These flaky and sweet Vegan Oatmeal Bars with strawberry jam are gooey in the middle and crispy on the top, making for a delicious snack or breakfast on the go.
I’m not much of a fruity dessert girl, but when it comes to these vegan oatmeal bars with gooey jam in the center, I’m ALL IN! I have a few fruity dessert recipes on my blog, including this delicious Vegan Strawberry Shortcake recipe and this Raw Fruit Pizza. However, these vegan jam bars are definitely my favorite of them all. They are gooey and sweet on the inside and crumbly and oat-y on the outside. I’d even go as far to say that, if you wanted, you could have these for breakfast or a snack!
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❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe!
- I'm pretty sure everyone I've served these vegan oatmeal bars to has love them. They are universally delicious!
- They require just 10 basic pantry-staple ingredients, many of which you probably already have in your pantry. That means you can go make them right now!
- You can use whatever jam or jelly you have on hand. From strawberry to guava to homemade berry compote, these bars will taste amazing!
- These bars are great for anyone with allergies as the recipe is already egg and dairy-free. You can even make these bars gluten-free by using an all-purpose gluten-free flour!
📃 Ingredients
- Quick Cooking Oats - Quick oats are broken down into smaller pieces than rolled oats, so they make the perfect whole-grain "flour" for these bars. Don't use rolled oats!
- Spelt Flour - I personally love to use spelt flour when baking. Spelt flour is a type of whole wheat flour made from the entire grain of wheat. See below for substitutions if you don't have spelt flour on hand.
- Coconut Oil - Instead of butter, we'll be using coconut oil to bind everything together. Just like butter, coconut oil melts when it is warm and turns solid when it is chilled. Is the perfect fat for these bars!
- Maple Syrup - Just a touch of maple syrup is added to the dough of these bars. You don't need much as a lot of sweetness will be coming from the jam filling.
- Shredded Coconut - For some added texture to the crumb topping, you'll need a little bit of shredded coconut. The coconut adds a nice chewy texture and a little pop of white.
- Jam - Of course we are filling these bars with jam! I originally wrote this recipe to use strawberry jam, but I make these bars with whatever jam I have on hand. Get creative or even make a date or chocolate filling!
See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
🔀 Variations and Substitutions
🔀 Spelt Flour - I usually make these vegan oatmeal bars with spelt flour, but all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour work great as well! I'm sure all-purpose gluten-free flour would also work, but I just recommend chilling the bars in the fridge before cutting them so that the coconut oil has time to chill and help hold the bars together.
🔀 Maple Syrup - Any liquid sweetener should work in these bars. Agave, brown rice syrup or even honey if you're not vegan are all great options.
🔀 Coconut Oil - I haven't tried this, but I believe vegan butter would work in place of the coconut oil. The bars just might not be as crispy as when you use coconut oil.
🔀 Shredded Coconut - If you prefer nuts to coconut, you can swap the shredded coconut for finely chopped nuts instead.
🔀 Strawberry Jam - These bars can really be filled with whatever flavor jam is your favorite! Strawberry jam is always a winner, but I've made these bars with guava, pineapple and mango jam, etc. For a lower-sugar option I use my instant pot berry compote. Yum!
🥣 How to Make Strawberry Jam Oatmeal Bars
Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients, including the quick oats, flour, baking powder
Step 3: Next add the coconut oil, along with the maple syrup and vanilla extract to the dry mixture and stir until a moist dough forms. Set aside about ¾ cup of the oat mixture for the topping.
Step 4: Add the shredded coconut to the reserved ¾ cup of dough and mix well to combine.
Step 4: Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of your prepared baking pan. Spread the jam over the top to within ½ inch of the edge.
Step 5: Add the shredded coconut to the reserved oat topping and then sprinkle it over the jam. Press down slightly to get the crumb topping to stick into the jelly.
Step 6: Bake the bars for about 25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Allow them to cool in the pan completely before using the parchment paper to lift them out of the pan and cut them into squares.
