Almond Joy Baked Oatmeal Bars
These dairy-free almond joy baked oatmeal bars are the perfect start to your morning. Made with no added sugar, these almond butter and coconut oatmeal bars are sweet, filling, and great for making in advance.
With 3 kids under the age of 4 my morning routine needs to be pretty simple. From unpredictable nights to early morning wake ups, truly anything can happen that might set the morning on the wrong path.
Having something quick and easy to pull out for breakfast is critical and baked oatmeal bars have been a weekly meal prep recipe to get our mornings going.
This almond joy baked oatmeal is a one bowl recipe that my toddlers love to help make almost as much as they love to eat. It’s also a wonderful make ahead recipe that you can bake the night before and reheat in the morning for an easy and filling breakfast throughout the week.
If you are looking for a delicious, healthy-ish, and filling breakfast or snack, these almond butter baked oatmeal bars with coconut and chocolate chips will hit the spot!
Why We Love These Almond Joy Baked Oatmeal Bars
Recipes that work for both breakfast and snack are my favorite. I can enjoy them first thing in the morning or with my afternoon cup of coffee.
These coconut and almond butter baked oatmeal bars have been a weekly repeat in our home because they are:
- One bowl. Start with the wet ingredients, then add the dry and you can easily whip this recipe up in one bowl.
- Healthy-ish. While there are some chocolate chips and sweetened coconut, the recipe does not call for additional sugar or sweeteners.
- Toddler approved. My two toddlers love to make and devour these bars for both breakfast and snack.
Dairy-Free Changes to Almond Butter Baked Oatmeal Bars
One ingredient makes these decadently dairy-free, chocolate chips.
For this recipe I would recommend using mini chocolate chips if you can find them but you could also chop up traditional sized chocolate chips to better disperse them throughout the baked oatmeal.
Some of my favorite dairy-free chocolate chips to use in this recipe include:
- Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips
- Guittard Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Nestle Toll House Allergen Free Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
How to Make Almond Joy Baked Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Rolled Oats– Also labeled old fashioned oats.
- Salt + Baking Powder– To enhance the flavor and help the oatmeal bars rise.
- Banana– Ripe, yellow with some brown speckles, and mashed.
- Eggs– At room temperature to help bind the oatmeal bars together.
- Almond butter– Gives the bars a slight almond flavor.
- Coconut oil– Adds a little coconut flavor while also tenderizing the oatmeal bars.
- Dairy-free milk- You can use your favorite at room temperature. I have made these bars with almond milk as well as oat milk.
- Almond extract– Boosts the almond flavor to make these oatmeal bars that much more addictive and delicious.
- Shredded Coconut + Chocolate Chips– Helps transform these oatmeal bars into a healthier version of almond joy!
Step-by-Step Directions for Almond Joy Baked Oatmeal Bars
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8X8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Melt coconut oil in a small mixing bowl and cool slightly.
- Mix dry ingredients: Stir together oats, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Mash banana: In a large mixing bowl, mash banana.
- Mix wet ingredients: Once banana is mashed, mix in eggs, almond butter, melted coconut oil, non-dairy milk, and almond extract. Stir until smooth.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
- Add choco + coconut: Next, fold in shredded coconut and dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Pour the baked oatmeal batter into the lined baking dish and sprinkle with extra chocolate chips and shredded coconut.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting in and enjoying!
Helpful Kitchen Tools
There are a few kitchen tools I find quite helpful when making these easy baked oatmeal bars.
- 8×8-inch Baking Pan– Gives you perfectly squared corners and is easy to fit with parchment paper.
- Glass Mixing Bowls– Durable and sure to whip these oatmeal bars up no problem.
- Whisk– For whipping the banana to a smooth finish and mixing together the batter.
Serving Almond Joy Baked Oatmeal Bars
I think these baked oatmeal bars are delicious warm or cold. Here are some of the ways I have served these oatmeal bars lately:
- Topped with an extra drizzle of almond butter.
- Sprinkled with sliced almonds.
- Warm with a proffee (protein coffee).
How to Store Almond and Coconut Baked Oatmeal Bars
If you are making this as a meal prep for the week, here’s how to keep the oatmeal bars fresh and best.
- Allow them to cool completely before storing.
- Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- When you are ready to eat, take out the desired number of bars and warm them in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds and enjoy!
CAN YOU FREEZE BAKED OATMEAL SQUARES?
Yes! These chocolate chip and coconut oatmeal bars are perfect for freezing and re-heating.
I have made a few batches of these each pregnancy to prepare my postpartum freezer stash and been grateful every time. To freeze:
- Allow to cool completely.
- Place in a freezer-safe container or zip top bag.
- Remove the number of peanut butter oatmeal bars you want when you are ready to heat and eat.
- Cook in microwave for about 45 seconds.
Baked Oatmeal Bars to Make Next
Looking for more baked oatmeal recipes for quicker meal prep? Here are some of my favorites!
If you tried this almond butter baked oatmeal recipe please let me know in the comments below!
You can also share a picture of it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can see all of your life after dairy adventures!
Looking for more delicious dairy-free recipes and tips? Sign up for my newsletter below to get the most helpful recipes, tips, and products for your life after dairy.
Almond Joy Baked Oatmeal Bars
These dairy-free almond joy baked oatmeal bars are the perfect start to your morning. Made with no added sugar, these almond butter and coconut oatmeal bars are sweet, filling, and great for making in advance.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 9 squares 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups Rolled Oats
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Banana (mashed)
- 2 Eggs (room temperature)
- ¼ cup Almond Butter
- ¼ cup Coconut Oil (melted)
- 1 cup Dairy-Free Milk (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
- ¼ cup Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)
- ¼ cup Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8X8 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a small bowl melt coconut oil and cool slightly.
- In a small mixing bowl stir together 2 cups oats, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash banana. Mix in 2 eggs, ¼ cup almond butter, ¼ cup melted coconut oil, 1 cup non-dairy milk, and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Stir until smooth.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
- Next, fold in ¼ cup shredded coconut and ¼ cup dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Pour the baked oatmeal batter into the lined baking dish and sprinkle with extra chocolate chips and shredded coconut.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before cutting in and enjoying!
Some of the links above contain Amazon affiliate links. These are products and brands I use in my kitchen daily. They pay me a small commission for the referral at no additional cost to you.