5-Ingredient No Bake Oatmeal Bars

October 11, 2020

No bake oatmeal bars are an easy make-ahead breakfast recipe or on the go snack packed with fiber. You only need 5 ingredients including oats, SunButter, ground flaxseed, ripe bananas, and cinnamon for a satisfying bite.

Nut Free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Soy Free

No Bake Oatmeal Bars made with SunButter

Disclaimer: This recipe is sponsored by SunButter. Thank you for supporting the brands that support the Chelsey Amer Nutrition blog!

Does anyone else feel like you need a vacation? Just me?

As a business owner and full-time mom, I think I’ve officially hit a wall. That means all fall you can expect EASY recipes that can be made in one bowl, with as few ingredients as possible. Seriously, even for the holidays!

And I’m starting with these no bake oatmeal bars.

These No Bake Oatmeal Bars are…

Easy to make
No bake
Made with 5 ingredients
Delicious
Satisfying
Filled with fiber
Packed with healthy fats
Fun to make with kids

I first made these bars when I had a plethora of very ripe bananas and didn’t really feel like baking. Gasp! I know! I didn’t feel like making banana bread (what kind of quaranteam am I on?!).

So, I threw a bunch of ingredients together, and guys, I’m obsessed. I’ve made these no bake bars many times since!

Ingredients to Make No Bake Oatmeal Bars

You only need 5 ingredients to make this on the go breakfast or snack:

My favorite part about this “no recipe” recipe is that you can customize the ingredients you use to make these no bake bars. If you don’t like/are allergic to bananas, you can swap in pumpkin (how on trend). Or applesauce (see the “variations to try” below).

So here’s what you need:

Oats are the base of this recipe. After all, these are “oatmeal bars.” I used rolled oats because that’s what I have in the house most often, but I’m 90% sure quick oats would work too. Just don’t use steel cut oats because the texture won’t be the same.

No Added Sugar SunButter acts like a creamy “glue” in this recipe to keep all of the other ingredients together. No to mention, it’s delicious and nutritious, packing a punch of healthy fats, plant-based protein, vitamin E, magnesium, and more into these bars.

Milled flaxseed is another favorite kitchen staple I use in tons of recipes. It’s mild nutty flavor blends effortlessly into most breakfast-like items, like these oatmeal bars. Plus, milled flaxseed contains a hefty dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation, so winning!

Bananas are mashed to impart delicious fruity flavor, but also natural sweetness. These bars contain no added sugar because bananas are so (naturally) sweet. For a refresher on the difference between added and natural sugars, read this post.

Cinnamon is a must because it adds earthy flavor without overpowering these bars. Plus, did you know cinnamon helps slow your blood glucose response to carbohydrates? That means you’ll have LESS of a sugar spike after eating carbs and more of a gentle rise in your blood sugar. Great news!

How to Make No Bake Oatmeal Bars

OK, I honestly feel a little silly calling this a recipe because it’s SO EASY to make.

Dump all the ingredients into a bowl. Mix together.

Press the mixture into a parchment paper-lined loaf pan (this is my favorite parchment paper). Place a piece parchment paper on top and press down until flat.

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes and then cut into bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

And yes, it is that easy!

My little guy loves these as part of his breakfast or on the go snack.

3 Variations to Try

OK, so I love bananas and we always seem to have very ripe bananas on hand (maybe I do that on purpose while food shopping!), but whenever I share a banana treat someone asks me about a banana substitution. So here we go…

Pumpkin No Bake Oatmeal Bars

Perfect for fall, this pumpkin swap has basic written all over it. Swap in 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree and 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup instead of the bananas. If you’d like, use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon.

Applesauce No Bake Oatmeal Bars

Swap in 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce and 2 tablespoons honey instead of the bananas.

Looking for more recipes with SunButter? Check out these 30+ recipes!