Strawberry Oatmeal Bars With Storage ,Tips and Variations

0.0 from 0 votes

Ava Rose

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars are soft, sweet, and easy to make at home. They’re filled with fresh or frozen strawberries, layered between a crumbly old-fashioned rolled oats crust. Simple ingredients like maple syrup, almond flour, coconut oil, and a little lemon juice turn this into a soft, gooey snack perfect for little hands. These bars are great for breakfast, snacks, or popping into a lunchbox.

This recipe is made for new parents, toddler moms, childcare providers, and anyone needing quick, healthy snacks for busy mornings. You’ll also find easy variations like no sugar, gluten-free, vegan, and even jam-filled bars. Keep reading to find the one your family will love most.

Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Oat Bars Recipe

These Strawberry Oat Bars are soft, sweet, and easy to make. They’re perfect for a quick breakfast, a healthy snack, or a treat for your little one’s lunchbox. You can make them with simple ingredients like fresh strawberries, old-fashioned rolled oats, and a crumbly oat crust. If you want more oat recipe try out our Oatmeal recipes.

These bars are made with fresh or frozen strawberries. Both work great.
They have a soft, sweet gooey strawberry filling surrounded by a crumbly oatmeal cookie pastry.
You only need simple ingredients like rolled oats, whole wheat flour, and maple syrup or mashed bananas.
It’s easy to make ahead and pack in daycare or preschool lunch boxes.
The recipe takes just 30 minutes in the oven.
You can freeze leftover bars for later.
It’s a toddler-friendly recipe with no tricky steps.

What You Need to Make This Strawberry Oat Bars Recipe

Let’s keep it simple. Here’s everything you’ll need to make these soft and chewy strawberry oat bars. You probably have most of these in your kitchen already!

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup melted coconut oil or unsalted butter
⅓ cup maple syrup or honey (for kids over 1 year old)
2 ripe bananas, mashed (Replace the maple syrup or honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

Substitutions

Rolled oats: You can use quick oats, but the texture will be a little softer.
Whole wheat flour: Use all-purpose flour or oat flour if you want it gluten-free.
Coconut oil: Swap with unsalted butter or olive oil.
Maple syrup: Use honey (for toddlers over 1) or agave syrup.
Strawberries: Try blueberries, raspberries, or a mix of your toddler’s favorite fruits.
Chia seeds: If you don’t have them, you can skip them.

Note: If you use bananas, the bars will have a mild banana flavor. If your little one likes bananas.

How to Make Strawberry Oat Bars

steps by step instruction for Strawberry Oat Bars

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease an 8×8 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
In a bowl, blend together the wet ingredients — melted coconut oil (or butter), mashed bananas (or maple syrup), and vanilla extract.
Add the flours, salt, and cinnamon to the wet mix. Stir until combined.
Stir in 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free if needed). Mix until it turns crumbly.
In a medium saucepan, mix the strawberries, maple syrup, corn starch, and lemon juice. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes until it turns soft and gooey.
Make them with fresh or frozen strawberries — both work great!
Press half of the oat mixture into the pan.
Pour the warm, sweet, gooey strawberry filling over the crust.
Top with the rest of the oat mixture.
Bake for 25–30 minutes until golden brown.
Let cool, then cut into bars.
Enjoy the fresh strawberry filling paired with an oat-packed crust.

How to Store Strawberry Oat Bars

These Strawberry Oat Bars are so easy to save for later. You can keep them fresh in the fridge, on the counter, or even in the freezer. Here’s how to do it:

Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Wrap in parchment paper and freeze in a zip bag for 2 months.
Let frozen bars sit at room temperature or warm in the microwave before eating.
Good for breakfast, snacks, and lunchboxes.

Best Tips for Success

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars recipe for toddlers

These easy tips will help your Strawberry Oat Bars turn out soft, sweet, and just right every time.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F before you start.
Use fresh or frozen strawberries. Both work fine.
Chop the strawberries small so the filling cooks soft and gooey.
Press the oat mixture firmly into the baking pan for a good crust.
Let the bars cool completely before cutting. This makes clean slices.
Store leftovers in an airtight box in the fridge or freezer.
Swap maple syrup with mashed ripe bananas for natural sweetness.

