Perfectly easy to make oatmeal bars that are kissed with brown sugar are a great grab and go breakfast or fun homemade snack.
With just a handful of simple ingredients and a couple minutes of prep you can have these delicious oatmeal bars in the oven and ready to devour! They make a perfect grab and go breakfast for busy mornings.
You could also serve them with fresh fruit and yogurt for a leisurely breakfast. Or pack them for an easy answer to the mid afternoon slump or after school treat for the kids!
By now we all know there are a few ingredients I can’t help but to love. Of course I can’t help but to put brown sugar in things when I have the chance.
There’s the brown sugar peach cobbler and zapple crisp to show as an example of that. I just love the depth and warmth it adds to a recipe.
Even deeper than my love of brown sugar is my infatuation with oatmeal. I mean it’s healthy, super versatile and I live the texture it adds to food.
If you are a regular here, you know baked oatmeal is a staple on our breakfast table. Some baked oatmeal is dense or dry, but we like ours soft and fluffy.
Favorites include brownie baked oatmeal, maple pumpkin oatmeal and pineapple right side up baked oatmeal just to name a few.
But we don’t only eat our oats baked. There is also room in the table for favorites like apple pie steel cut oats and healthy chocolate oatmeal.
Oooh, and there are cookies too. We can’t forget the cookies! A lot of our favorites include oatmeal. Take monster cookies, and great-grandma’s oatmeal raisin step-ons for example.
But these brown sugar oatmeal squares might be the most versatile of all. They could be served at a sit down breakfast or be grabbed on the way out the door for a quick morning bite.
They also make a perfect treat to tuck in your purse for a little snack at work or between errands. Have some ready for the kids when they get home from school to help give them the energy to power through homework or practice.
You could even serve them as a simple dessert for when you need a little something sweet but don’t want to go whole hog. There are just so many great ways to enjoy them!
What are your favorite grab and go treats?
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a review in the recipe card.
Brown Sugar Oatmeal Squares
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 cups quick/instant oats
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup butter melted
- Optional: pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line your baking dish with parchment (optional, but makes removal a whole lot easier!)
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients until well mixed.
- Divide mixture between two 8-inch square pans (or a 9×13) and firmly press into pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Bars will be soft straight from the oven but will crisp up as they cool.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then turn onto a cutting board. Run a knife along the edges if necessary to release. Then cut into bars while still warm.
- Cool completely and then store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to eat.
Nutrition
Doreen Razo
Monday 3rd of July 2023
Brown sugar oatmeal bars made this recipe when I needed something sweet but had very little in the cabinet so I added a pinch of lemon extract, 3/4 tsp baking cocoa & almost 1 tsp sea salt just out the oven YUMMY great summer sweet
Anita
Wednesday 21st of June 2023
Easy on-hand ingredients but I feel they’re lacking something 🤔. Very tasty and sweet for sure. I might try again and add some honey or peanut butter.
Carlee
Thursday 22nd of June 2023
Either would be delicious! Let me know how it goes.
Dottie
Tuesday 21st of February 2023
These are really delicious. A couple of things. Mixing the batter with a spoon or similar tools leave this a bit dry. But if you mix it with your fingers to better distribute the butter, it makes it much easier to use. Also, next time I make this, I’m going to double the recipe and divide between two 8 x 8 pans. These are pretty thin, and I’d personally prefer they be a bit thicker (I made them to take on a train I commute on for breakfast and it would be easier for them to be a bit less delicate). I’m absolutely making them again!!!
Deb
Thursday 1st of December 2022
Janelle
Friday 15th of July 2022
These are delicious but...the first time I used all the sugar and also the bars crumbled but that's ok I just used them on my yogurt. Second time I made them with 1/2 the sugar and used parchment paper and just lifted them out of the pan and then cut into bars just fine. And using 1/2 the sugar they tasted just as good. And why have all that sugar if you don't need it.
Carlee
Friday 15th of July 2022
For sure! I'll try reducing the sugar the next time I make them!