Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 12/21/2022 - Last updated on 08/09/2023
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These Raspberry Oatmeal Bars are easy healthy breakfast bars with a crunchy oat cookie layer topped with homemade raspberry chia seeds jam and oat crumble.
I love my vegan blueberry oatmeal bars, and when I run out of blueberries I make a raspberry version.
It’s such an easy recipe that makes ahead many healthy, tasty breakfasts. Plus, it tastes between raspberry tart and raspberry crumble, so it’s a bit like having dessert for breakfast.
These raspberry oat bars are also very healthy for you, and they are naturally:
- Egg-free
- Dairy-free
- Refined sugar-free
- Vegan
How To Make Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
Here I am going to show you how I make raspberry oatmeal bars with a healthier twist as I make my own low-sugar jam.
However, feel free to use store-bought jam if preferred.
Ingredients
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
- Oat Flour – read how to make oat flour if needed.
- Maple Syrup or any liquid sweetener you love, including agave syrup and coconut nectar. While you can swap maple syrup for brown sugar in the jam, you can’t do that in the oat layers.
- Coconut Oil or vegan butter
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Vanilla Extract
- Fresh Raspberries – or frozen, no need to thaw the fruits but this option release more liquid, and therefore, you need to cook the jam longer to avoid a runny filling.
- Chia Seeds
- Almond Extract or more vanilla extract if you don’t like this flavor.
Making The Bottom Layer And Crumble
First, you are going to prepare a dough that will be used for the oat bar base and set aside 1/2 cup for the crumble topping.
In a large bowl, combine oat flour, oats, maple syrup, coconut oil, salt, and vanilla extract.
Stir with a spatula at first and if difficult to bring together into a bowl, squeeze and knead by hand.
If too dry, simply add a bit of water, one tablespoon at a time, up to 2 to 3 tablespoons.
The dough should come into a ball and stick together, but it shouldn’t be sticky either.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the dough for the toppings.
Pressing The Bottom Layer
Line an 8-inch x 8-inch square pan with parchment paper. Slightly oil paper with oil spray.
Press the remaining oat dough evenly onto the prepared pan and use the back of a measuring cup to press and smooth the surface.
Place the pan in the fridge while making the jam.
Chia Seed Jam
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
In a non-stick saucepan, add raspberries, fresh or frozen, chia seeds, and maple syrup or coconut sugar.
Bring to a simmer, and mash the berries with a potato masher or fork to form a puree.
Cook for 5 minutes over a light simmer, it should form bubbles on side of the pan. After 5 minutes, less liquid should be present, and it should thicken as a jam.
Remove from the heat and stir in the almond and vanilla extracts.
Pour the hot jam over the previous layer.
Top layer
Use the remaining 1/2 cup of dough to crumble with your finger all over the jam.
Bake the raspberry bars for 35 minutes on the center rack of the oven. The jam should form bubbles and get sticky, and the crumble turns lightly brown and crispy.
Cutting Into Bars
These bars are crumbly if you cut them too warm.
You must cool down the bar in the baking dish for at least 3 hours at room temperature before slicing.
Also, a great way to firm the bars and cut them perfectly is to pop the pan in the fridge overnight. Slice the next day.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover bars in the fridge in an airtight cake box for up to four days.
You can freeze oat bars in zip-lock bags or sealed containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge the day before.
Serving
Serve the raspberry oat bars plain or with a drizzle of vegan royal icing recipe or a dust of powdered sugar.
Allergy Swaps
Below are some ideas to swap ingredients if you need them:
- Coconut-Free – Replace coconut oil with melted vegan butter, margarine, or avocado oil.
- Sugar-Free – Use sugar-free maple-flavored syrup.
- Gluten-Free – Make sure you use gluten-free certified oats.
- Chia Seeds-Free – Use two tablespoons of cornstarch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are my answers to your most common questions about this breakfast oatmeal bar recipe.
Can I Use Other Fruits?
Yes, this recipe works with all berry types, like boysenberries, strawberries, or blueberries.
Some berries, like raspberries, release more juice and need a little more time cooking the jam to make the filling firm and not runny.
For other fruits, try my apple oatmeal bars.
What Can I Use Instead Of Oat Flour?
You can use all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
However, the dough will be a bit drier and need a bit more liquid to stick together.
Simply add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water until the dough forms a ball.
Can I Make It Oil-Free?
No, the crust won’t firm up without oil or melted vegan butter. It won’t work with an oil-free swap like applesauce.
More Bar Recipes
If you like bars for dessert or breakfast, you’ll love these other recipes:
Have you tried these raspberry oatmeal bars? Share a comment or review below.
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Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Oat Flour - (note 1)
- 1 ¼ cup Rolled Oats
- ⅓ cup Maple Syrup - (note 2)
- ⅓ cup Coconut Oil - melted or melted vegan butter
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Raspberry Chia Seed Jam
- 2 ½ cups Raspberries - fresh or frozen
- 5 tablespoons Coconut Sugar - or other sweeteners like maple syrup or coconut nectar
- 3 tablespoons Chia Seeds - (note 3)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Almond Extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the crust ingredients: oat flour, rolled oats, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla.
- Squeeze the batter with your hands to bring all the ingredients in contact and create a dough that sticks together. If too dry (may happen if you are using coarse oat flour), add 1-2 tablespoons of water, add 1 at a time, until the dough is soft and stick together.
- Press 1 3/4 cup of the dough all over the baking dish, using a spatula to smoothen the dough and make sure there is no hole left. Set aside leftover dough in a small mixing bowl in the fridge. You will use it for the crumble on top of the bar.
- Place the pan in the fridge while you make the raspberry chia seed jam.
Raspberry chia seed jam
- In a small saucepan, add the raspberries, coconut sugar, and chia seeds.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes on medium heat until bubbles form on the sides of the pan.
- Mash the raspberries using a fork or potato masher and keep cooking for 2 minutes, stirring all the time to prevent the jam from burning. It should slightly thicken but still be very runny. It will thicken in the oven, don't worry.
- Remove from heat and stir in almond extract and vanilla extract
- Pour the jam on top of the prepared crust, then use the remaining dough to crumble all other the bar.
- Bake the bar for 35 minutes or until crispy on top and golden.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack.
- Cool for 3 hours or until it reaches room temperature before slicing it into 16 bars. Waiting will prevent the bar from crumbling, and the jam will set perfectly.
- Store the bars in the pantry in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Otherwise, freeze and defrost the day before breakfast.
Should it be 1/3rd of a cup coconut oil at room temperature – and then melt it? Or is it 1/3rd of a cup of melted coconut oil?
It’s better to measure it melted to be more accurate.
Don’t have the coconut sugar . What can I substitute with. Can I put maple syrup or honey.
Yes you can!