Try our Apple Oat Bars, Frozen Yogurt Bark, Broccoli Cheese Bites, Yogurt Granola Bites, Broccoli Cheese Pinwheels and many more.

Strawberry Oat Bars Variations

You can make Strawberry Oatmeal Bars in so many fun ways! Use fresh or frozen berries, swap sweeteners, or mix in other fruits. These simple changes keep snack time exciting for toddlers and easy for busy parents.

Strawberry Oat Bars for Baby

These soft bars are perfect for little hands and tiny tummies. No added sugar, just simple, fresh ingredients.

How to make:
Skip the maple syrup. Use 2 ripe mashed bananas instead. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes until soft.

3 Ingredient Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

This is the easiest snack ever! You only need strawberries, rolled oats, and bananas.

How to make:
Mix 2 cups oats, 2 mashed bananas, and 1 cup chopped strawberries. Press into a pan and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.

Vegan Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

No dairy, no eggs — just plant-based goodness. Great for toddlers and family snacks.

How to make:
Use coconut oil instead of butter. Sweeten with maple syrup or mashed bananas. Keep everything else the same.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars No Sugar

Naturally sweet with fruit, no added sugar needed. Perfect for babies and toddlers.

How to make:
Swap maple syrup with 2 mashed bananas. Use ripe, sweet strawberries for extra flavor.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars Gluten Free

Make these bars safe for little ones who need to avoid gluten. Still soft and tasty.

How to make:
Use certified gluten-free oats and swap whole wheat flour with oat flour or almond flour.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars with Almond Flour

Light, nutty flavor and soft texture. Great for snack time.

How to make:
Replace whole wheat flour with 1 cup almond flour. Keep the rest of the recipe the same.

Strawberry and Banana Oatmeal Bars

Sweet strawberries and bananas are always a good pair. Toddlers will love this fruity snack.

How to make:
Add 1 mashed ripe banana to the filling or batter. Bake as usual for a moist, fruity bar.

Strawberry and Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

A mix of berries makes these bars colorful and fun. Great for breakfast or lunch boxes.

How to make:
Use 1 cup chopped strawberries and 1 cup blueberries in the filling. Cook the same way.

Strawberry and Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

Tart raspberries balance the sweet strawberries. Soft, crumbly, and toddler-approved.

How to make:
Swap half the strawberries with raspberries. Mix them with a little maple syrup and corn starch for the filling.

Fresh Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Use fresh, juicy strawberries for the best flavor. Perfect in spring and summer.

How to make:
Chop 2 cups of fresh strawberries and mix with maple syrup, corn starch, and lemon juice. Add to the bars and bake.

Dairy-Free Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Easy snack without milk, butter, or yogurt. Still soft and crumbly.

How to make:
Use coconut oil instead of butter. No other changes needed — simple and tasty.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars with Jam

No fresh fruit? No problem! Jam makes these bars sweet and sticky.

How to make:
Spread ½ cup strawberry jam over the oat crust. Add more oat topping and bake at 350°F

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars No Bake

No oven needed! A cool snack for warm days.

How to make:
Mix oats, mashed bananas, and chopped strawberries. Press into a lined pan and chill in the fridge for 2 hours before cutting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen strawberries?

Yes. You can use fresh or frozen strawberries. If they’re frozen, let them thaw a little and drain extra juice so the bars don’t get too soft.

Why is my oat topping not crumbly?

If your topping feels too wet, add a spoon of old-fashioned rolled oats. If it’s too dry, add a little more maple syrup or melted coconut oil.

Can I skip the sweetener?

Yes, you can. Mashed ripe bananas work great instead of maple syrup. It keeps the bars sweet and soft for toddlers.

How do I keep them from sticking to the pan?

Use a little coconut oil or parchment paper in the baking dish. This makes it easy to lift out the bars when they cool.

Can I use other fruits?

Yes. You can swap strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, or even peach slices. Keep the same amount so the bars bake just right.

How long do these bars stay fresh?

Keep them in an airtight container at room temp for 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for busy mornings.

Are these good for babies under 1?

If your baby is under 1, skip honey and use bananas or a little extra fruit puree for sweetness. Cut the bars into small, soft pieces to be safe.

Can I make these gluten-free?

Yes. Just use gluten-free old-fashioned oats and almond flour instead of regular flour. Same great taste.