These cinnamon apple oatmeal bars are perfect for those days when you need a quick grab-and-go snack that's both filling and nutritious. With just 6 wholesome and all-natural ingredients, they couldn't be easier to make! These simple bars are also kid-friendly, gluten-free, and vegan.
Protein bars, granola bars, energy bars - they all seem like such great snack options, but have you ever read their ingredient lists? So many of them are loaded with sugar or filled with questionable ingredients, and for that reason I'd much rather stick to homemade options when I can. I've tried my hand at everything from peanut butter protein bars to strawberry cereal bars, and I promise you - the from-scratch version is always better!
These apple oat bars are no exception, combining just a few whole food ingredients to make a quick, easy snack that actually tastes good - without sacrificing on nutrition. And if you have a food processor, you're just a few minutes away from having them in the oven!
What You'll Love About These Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bars
- Real Food Ingredients: Apples, pecans, oatmeal, dates... there's just a handful of ingredients in this recipe, and they're all simple, familiar, and minimally processed.
- Low Effort: You'll need about 15-20 minutes of hands-on time for this recipe, and your food processor will do all of the heavy lifting.
- Convenient and Versatile: Serve these as apple breakfast bars, a mid-day snack, or even a healthy dessert. They work for any occasion and they're easy to take on the go.
- Dietary-Friendly: These bars are naturally vegan and gluten-free (use gluten-free oats to be sure!) and made without flour or added sugar. Plus, if you can't eat pecans, I've heard from many readers that the recipe works well with other nuts too!
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Ingredients and Substitutions
I promised an easy recipe, so this is a short list! You only need six ingredients to make my apple and oatmeal bars:
- Raw pecan halves - The naturally sweet, maple-like flavor of pecans is one of my favorite pairings for dates (like in my date scone recipe) and apples (apple crumble anyone?), so they're my go-to nut for these bars. That said, readers who have made this recipe have also successfully used hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, and even various seeds, so feel free to experiment!
- Rolled oats - Old fashioned oats act as the base of these apple cinnamon bars and soak up all of the liquid naturally present in the apples. If you need to make sure your bars are gluten-free, use gluten-free oats. Quick cooking oats - which are essentially rolled oats that have been processed to an even finer texture - can also be used and will minimize a bit of the work your food processor needs to do.
- Medjool dates - You'll need to pit and halve your dates before measuring them, or you can buy them pre-prepared this way. Because we're relying on the dates to add moisture and sweetness to these bars, I would not recommend other varieties of dates like deglet noor, which tend to be less sweet and juicy.
- Cinnamon and salt - Cinnamon pairs especially well with the apples, dates, and pecans in these bars, and a little bit of salt helps bring out the flavor in all of the ingredients. If you'd like, you can also add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Apples - I've always made my cinnamon oatmeal bars with granny smith apples, but feel free to try a different variety. In the spirit of keeping things simple, there's no need to peel them!
How to Make Healthy Apple Oatmeal Bars
- Toast the pecans and oats: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread the pecans and oats out in a thin, even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until they're fragrant and appear lightly toasted.
- Prep baking pan: Keeping the oven on, line an 8" square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on at least two sides to be able to easily lift the bars out of the pan once they're finished baking.
- Process the "dry" ingredients: Add the toasted nuts and oats to a food processor along with the dates, cinnamon, and salt. Using the blade attachment, process until the mixture is coarse and crumbly, with no large pieces remaining.
- Add apples: Add the chopped apples to the food processor and pulse in until there are no longer any large chunks left. Then, process for several minutes, until all of the ingredients clump together into a fine-textured mixture. It does not need to be completely smooth.
During this time, you'll likely need to stop the food processor occasionally and use a spatula to help move things around, since the mixture will be very thick. If needed, you can drizzle in up to ¼ cup of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to help everything come together. You can also add vanilla extract at this step, if using.
- Transfer to pan: Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan, using a wide, flat spatula (or bench scraper) to pat it down into a flat and compact layer. To prevent sticking, I like to fold the extra parchment from the sides of the pan back over the surface of the mixture to use as a barrier between the bars and my spatula. These bars will not spread or otherwise change shape while baking, so do your best to make them as flat and even as you can before you put them in the oven.
- Bake and slice: Bake your cinnamon apple bars in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, at which point they should be slightly darker in color. Cool for 10-15 minutes, and then lift from the pan and slice into 10-12 individual bars.
Storing and Shelf Life
Once cooled to room temperature, transfer the baked oatmeal bars to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. They can also be kept at room temperature for up to a day or two, so don't worry about keeping one cold if you're taking it to work or school!
