Super Easy Cherry Oatmeal Bars are a cross between warm cherry pie and cherry crisp, only in bar form! With a plant-based buttery cookie crust and homemade cherry pie filling, these bars are a healthier, simpler take on a classic recipe that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!
❤️ Why you’re going to love this recipe
These cherry oatmeal bars have everything you love about a good ‘ol fashioned cherry pie! Minus all the work that making a pie crust or extra time making that fancy lattice topping would take. We’ll be keeping things super simple (my favorite) by making together the oatmeal crust and using that same mixture for the crumble topping.
We’ll also be making a homemade cherry pie filling, but if that’s not your thing or you’re feeling crunched on time, no worries! Just grab your favorite cherry pie filling to layer between the two. Easy breezy!
Another massive bonus to this recipe, is that we’ll be using all natural ingredients, keeping things both gluten-free and also dairy-free. You’ll find only small amounts natural sweeteners here, so enjoy these cherry oatmeal bars for breakfast, as a snack or dessert completely guilt free.
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📋 Key Ingredients
These sweet little bars are pure bites of bliss with the taste and texture a warm cherry pie. Here’s a quick overview of some of the more key ingredients you’ll need for this cherry oatmeal bars recipe. Full recipe including specific measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Cherry pie filling: For this recipe, I whipped up a batch of homemade cherry filling using frozen cherries (seriously SO easy to do if you haven’t made it before, you can find steps for this in the recipe card below), but you can also use 1-2 cans of store-bought cherry pie filling.
- Oatmeal: Such an incredibly nutritious ingredient that’s packed with important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Not to mention, super high in fiber that’s going to keep you full for longer, stabilize blood sugar levels, improve digestion and even help lower cholesterol levels.
- Almond flour: This flour will give such a great cookie base for this recipe.
- Plant-based butter: Any butter would work well for this recipe, I just prefer to keep recipes as dairy-free as possible and love some vegan butter!
⏲️ How to make cherry oatmeal bars
It’s almost a little too easy to make this recipe. Here’s a quick overview broken down into steps to help you with the process:
First, gather together all of your ingredients and line 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Doing this first allows you to whip up the recipe super fast and allows for a quick cleanup.
For a quick and easy homemade cherry pie filling, using a small-medium sized saucepan, bring to boil a 10-12 oz bag of frozen cherries with lemon juice and lemon zest. Once boiling for roughly 3 minutes, turn the heat to low and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add arrowroot powder and using a potato masher, mash cherries down into preferred consistency. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients, then using a fork, break apart the cold butter into the dry ingredients. Use your fingers to break down the butter as much as possible into the mixture, then place in fridge while you make the pie filling.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining wet ingredients and then remove the dry, butter mixture from fridge. Next, you’ll whisk in the wet ingredients to the large bowl, mixing together until you get a crumbly texture.
Take ⅔ of dough mixture and place into lined baking dish. Spread evenly, pressing firmly into pan. Then, spread cherry filling over the dish evenly. Take the remainder of the dough and crumble on top of cherry filling. Sprinkle top with rolled oats. Bake in oven for 30-40.
Allow to cool completely. Optional: make glaze filling (see recipe card below). Slice ad enjoy!
Top Tip: To get very clean slices, place in fridge for 1-2 hours once cooled before adding drizzle and slicing.
🥄 Substitutions
There are really just a few substitutions we can make for this recipe, all of which I’ll share below:
- Almond flour – instead of almond flour, oat flour, coconut flour, or a gluten-free 1:1 all purpose flour would work just as well. The texture of the base may be a tad different, but remain quite similar.
- Egg – while I have not tried it with this recipe, I am nearly certain a flax-egg would work great for this recipe.
- Butter – I prefer a plant-based butter for most of my recipes, but a grassfed butter would work well as a replacement. I would stick to a butter, rather than replacing the ingredient with an oil.
- Sweetener – I used a little maple syrup as a natural sweetener for this recipe, but I imagine monk fruit, honey, coconut sugar, or your general cane sugar would taste just as good!
📖 Variations
One of the best parts about this recipe is that you can easily swap out the fruit filling for whatever fruit you have on hand and it would turn out great! Here are some ideas:
- Apple pie– Using the same ingredients and instructions as the cherry filling in the recipe card below, you could whip up a batch of apple pie oatmeal bars if you swap the cherries for apples instead. Add a little cinnamon in there and you’ve got yourself a new fav treat!
