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!
Why make this recipe
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!
Another version of these bars are Raspberry Jam Bars and these 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
- 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
- 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 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.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in February 2018.
Janet says
Excellent! Thanks for a keeper. We have ours with vanilla ice cream.
Kathy says
Thank you!!! 🙂
Terri says
This is a very nice recipe, I’d like to make more recipes from beyond the chicken coop seeing this recipe went so well!
I like when recipes actually work!
Thank you!
Kathy says
Thank you!!! I appreciate you leaving a comment and I hope you enjoy many more delicious recipes! 🙂
Kathy
Neb says
at best these were "ok" i used homemade applesauce from an early picking of Chehalis apples so a bit tart apple sauce i made them 1x as listed just bland
2nd batch i doubled cinnamon lots better but still lacking flavor 3rd batch 3x cinnamon and added raisin's soaked in a bit of bourbon and walnuts then they were "good"
just my 2cents
Kathy says
Thank you for your feedback. 🙂
Alicia says
Hi! I'm wondering if I could use coconut oil instead of butter for this recipe. Trying to stay away from dairy. Thanks!! Alicia.
Kathy says
Hi Alicia,
I have not ever used coconut oil in baking before. But I did a quick Google search and it looks like you can replace the butter for coconut oil with a 1:1 ratio. Give it a try and let me know how they turn out!
Kathy 🙂
Neb says
remember butter has about 18% water in it so wile you can sub 1 to 1 butter with coconut oil it might come out a bit greasy or dry as ur not getting that 18% liquid in your recipe
April S. says
How long are these good for if stored on the counter in an airtight container? I didn’t have a food processor so I used a hand mixer (ninja blender didn’t work haha) so my crumble was bigger and they were very soft once cooked but delicious reheated/toasted!! YUM!
Kathy says
Hi April,
These should be good for 2-4 days stored on your counter. Glad you are enjoying them!
Kathy 🙂
Paula says
These bars are delicious and so easy.
Kathy says
Thanks!
Gayle Marie says
I made these last week for my 20 mos old grandson. He and the kids loved them. My daughter compared them to that "Christmas Crack" that you can't stop eating!!
I added some dried cranberries and was afraid they would absorb liquid, so I used the full 2 cups of applesauce. They took forever to cook and still came out a bit too soft but oh they were delicious!!! ❤
I have another batch in the oven.......used 1 stick of butter and 1/2 cup of solid coconut butter. Hoping once the coconut butter melts, it doesn't ruin the crust and crumble on top. I still put in dried cranberries but decreased the unsweetened applesauce to about 1 1/2 cups. Will cook them longer but keep any eye on them.
Once the kids cut into them, I'll let you know how they came out with the substitution. BTW, my adorable blonde haired, blue eyed grandson walks around with one piece in each fist and don't try to ask for one little bite. Oh no, no, no.......!!!! Thanks again!
Kathy says
Hi Gayle,
How fun you are and how lucky to have your grandbabies! The dried cranberries sound like a great addition. Let me know how the 2nd batch turns out. I've never used coconut butter before so I'm curious how it is.
Thank you!
Kathy