Applesauce Oatmeal Bars
on Jun 18, 2022, Updated Aug 10, 2025
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These healthy applesauce oatmeal bars are quick to whip up and are great to serve for breakfast or a snack! They are soft textured and perfect for little hands to hold!
Granola bars can get pretty pricey, and many of the ones on the market contain several unnecessary ingredients and a ton of sugar. These apple oatmeal bars are made with simple everyday ingredients that you likely have on hand and are packed with healthy fats!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need to make these applesauce oatmeal bars:
- Apples: The main star of the show in these bars! I like to use a naturally sweet apple like Honeycrisp or Fuji apples for the best sweetness.
- Applesauce: For more added natural apple flavor. Use an unsweetened, natural applesauce.
- Peanut Butter: For added healthy fats and flavor. Use an all natural peanut butter that doesn’t contain added ingredients or sugar.
- Rolled Oats: I use equal parts whole rolled oats and oat flour. You can make your own oat flour by grinding up rolled oats into a flour like texture. Gluten-free rolled oats make these bars gluten-free.
- Maple Syrup: For added sweetness to the bars.
- Cinnamon: Provides an extra warm spice and subtle sweetness.
- Baking Powder: Leavening agent to help the bars rise.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Ingredient Substitutions & Additions
- Peanut butter: The peanut butter may be replaced with any nut butter, seed-based butter, or granola butter.
- Maple Syrup: The maple syrup may be replaced with honey (if you are serving the bars to little ones over the age of 1). If you prefer not to add any sweetener, you can omit the maple syrup, but be mindful that the bars will not be as sweet. If you are omitting maple syrup, add an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons of applesauce to make up for the loss of moisture.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Combine the rolled oats, oat flour, cinnamon and baking powder in a bowl until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, peanut butter and maple syrup until smooth. Grate the apple using a box/cheese grater.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients along with the grated apples. Mix until combined.
- Press this mixture into a parchment paper lined pan loaf pan. Use a spatula to flatten and evenly smooth out the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
- Allow it to cool completely before slicing into bars.
Storage Instructions
Once cooled, slice into bars and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. To freeze, store in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
Tips For Success
Use all-natural peanut butter with peanuts listed as the ingredient. I highly suggest drizzling the top of the bars with some peanut butter for added flavor.
Use naturally sweet apples (like Honeycrisp or Fuji apples) for the best flavor and added sweetness to the bars.
I used a 9 by 5 loaf pan for this recipe, but you may use an 8 by 8 brownie pan for a thinner bar. Alternatively, you can use these silicone mini bar molds.
The combination of oats and oat flour help the bars bind together better. If you do not have oat flour, just blend rolled oats into a flour like consistency!
Frequently Asked Questions
These bars are soft-textured and perfect for little ones to bite and chew. They are not crunchy like a typical granola bar.
Yes! The maple syrup is for added sweetness but can be omitted as the bars will still have some natural sweetness from the applesauce and grated apples. If you are omitting maple syrup, add an extra 1 to 2 tablespoons of applesauce to make up for the loss of moisture.
More Apple Recipes You’ll Love
Cinnamon Apple Pancakes (Pancakes For Toddlers)
Cinnamon Muffins (Apple Donut Muffins)
Cinnamon Apple Waffles
Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Bites
If you tried these Applesauce Oatmeal Bars, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing from you!
Applesauce Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup oat flour
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ cup grated apples, about 1 medium or half of 1 large apple
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- Combine the rolled oats, oat flour, cinnamon and baking powder in a bowl until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, peanut butter and maple syrup until smooth. Grate the apple using the largest hole of a box/cheese grater.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients along with the grated apples. Mix until combined.
- Press this mixture into a parchment paper lined pan loaf pan. Use a spatula to flatten and evenly smooth out the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
- Allow it to cool completely before slicing into bars.
Notes
-
- Use all-natural peanut butter with peanuts listed as the ingredient. I highly suggest drizzling the top of the bars with some peanut butter for added flavor.
- Use naturally sweet apples (like Honeycrisp or Fuji apples) for the best flavor and added sweetness to the bars.
- I used a 9 by 5 loaf pan for this recipe, but you may use an 8 by 8 brownie pan for a thinner bar. Alternatively, you can use these silicone mini bar molds.
- The combination of oats and oat flour help the bars bind together better. If you do not have oat flour, just blend rolled oats into a flour-like consistency!
These look amazing! My toddler loves everything I’ve made from your website! Can you do the drizzle then pop into the fridge/freezer? Or do you drizzle when serving? 🙂
Hi Renee, I’m so glad to hear that! I usually drizzle with a little extra peanut butter right before serving, but you can also serve them plain if you’d like as well😊