If you are looking for an easy way to use those fresh strawberries, these gluten free strawberry oatmeal bars make a delicious breakfast or snack. They are full of fresh fruit and your whole family will love this recipe!
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Our farmer's market is full of fresh local strawberries right now. They are big, juicy organic strawberries that burst with flavor when you bite into them.
The strawberries in these oatmeal bars are definitely the hero of this snack, and these are healthy enough so your kids can even have two if they want 🙂
One bite of these fruity oatmeal cookie bars, and you will be hooked! (If you are a huge strawberry fan like me, check out my favorite gluten free strawberry recipes!)
Why these gluten free strawberry oatmeal bars are so good:
- You only need a few simple ingredients to make them.
- These are customizable. You can easily make them dairy-free, low glycemic, and use any fruit you have on hand!
- They are freezable, so you can have them any time!
This is the perfect base recipe! I’ve made them twice now. Both times I mixed fresh strawberries with strawberry preserves. The second time making it, I doubled the recipe and used coconut oil instead of butter and gluten free protein oats!"
Teddi F., Pinterest comment
Why must you use certified gluten free oats?
One important note for using oats when you are on a gluten free diet. Make sure the oats you use are certified gluten free. Cross-contamination is a huge issue for oats, and I don't want anyone to get sick!!
Oats themselves are gluten free, but they are often grown next to wheat, and they cross-contaminate in silos. Here are some great certified gluten free oats brands to try.
Recipe step-by-step directions:
Step 1: Add the crust-dry ingredients to a bowl. Whisk them to blend them all.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients into a crust dough.
Step 3: Press half of the crust mixture into a greased 8x8 pan and press it down to compact it.
Step 4: Layer the fresh strawberries on top of the crust. Again, feel free to use the fruits on hand if you don't have fresh strawberries.
Add a few layers of juicy strawberries so the flavor really bursts through.
Step 5: Sprinkle the remaining crust mixture on top of the strawberries. Bake at 350º F for 25-30 minutes until the strawberries are softened and the bars solidify.
Step 6: Remove the gluten free strawberry oatmeal bars from the oven and allow them to cool before slicing them.
Variations:
This oatmeal bar recipe works with lots of different fruits! Here are some ideas:
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Strawberry Rhubarb
- Peaches/nectarines
Storage:
Store these bars in an air-tight container in your refrigerator.
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
Fresh strawberries will last a day or two on your counter. More like one day if they are from your Farmer's Market. If you don't finish the strawberries on the first day, I highly recommend storing or freezing them in your refrigerator.
You can use frozen strawberries in this strawberry bars recipe, but you must prep them so your gluten-free strawberry bars don't turn out super mushy. Thaw the strawberries and pour out a little of the juice before adding the oatmeal layer.
You can easily make this recipe dairy-free by using dairy-free butter.
If you want to make this recipe lower glycemic, swap the brown sugar out and use coconut sugar instead.
These bars should keep fresh for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
And, if you bought too many strawberries, give these Gluten Free Strawberry Muffins recipes a try too!
More recipes with gluten free oats:
- Gluten Free Chocolate Steel Cut Oats (yes, you can have chocolate for breakfast!)
- Simple and delicious, these Grab and Go Gluten Free Oatmeal Breakfast Bars are perfect for a busy morning.
- If you are into big cookies, this Giant Gluten Free Oatmeal Pizookie Cookie is hard to resist.
- Another delicious breakfast recipe, this How to Make Overnight Oats tutorial, is great for meal prep.
Reader raves:
Amazingly delicious, great with berries or peaches!"
Nikka H., Pinterest user
📖 Recipe
Simple Gluten Free Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cup gluten free rolled oats * see note
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups fresh strawberries sliced
- ½ cup sliced almonds optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Spray a 7x7 pan with coconut oil.
- In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients. Mix well.
- Add the melted butter and mix. Press ½ of the mixed crust to the bottom of the pan.
- Add a layer of fresh strawberries.
- Top with remaining crust and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Video
Notes
- It is critical to use certified gluten free oats if you are Celiac. Cross-contamination runs high in regular oats.
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for vegan butter.
- Several have asked about using frozen strawberries. These have a lot of liquid. I recommend thawing them and draining off the extra liquid before using frozen strawberries.
- These bars will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Fearless Dining
Simplifying the art of baking and cooking gluten-free recipes.
Kristin
I just made these using coconut oil instead of butter and coconut sugar instead of regular brown sugar. They turned out great! I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you so much!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so happy to hear this Kristin. Thank you for letting us all know it works with these healthy options!!
Jill
Delicious flavor but I had to bake for an hour for strawberries to get to a nice softness and it never formed bars, but a crumble to eat with a spoon.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Jill, what gluten free flour blend did you use?
Jaci
Hey can I use steel cut oats or will it not come out the same?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Jaci, I don't think steel cut oats would work because of how thick and dense they are. That being said, go for it and let us know how they turn out.
Lilly Mcguire
How long do they last (if I bake Friday or saturday.will they be good for Monday delivery to teachers?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Lilly, honestly, I am not sure how long. I would try to bake them the night before so they don't get too soggy.
Monica Porter
So I made this with blueberries and it was FANTASTIC. I am gluten and dairy free so I simply subbed the butter for earth balance and it turned out incredible. It's probably considered more of a dessert but I'm planning on using it for my breakfast to couple with eggs; I struggle with finding yummy go-to's to get my morning going. This is so yummy and I was pleased with how it turned out using blueberries.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked this recipe Monica. I love that you used blueberries. Thank you for writing, you made my day :-).
Shanté
Could I use rice flour with this? I'm pretty new to gluten free baking...
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Shante, thank you for your note. You will want to use a gluten free flour blend for gluten free baking. (And if the one you have doesn't include xanthan gum, you want to add 1 teaspoon. This is like the glue that helps hold things together.) Rice flour by itself doesn't hold together, it is always best to combine a couple of gluten free flours with a starch like tapioca. If you want to send me an email at sandi@fearlessdining.com, I am happy to answer any questions you have :-).
Elva
They were delicious....especially a la mode! I added vanilla ice cream to it while still a little warm.....will definitely do it again. I didn't have the size pan, so made them into little round tart pans I had. Came out good actually, could only eat one. I'm gluten sensitive, so that's all I could have. And my family even liked them, which that's a miracle finding something gluten free they like.
Sandi Gaertner
You made my day Elva. I am so glad your family loved these bars. You can make them with any fruit. The tart pan is a great idea for portion control...I tend to eat a lot more of this than I need 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to write and tell me about your experience.
Sue
These are amazing!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you enjoyed these Sue. You made my day 🙂
carrie @ frugal foodie mama
Oh, these bars look perfect! Since they have oatmeal in them, that means I can totally have one or two for breakfast, right? 😉
Sandi Gaertner
Of course Carrie 🙂