When kept refrigerated, they should stay fresh for at least 1 week.
Quick Tips and Tricks
Before you head to the kitchen, here are a few key things to keep in mind when making this cinnamon apple oatmeal bars recipe!
- Do: Feel free to try this recipe with a mixture of different nuts and/or seeds! You can also add additional spices, like a touch of nutmeg or cloves.
- Do: Use gluten-free oats if you need to make sure your bars are 100% gluten-free.
- Do: Use a spatula to assist your food processor by helping move the ingredients along if they get stuck while processing.
- Do: Place a layer of parchment under your spatula when pressing the mixture into the pan.
- Don't: Be afraid to add a small amount of water (or juice) to help bring the bars together in your food processor.
- Don't: Attempt this recipe with a weak food processor, unless you plan to make the mixture in batches.
FAQs
For this recipe, we use a combination of medjool dates (a particularly juicy date variety), fresh apples, and, if needed, a small amount of water to act as the "glue" that keeps the bars together.
Unlike many snack bars that are much less healthy than they appear, these have quite a few things going for them on the nutritional front! They're made with complex carbohydrates (oats), high in fiber (again thanks to the oats, plus the apples), and completely free of added sugar.
Looking for more?
More Healthy Snacks
If you enjoy these oatmeal breakfast bars, you'll also love these recipes:
Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Bars
Rolled oats, toasted pecans, and fresh, juicy apples come together to make this easy snack that's both tasty and healthy! These apple oatmeal bars are gluten-free, dairy-free, and made without added sugar.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 bars
- Category: snack bars and bites
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 cups (227 grams) raw pecan halves
- 2 cups (163 grams) old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups (234 grams) pitted and halved medjool dates
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (227 grams) chopped apples, skin on (I used granny smith)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread the pecans and oats out in a thin, even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until they're fragrant and appear lightly toasted.
- Keeping the oven on, line an 8" square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on at least two sides to be able to easily lift the bars out of the pan once they're finished baking.
- Add the toasted nuts and oats to a food processor along with the dates, cinnamon, and salt. Using the blade attachment, process until the mixture is coarse and crumbly, with no large pieces remaining.
- Add the chopped apples to the food processor along with the vanilla extract, if using, and pulse in until there are no longer any large chunks left. Then, process for several minutes, stopping to move things around with a spatula as needed, until all of the ingredients clump together into a fine-textured mixture. If necessary, you can drizzle in up to ¼ cup of water, one tablespoon at a time, to help everything come together.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan, using a wide, flat spatula to pat it down into a flat and compact layer. To prevent sticking, I like to fold the extra parchment from the sides of the pan back over the surface of the mixture to use as a barrier between the bars and my spatula.
- Bake bars in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, at which point they should be slightly darker in color. Cool for 10-15 minutes, and then lift from the pan and slice into 10-12 individual bars.
Notes
Ingredients Notes:
- Pecans can be substituted with other nut varieties as desired.
- Quick cooking oats can also be used. Use certified gluten-free oats to make this recipe gluten-free.
Storing and Shelf Life:
- Once cooled to room temperature, transfer the bars to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. They should stay fresh for at least one week. Bars can also be kept at room temperature for up to a day or two.
Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below! It's also so helpful if you help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel. If you happen to snap a photo of what you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
This post was originally published in 2013. It has since been updated with additional information to help readers make this recipe successfully, including step-by-step photos, and a suggestion to add water to the bars to help them come together.
Laura
I need to know the calorie count on these please help!
alexandra
I don't personally do those calculations, but you can always type the ingredients and amounts into a nutrition calculator online and get an idea that way. :)
Kristin
I used almonds instead of pecans and threw in some dried cranberries and blueberries. It is yummy and healthy! I also used a pot to "toast" my nuts and oats...worked perfectly fine. Finally something easy to make and deliciously nutritious.
alexandra
So happy to hear you liked the recipe and were able to adapt it to fit the ingredients you had! Thanks for sharing your changes; it's always good to hear how a recipe can work in different ways!
Shay
I'm planning to use almonds, as well. They're higher in protien and oh so delicious. I might even try them with cranberries, too!
alexandra
Almond would definitely be a good pick too! ;)
Debby
The recipe says 8 ounces of nuts and oats. Then says 2 cups? Which is it?
alexandra
The ounce measurements are by weight and the cup measurements are by volume - (One cup of pecans weighs 4 oz). If you have a kitchen scale, you can use the weight measurements, but otherwise just follow the volume measurements.
John
Just made these for the first time, and I cooked them for exactly 20 mins in a can oven. I wondered if they should still be fairly soft or should they be hard and crunchy?
