Oatmeal Bars with an applesauce filling are easy to make and delicious for snacking. These bars are always a hit with even the pickiest of eaters! Made with an oatmeal crust and an oatmeal crumb topping.
Perfect served as an after-school snack or dessert!
Delicious oat bars
I started cleaning out my pantry last weekend. I found several jars of homemade applesauce I canned two years ago.
My kids don't eat nearly the amount of applesauce they used to eat. I decided to make applesauce oatmeal bars to use up some of that extra applesauce.
These easy oatmeal bars were a huge hit in my house. They disappeared before I even knew it! I think I'm going to have to start hiding my creations so they last a bit longer. Three teenagers can go through food like crazy!
I also used up some of my homemade applesauce in this Applesauce Cake!
Other versions of these bars are Raspberry Jam Bars and Blueberry Bars. They are super delicious too! The raspberry jam bars use jam as the filling and are just as easy and as delicious as these applesauce bars. The blueberry bars use fresh or frozen blueberries in the filling!
Key ingredients
Ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
- Butter - salted butter
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Oats - old fashioned oats
- Applesauce - sweetened or unsweetened works fine
You can use any type of oatmeal you have on hand. I prefer to use old fashioned oats in these bars rather than instant or one-minute oats. The old fashioned variety is thicker and adds great texture to the bars.
Steps by step directions
How to make it
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Place butter, flour and brown sugar into a food processor. Pulse until mixture becomes coarse crumbs.
- Add oats and cinnamon. Pulse just until mixed. The mixture will be dry and crumbly.
- Add half the mixture to the bottom of a greased pan. Press down firmly with your hands
- Mix additional cinnamon with applesauce. Add on top of flour mixture in pan
- Sprinkle on the remaining flour mixture.
- Bake in a 325° oven for 40-45 minutes
- Allow bars to fully cool before slicing
Tips for making
- Use salted butter that is softened. The butter should be soft enough to spread easily on a slice of bread
- Use old fashioned oats, which are a bit thicker than a quick oat.
- Allow bars to cool before slicing
- Store any leftover bars in a covered container
What if I don't have a food processor?
I mixed this crust in a food processor, but if you don't have one I have a few options for you:
- First, you can place the crust ingredients in a bowl and mix using a mixer with beaters. Make certain the butter is very soft, but not melted.
- Second, you could mix with your hands. Place ingredients in a bowl and use your hands or your fingers to mix. This may be a bit messy, but your hands are really a great kitchen tool. Simply use your fingers to mash butter into the flour and oat mixture.
Recipe Faqs
The bars will last for 2-3 days. Store covered at room temperature.
You may use any type of applesauce in these bars. I use my homemade applesauce but store-bought works great too. Use sweetened or unsweetened applesauce.
More great desserts
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my baking recipes!
Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
Filling
- 1½ - 2 cups applesauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° and spray a 9 x 13" baking dish with a non-stick spray .
- In a food processor bowl, add butter, brown sugar and flour. Pulse until mixture forms small, pea sized crumbs.1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 cups flour
- Add cinnamon and oats. Pulse just until incorporated.1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, 1 cup oats
- Place half the oat mixture into prepared baking dish. Press mixture down with your hands.
Filling
- In a small mixing bowl combine applesauce and cinnamon.1½ - 2 cups applesauce, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pour filling on top of oat mixture. Spread evenly over oat mixture.
- Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over applesauce.
- Bake in a preheated 325° oven for 40 - 45 minutes.
- Allow bars to fully cool before slicing into 12 equal pieces.
Notes
- Use salted butter that is softened. The butter should be soft enough to spread easily on a slice of bread
- Use old fashioned oats, which are a bit thicker than a quick oat.
- Some people prefer not quite as much applesauce filling. You can use 1 ½ cups instead of the 2 cups.
- Allow bars to cool before slicing
- Store any leftover bars in a covered container
- First, you can place the crust ingredients in a bowl and mix using a mixer with beaters. Make certain the butter is very soft, but not melted.
- Second you could mix with your hands. Place ingredients in a bowl and use your hands or your fingers to mix. This may be a bit messy, but your hands are really a great kitchen tool. Simply use your fingers to mash butter into the flour and oat mixture.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in February 2018.
Heather says
Household favorite now!
Kathy says
Hooray!!! Thanks 🙂
Jan says
Usually I follow a recipe but my husband has this thing about apple sauce so I was wondering if I could put in some chopped apple and some walnuts along with the apple sauce. Those he will eat. I hoping with the chopped apple and nuts he want notice the apple sauce.
Thank you
Have a great day
Kathy says
Hi Jan,
I haven't tried adding apples or nuts, but if you cut the apples small enough it should work. You could also use apple pie filling instead of the apple sauce. I also have another recipe that is very similar but it uses jam instead - Raspberry Bars.
Let me know what you do and how it turns out!
Kathy 🙂
Vickie says
Could you replace flour will all purpose gluten-free flour?
Kathy says
Hi Vickie,
Yes, as long as it's a 1:1 flour, like Bob's Red Mill.
Enjoy! 🙂
Heidi says
These are so much better than I was anticipating, just because recipes with oats tend to be hit or miss with us. These are definitely a hit! I'm so glad I decided to give them a try. I'll be making them again! Thanks for the recipe! 😊🤤
Kathy says
Thank you!!! I'm so glad they were a hit! 🙂
Vickie D says
Made this for a play date with my daughter's friends. Kids loved it! My husband thought it too plain. Next time I'm going to add some chopped apples on top of the applesauce and then add some chopped walnuts, a little more cinnamon (he likes extra cinnamon in everything!) and a dash of nutmeg to the remaining top mixture before sprinkling it on. This is a great dish for potluck, family parties, etc.!!
Kathy says
Thank you for your suggestions! 🙂
Ashley says
Sooo good and easy!
Kathy says
Thanks! So glad you enjoyed them!
Jane says
Super easy recipe with wonderful results! My husband and I delivered them to several people we thought needed cheering. We had many requests for this recipe. Thank you for sharing Kathy!
Kathy says
Thank you so much! How wonderful for you to spread cheer! They probably enjoyed the company as much as the treat! 🙂