Healthy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars (Gluten Free + Vegan) - Bananas about Life (2024)

These healthy strawberry oatmeal bars should definitely be your next baking project! These sweet oatmeal bars are perfectly crumbly with the best fresh strawberry layer. These make an amazing dessert but I have a feeling you’ll be enjoying these for breakfast and snacks too! They’re made with whole food ingredients and lower in sugar than most classic desserts so, I feel great eating them any time throughout the day. I hope you enjoy these bars as much as my family and I do!

Oatmeal Bars

These healthy strawberry oatmeal bars are not only delicious, they’re also vegan, gluten free, dairy free, soy free and refined sugar free.

Oatmeal Bars Healthy Ingredients:

Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are ideal for this recipe but, if you only have frozen, you can use those! Just let the frozen strawberries defrost completely and then dump off any liquid before dicing them.

Maple syrup: This is the unrefined sweetener used in the oatmeal mixture as well as the strawberry layer.

Lemon juice: This adds a slight acidity and a light flavor to strawberry layer. It also flavors the oatmeal layers and helps with the rising process.

Lemon zest: This ingredient is optional but, it adds more of that lovely lemon flavor that pairs with the strawberries nicely.

Sea salt: Adding a touch of sea salt brings out the other flavors in the recipe but you can leave it out if you prefer.

Tapioca starch: This starch is a great replacement for corn starch and it works perfectly to thicken the strawberry filling.

Rolled oats: I used old fashioned rolled oats in this recipe and I haven’t tried any other style of oats.

Almond flour: I used this high-protein flour to keep these bars gluten-free. I don’t recommend substituting other flours because they are not going to substitute 1:1 correctly.

Baking soda: This is the rising agent for the oatmeal layer that helps it fluff up perfectly.

Coconut oil: This oil is slightly sweet with a coconut flavor. You should be able to use butter in it’s place although, I haven’t tried this option.

Want More Bars Recipes?

I absolutely love making bars because they’re so easy to put together! If you’re interested in more bars recipes, feel free to check out any of these.

1. Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Bars (Vegan + Gluten Free).
2. Healthy Oatmeal Fudge Bars (Vegan + Gluten Free).
3. Healthy Apple Pie Bars (Vegan + Gluten Free).
4. Mixed Berry Oatmeal Bars (Vegan + Gluten Free).

Strawberry Filling Instructions:

1. To a small pot on medium heat, add your diced strawberries, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest and sea salt. Bring the liquid to a low boil and allow this to cook the liquid out of the strawberries (takes 5-10 minutes).
2. Stir in your tapioca starch.
3. Allow it to cook for another 1 minute to thicken completely then remove form heat. Set aside until you’ve prepared your oatmeal mixture and pressed the first layer of the oatmeal into your baking dish.
4. On top of the first oatmeal layer of the bars, transfer strawberry filling and spread into an even layer.

Oatmeal Bars Gluten Free Crust

1. To a large mixing bowl add rolled oats, almond flour, baking soda, sea salt and stir to combine.
2. To your combined dry ingredients add maple syrup, coconut oil and lemon juice. Combine well using your hands or the back of spoon to break up any clumps.
3. Set aside between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup of the oatmeal mixture (for the top layer). Press the remaining mixture into your lined baking dish.
4. After adding the strawberry layer, sprinkle the rest of the oatmeal mixture on top however you want. Then bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-25 minutes.

Common Questions:

Can I Make These with Frozen Strawberries?

Yes, you can! Just let the frozen strawberries defrost completely and dump off any extra liquid. Then slice and make your filling according to the instructions.

Are Strawberry Oatmeal Bars Gluten Free?

If you use gluten free rolled oats for these bars then there are no gluten containing ingredients, which makes this recipe gluten free!

Is this Breakfast Recipe Vegan?

There are no animal products in this recipe so, it is completely vegan!

Equipment to Make Oatmeal Bars:

There are some amazing kitchen staples I use daily which all work perfectly when making these bars.

1. I love stainless steel pots for healthy cooking without any non-stick coatings that can add unessecary chemicals to food. Here’s a very high quality stainless steel pot and here’s another 1.5 quart stainless steel pot if you’re looking for a non-expensive option!
2. Here I linked a glass mixing bowl similar to the one I use all the time! I love that it has a lid for those times you want to refridgerate.
3. For a baking dish, I usually reach for glass or ceramic. They can last a long time if you take care of them and I prefer those materials over a non-stick. Here’s a simple 8×8 glass baking dish that will work perfectly for these strawberry oatmeal bars.
4. I often use parchment paper to help with even baking and ensure an easy cleanup. Precut parchment paper sheets are my absolute favorite and they fit so well in many different sized pans and baking sheets.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars Recipe (Gluten Free + Vegan):

Want More Healthy Breakfast Recipes?

If you’re looking for more healthy breakfast recipes, feel free to check out any of these great ones!

1. Peanut Butter Banana Breakfast Cookies (Vegan + Gluten Free).
2. The Best Granola Clusters (Vegan + Gluten Free)
3. Healthy Egg Veggie Casserole with Hasbrowns (Vegetarian + Gluten Free).
4. Simple Oatmeal Recipe with Easy Candied Walnuts (Vegan + Gluten Free).

Thank You for Stopping By

This post is a recipe for healthy strawberry oatmeal bars which are vegan and gluten free as well. If you enjoyed this post then feel free to check out my other recipes. If you make these strawberry oatmeal bars, please leave a comment below as I would love to know how you liked them! Thank you for visiting my blog today and have a great day!