- Peach – Peach cobbler bars, anyone?
- Blueberry – Blueberry crisp just screams summer to me. Swap the cherries for blueberries and wow everyone at your next summer BBQ!
🥣 Storage
These cherry oatmeal bars will keep best when stored in fridge for up to 4-5 days. Since they are made with rather fresh, whole ingredients, they won’t keep as long if sitting out on the counter. They are delicious cold, but I do recommend to warm them up before enjoying!
You can also freeze bars individually for up to 2 months. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in and airtight container.
💭 Top tip
Make sure you allow the cherry oatmeal bars to cool completely before slicing and enjoying. I like to put mine in the fridge once cooled so that they slice smoothly without any spillage.
🍽 FAQ
Can I use fresh, frozen, or canned cherries?
All three will work for this recipe! Your favorite canned cherry filling is certainly going to be your easiest option, perfect to whip up really fast. 1-2 cans will work for this recipe.
Frozen is my preferred option, also quick but more in my control when it comes to any additives or extra sugars that might be put in a canned option.
Fresh cherries will need a bit more time calculated in the process, as you’ll need to first pit the cherries before making the filling. Roughly 3 cups of cherries will be needed if decide to go the fresh rout. You will also need to adjust the amount of desired sweetness when making the filling, as some fresh cherries are more tart than their frozen counterparts.
What do I do if the filling is too thick or too thin?
The amount of liquid going in to the cherry pie filling will vary person to person, depending on the types of cherries you’re using.
If you find that your filling looks too thick, simply add a little additional liquid, just a tablespoon at a time, stirring until you feel you’re at a desired consistency.
If the mixture is too thin, add another teaspoon of arrowroot starch and mix well. Continue to stir mixture, monitoring consistency and adding another teaspoon of the arrowroot if necessary.
What are some other ways I can use cherry pie filling?
Once you make a fruit filling/compote, you won’t go back to store-bought. It’s just TOO easy and so, so delicious. I love making a fruit filling and having it stored in the fridge to be used in various ways throughout the week:
- On top of your morning oats
- As an ice cream topping
- Used as a cake filling (cherry filling with chocolate cake is soo good)
- Over cheesecake or brownies
- Swirled into your fav yogurt (or ice cream!)
- Rolled into a crescent dough with a plant-based cream cheese for an easy braided pastry
- On top of protein chocolate mousse
🍒 More fruit dessert recipes you’ll love
- Apple Crisp Cookie Cups
- Mini Mango Cheesecake
- Breakfast Peach Cobbler
- Strawberry Protein Donuts
- Bananas Foster Banana Bread
Lastly, if you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list! As always, if you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see your creation!
Easy Cherry Oatmeal Bars (gluten free)
Equipment
- 1 8×8 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup almond flour *
- 1 cup rolled oats gluten free
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plant-based butter * very cold, in cubes
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup *
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract optional
- 1-2 tablespoon rolled oats, for topping optional
Cherry Filling
- 1 frozen cherries, 10-12 oz bag roughly 2 cups
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- zest of one lemon
- 2 teaspoon arrowroot flour *
Sugar-Free Glaze Drizzle
- ⅔ cup powdered monk fruit*
- 3-4 tsp fresh lemon or orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350, line baking dish with parchment paper
- In a large bowl, add almond flour, rolled oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, then using a fork, break apart the cold butter into the dry ingredients. Mix together using your fingers to break down the butter as much as possible into the mixture, then place in fridge while you make the pie filling.
- Using a small-medium sized saucepan over med-high heat, bring to boil a 10-12oz bag of frozen cherries with lemon juice and lemon zest. Once boiling for roughly 3 minutes, turn the heat to low and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add arrowroot powder and using a potato masher, mash cherries down into preferred consistency. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the remaining wet ingredients (egg, maple syrup, vanilla extract, almond extract) and then remove the dry, butter mixture from fridge.
- Whisk the wet ingredients into to the large bowl, mixing together until you get a crumbly texture.
- Take ⅔ of dough mixture and place into lined baking dish. Spread evenly, pressing firmly into pan. Then, spread cherry filling over the dish evenly. Take the remainder of the dough and crumble on top of cherry filling. Sprinkle top with rolled oats.
- Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes and allow to cool. While oatmeal bars are cooling, make the glaze drizzle if you'd like by mixing together powdered monk fruit sweetener and fresh lemon juice. Using a spoon or fork, evenly drizzle on bars, slice and enjoy!
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