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.
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.
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
- Prep pan: Lightly grease the pan so the paper sticks in place.
- Mix ingredients: Don’t overmix—too much mixing makes the bars dense.
- Add peanut butter chips: Save some to sprinkle on top before baking.
- Bake: The center may look soft but will firm up as it cools.
- Cool completely: Chill in the fridge for 15 mins to make slicing easier.
- (Optional) Add peanut butter drizzle: Cut a small corner off a plastic bag for an easy drizzle.
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:
Oatmeal 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are so good! My family loves them and they never last in our house. Definitely recommend!
Yay! So happy to hear this! Thanks Lu!