🫙 Storage
If you have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container on the counter for a few days. Alternatively, you can place them in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks...if they last that long!
✔️Expert Tips
- Be sure to press the base of these bars down well to help them hold together after baking. I like to use a flat bottomed glass to press it down really well.
- Additionally, after your sprinkle over the crumb topping, press it down lightly into the jam so that everything sticks together.
- You can even mix jellies and jams when it comes to these vegan oatmeal bars! Last time I made them I used a combination of guava jelly that I needed to get out of my fridge and some pineapple and mango jelly. It was delicious.
- Allow these bars to cool completely before cutting them so that the coconut oil can harden and hold the base of these bars together.
❓Recipe FAQs
Yes. Naturally, oatmeal is gluten-free. However, cross-contamination can occur in facilities and fields that produce wheat, which can be an issue for people with gluten allergies. To ensure that your oatmeal is gluten-free, purchase oatmeal with the label "gluten-free" on the packaging.
It depends on the ingredients used in the oatmeal bars. If the oatmeal bars are made entirely with gluten-free oats, then yes, they are gluten-free. However, today's recipe is made with a mix of quick oats and spelt flour. To make these bars gluten-free, swap the spelt flour for all-purpose gluten-free baking flour.
To make gluten-free oatmeal bars, use all gluten-free oats and oat flour or a combination of oats and gluten-free flours, such as gluten-free all purpose flour, coconut flour and almond flour. You'll need to have a good binding agent to hold everything together such as eggs, coconut oil, flax seed and possibly xanthum gum.
Yes! Oatmeal bars are a great breakfast or snack to meal prep and freeze for later. Chill the bars completely before wrapping them individually in plastic wrap and storing them in a freezer-safe zip-lock bag for 2-3 months. Allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before enjoying.
👉🏼More Vegan Oatmeal Bar Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Strawberry Jam Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups quick cooking oats
- 1 ¼ cup spelt flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 10 ounces strawberry jam
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F and grease an 8x8 baking dish and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the quick oats, flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add in the melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract and stir until combined. Reserve ¾ cup of this mixture for the topping.
- Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of your prepared baking pan. Spread the jam over the top to within ½ inch of the edge.
- Add the shredded coconut to the reserved topping and then sprinkle it over the jam. Press down slightly to get the crumb topping to stick into the jelly.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
- Cut into 16 squares and enjoy!
Jacqueline says
I have been looking for a good oatmeal bar vegan recipe and this is the One! I have made them several times now and they are a sweet treat with my afternoon tea or at breakfast with my yogurt. I subbed vegan butter for coconut oil and I put dollops of pb with the jam layer. Thank you for easy, economical and delicious recipes!
Faith VanderMolen says
Ah adding peanut butter to the jelly layer is such a good idea! Sounds like the perfect treat with tea! Thanks for tips!
Kathleen says
These were really good but a lot of calories I think so I probably won't be eating them too often. I switched out half the coconut oil for peanut butter so they were like pb&j bars. My kids really enjoyed the change from regular oatmeal. Thanks.
Faith VanderMolen says
Great idea on using peanut butter for some of the oil. Thanks for sharing!
Angela says
This recipe was the quick breakfast solution I was looking for! It's simple and delicious. Perfect recipe.
Faith VanderMolen says
So glad to hear that Angela!
Donetta says
Great blog! Do you have any tips for aspiring writers? I'm planning to start my own website soon but I'm a little lost on everything. Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that I'm totally overwhelmed .. Any recommendations? Bless you!|
Faith VanderMolen says
Thanks Donetta! I suggest you check out all the posts my husband wrote on starting a blog. Maybe start here: https://theconscientiouseater.com/how-to-start-a-food-blog-post/ Thanks so much for your comment and good luck!
Brass says
I loooove the look of this recipe! Do you think that it would be possible to sub in homemade chia jam?
Faith VanderMolen says
Yes! That should work fine! Happy baking:)