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.
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!
Another recipe I make using applesauce is this Applesauce Cake!
Key ingredients
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Cinnamon
- Oats
- Applesauce
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.
You don't need to have homemade applesauce to make these oatmeal bars. Any type of applesauce will work. You just need two cups for the recipe.
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!
Steps to make
A complete list of instructions is available below! Just scroll to the bottom!
- 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 degree oven for 40-45 minutes
- Allow bars to fully cool before slicing
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.
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
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Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
Filling
- 1½ - 2 cups applesauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees 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.
- Add cinnamon and oats. Pulse just until incorporated.
- 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.
- Pour filling on top of oat mixture. Spread evenly over oat mixture.
- Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over applesauce.
- Bake in a preheated 325 degree 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.
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