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.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 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.
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! How far ahead of time can I make it?
Suzanne says
This looks so good! It is nice to have other options than apple pie when you want to whip something up quickly to bring for dessert!
Katie says
My family loved these yummy applesauce bars. I've made them again and again and they never grow tired of them!
Nav says
Hi, which flour do you use use in these please?
Kathy says
I use all-purpose flour.
Ti says
Totally love this recipe. I added a little more cinnamon but it was delicious it's a definite keeper. I also did not have a food processor and I used my hands oh, of course with gloves to mix it up.
Kathy says
Thanks! These are one of our favorites. A little extra cinnamon adds so much flavor! Good job on figuring out a way to make without a food processor!
Linda says
I don't own a food processor. Can this be made without one to pulse as per directions.
Kathy says
Hi Linda,
You could make this without a food processor. You could use two butter knives, a pastry blender or your fingers. You just want to get the butter and flour and oatmeal into pea sized pieces. Let me know how it turns out!
Kathy
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
Love all the cinnamon in these Kathy! Teenagers can eat a lot! I remember those days!
David @ Spiced says
Oh my gosh, I can't imagine how fast 3 teenagers would destroy a recipe like this one! I love a good oatmeal bar, and I'm totally going to have to keep this one in mind for next apple season when we have homemade apple sauce coming out of our ears. Literally. (Well, maybe not literally...but close to it...haha) Looks delicious, Kathy!!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
I started to clean out our pantry this past weekend too and there was stuff there I totally forgot about! You certainly put that apple sauce to good use with these oatmeal bars 🙂 Delish!
allie says
Hi Kathy - these bars look fabulous. I would never find a jar of homemade apple sauce just sitting around in my pantry... you are so good about making homemade. The bars look fantastic and no wonder they disappeared fast. I've been freezing small portions of treats like this to make sure that Jon and I get some! Four boys in the house - you get the picture...
Kathy says
Four boys! Yep, I'll bet you can't keep anything around for long at all! I'll need to try popping a few in the freezer! Good idea!
Juliana says
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but would you be able to put these in the freezer to save for a later date/time?
Kathy says
Hi Juliana,
I freeze a lot of foods, but I have not tried freezing these bars. My instincts say they should freeze just fine, but I haven't actually tried it. Please let me know if you do!
Thanks 🙂
Katie says
Is it possible to make this without a food processor?
Kathy says
Hi Katie,
Yes, this can be made without a food processor. Here are the two methods I suggest:
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.
Enjoy!
Kathy 🙂