm the honey a little so it mixes easier.
  • Egg & Vanilla: Help hold the bars together and add flavor.
  • Baking Soda & Salt: A little extra salt makes the peanut butter stand out more.
  • Oats & Oat Flour: Blend oats into flour first, then measure for the right amount.
  • Peanut Butter Chips: Swap with dark chocolate chips for a different flavor.
  • Extra Peanut Butter (Optional): Pipe while warm for a smooth drizzle.

Quick Tip

Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving extra on the sides to lift the bars out easily. Without it, the oatmeal bars will stick and be hard to remove.

How To Make Oatmeal Bars

  1. Prep pan: Lightly grease the pan so the paper sticks in place.
  2. Mix ingredients: Don’t overmix—too much mixing makes the bars dense.
  3. Add peanut butter chips: Save some to sprinkle on top before baking.
  4. Bake: The center may look soft but will firm up as it cools.
  5. Cool completely: Chill in the fridge for 15 mins to make slicing easier.
  6. (Optional) Add peanut butter drizzle: Cut a small corner off a plastic bag for an easy drizzle.
Freshly baked oatmeal breakfast bars in the pan, cut into squares, with peanut butter added on top.

Storage

Store leftover oatmeal bars in an airtight container at room temp for 2 days or in the fridge for up to a week.

For longer storage, freeze them in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

More Easy Snack Recipes:

4.85 from 32 votes

Oatmeal Bars

Soft-baked Oatmeal Bars that taste just like Nature Valley’s! Packed with peanut butter flavor, chewy goodness, and peanut butter chips, these gluten-free bars are made with better-for-you ingredients (see note 1).
Prep Time: 10 minutes
20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 bars

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup oat flour see note 2
  • 1 cup peanut butter baking chips
  • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal, and set aside.
  • Combine all the ingredients except the peanut butter chips in a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Add in the peanut butter chips and fold with a spatula to combine.
  • Transfer batter to the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Bake for 18–22 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. They may look a bit underdone or gooey in the center, but as long as they don’t jiggle at all, they are done. These bars continue to set up and firm as they cool.
  • Remove bars from the oven and let cool completely in the pan. Use the parchment paper overhang to pull out the bars and cut into 12 squares with a sharp knife.
  • Optional: (This is for peanut butter fanatics!) Once bars are cut into squares, place 1/4 cup of peanut butter in a small resealable bag. Cut off a tiny corner tip of the bag and pipe the peanut butter on the top of the bars.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Although this recipe uses naturally gluten-free ingredients, check labels to ensure they weren’t processed in facilities with gluten. For guaranteed gluten-free bars, use products labeled as made in gluten-free environments.
Note 2: To make oat flour, grind up oats in a blender or food processor until the oats are the texture and size of regular flour. Make sure to measure the oat flour after grinding the oats.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.1g | Protein: 5.6g | Fat: 9.1g | Sodium: 77.3mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 17.8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

More Recipes You'll Love

4.85 from 32 votes (8 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




128 Comments

  1. Lu says:

    5 stars
    These are so good! My family loves them and they never last in our house. Definitely recommend!

    1. Chelsea says:

      Yay! So happy to hear this! Thanks Lu!