Mine are very similar to a a malt loaf in texture. Can't think of anything else to compare with. Thanks for the recipe, they are very tasty. Using them for MTB XC race fuel.
alexandra
They should be on the soft side - not at all hard or crunchy. I've never had a malt loaf so I can't really comment on whether it's similar to that!
Shabri
These bars look amazing! but do I have to use dates? I'm not a huge fan on having fruit in my breakfast bars.
alexandra
Well the dates are definitely vital to the recipe since they're the only source of sweetness and help everything stick together somewhat. The recipe has apples in it anyway, so even without the dates there would still be fruit! Unless you meant to ask whether you had to use the apples? :)
Cathy
Hi there - just went apple picking and looking for a great way to use apples for lunchbox snacks for my daughter. But her school is nut free. Any thoughts on substituting the pecans? A mix of seeds instead? These look so yummy....
alexandra
Maybe a combination of more oats and some seeds? Essentially you just need something to keep the "dough" from being too moist from all the apples.
Jessica
Hey there! Do you leave the skin on the apple for this recipe or peel it off?
alexandra
You can leave the skin on. :)
Robin
I made these a few days ago and can't stop eating them! Great snack, wonderful with coffee in the morning or for an afternoon pick up. I wanted to add I blended the oats and nuts in a blender and it worked fine, however I had to move the mixture to my ninja chopper and complete it in batches with the apples. Time consuming but worth it. Thanks for the recipe.
alexandra
I'm so glad you were able to make the recipe work with the tools you had on hand, and the fact that you love them is even better! :)
Sara
I just made these and they taste wonderful! I used one cup of walnuts and one cup of pecans, 2 fuji apples, and used a whole tablespoon of cinnamon. Unfortunately I don't have a food processor, so my attempt to use my nutribullet really tested my patience! I am going to try to freeze about half of these bars, and see how they turn out!
When working out the calories, I got 12 bars that were 270 calories, with 5.3g of fiber, 5.5g of protein, 35.3g of carbs and 19.6g of sugar. Hope this helps!
alexandra
I hope they were worth bearing through that nutribullet! You'll have to get your hands on a food processor for future endeavors. ;) Thank you for sharing the nutritional information!
isabelle
wow i kove these alll
Robin
Thanks for this recipe! I made them with walnuts instead of pecans, as I've always liked the combo of dates & walnuts. Really good and satisfying-- I will be making them again! I also used gluten-free oats. I plugged in the ingredients for a nutrition count, and for 10 bars, I got 285 calories, 47 g carbs, 9 g fat and 5.4 g protein per bar.
alexandra
I'm glad you liked them! And thanks so much for sharing the nutritional info for everyone who would like to know. :)
puk
okay, thank you!
they are delicious by the way
Puk
Hey!
Do you have any idea of how many calories there are in one bar?
Thanks :)
alexandra
I don't; I would suggest trying a recipe nutritional calculator online. :)
Megan
Hi. I was just wondering if the bars are able to be frozen successfully? :)
alexandra
I haven't done it myself, but I'm pretty confident that they would freeze really well. :)
Megan
Thanks. :D
Momma Buzz
These sound really good. I've actually never used dates before and am not familiar with the texture. Do you think prunes might be a good addition, or maybe too soft? For some reason I'm thinking dates are more firm and would hold up better with this? I obviously don't have a clue what I'm talking about. You must hate all of us "We'll just overtake your recipe and use what we want, but ask you for your thoughts first" kind of people. Still I beg you, please and thank you :).
alexandra
Ahaha :) No hating but I still love what you just said. Anyhow, dates are definitely more firm but I don't think prunes would necessarily screw things up texture-wise. What I would be worried about is the flavor change; prunes are more fruity and much less sweet.
Momma Buzz
I appreciate the feedback! I'll just buy dates :) lol. Was looking for a way to get rid of some prunes. Buuuuut, I'm not enough of a risk taker to make these and them not turn out as good as they could have if I would've just done what you told us to do in the first place. :) Thank you Alexandra! FYI - found you via Pinterest, but loving everything I see!
alexandra
You're very welcome! I'm so happy you found the blog. :)
Jessica
Hi! I made these last night with a few substitutes using what I had in my kitchen and they are awesome!! I put half the mixture in the pan, then a layer of natural peanut butter then the rest of the mixture on top before the final baking step. Delicious and so easy! Thank you and I adore your blog :)
alexandra
I love that idea of adding some peanut butter to the middle; now I'm thinking I need to make these again and try that out! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with the recipe. SO happy you liked it!