These oatmeal strawberry jam bars deliver the perfect balance of sweetness, crunch, and gooey goodness. And they’re versatile! I enjoy them for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack. Since you’re making them at home with ingredients you choose, you can make them as nutritious as you want and adjust the flavors to your liking.

I like healthy oatmeal jam bars, so I when I make them I use organic preserves and regular rolled oats. Something that might surprise you is how easy it is to get kids to eat breakfast when you offer them one of these. After all, what kid in her right mind will turn down a breakfast cookie?
Oatmeal Bar
Although this recipe is specifically for the strawberry version, you can substitute raspberry, blueberry, or even fig preserves. I always recommend using what you have on hand or have easy access to. This oatmeal bar is such a treat, regardless of when you serve it, that you should like the flavors you put in there.
Ingredients
You probably have most, if not all of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge. Here are the items you’ll need:
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup almond flour (or regular all-purpose flour if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup jam or preserves

I placed a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for your convenience.
I like to use almond flour because I follow a gluten-free diet. Although oats are typically gluten-free, many of them are made in facilities with gluten products. If you have celiac or even a severe sensitivity, you should look for certified gluten-free oats. You can make vegan jam bars by using a butter substitute. They should taste just as good if you choose a quality product.
Prepare the Tools and Ingredients
Before you begin putting everything together, make sure you have all of the ingredients. You can even measure them out and have them ready for when you’ll need them. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a baking pan (either 7” x 9” or 8” x 8”) with nonstick cooking spray.
How to Make Oatmeal Strawberry Jam Bars
Now it’s time to start mixing. First of all, combine the oats, almond flour, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a large mixing bowl. You can use a medium-size one, but I like to make sure everything stays in the bowl. Stir until everything is well mixed.

Next, add the melted butter. Stir the mixture until all of the dry ingredients are coated. The texture should be somewhat crumbly, kind of like wet sand with a little oatmeal in the mix.


Now pour 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of your greased baking pan. Spread it out and pack it down. This forms the bottom crust to support the bars. You can use the back of a spoon or your hands to do this. If the mixture sticks to your spoon, all you have to do is spritz it with nonstick spray.

After that, place the preserves in a microwave safe bowl. Heat it on high in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds or until it is runny and easy to spread. You can spread it cold, but it tends to pick up the crust from the bottom, and it’s much more difficult to work with.
Now, pour the jam over the bottom crust in the pan. Smooth it out evenly using the back of a spoon.

Next, sprinkle the remaining oatmeal mixture over the top. Gently press it down with your fingertips to make sure it sticks to the jam. The topping won’t completely cover the jam, but it does add a layer of satisfying crunch.

Bake for 30 minutes in a hot oven. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
Before You Cut The Oatmeal Strawberry Jam Bars
Since the strawberry jam will still be very gooey, I recommend refrigerating the pan of uncut bars for at least an hour. This gives it more time to set. After it has had time to chill, cut the bars into squares or rectangles. I usually get about 12-15 bars per pan.

Ingredient Alternatives
You can make these jam bars without oatmeal if you want. All you have to do is eliminate the oats and double the almond flour. Doing this changes the texture quite a bit, but they should still taste good.
If you want to leave out the jam, you can use a nut butter instead. I’ve made these bars with creamy peanut butter, and I really like them.

More Breakfast Recipes
Over the years, I’ve discovered ways to take breakfast to new heights. If I taste something from a package, I read the list of ingredients and decide whether or not I can make it better. Many times I can.
Here are some of our favorite breakfast recipes:
Cinnamon Raisin Granola – We typically eat this with milk on it, but it’s actually good all by itself.

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl – Quinoa is a delicious alternative to oats, grits, or rice when you need something filling. I like to make these bowls when I have a busy morning planned.
Baked French Toast Casserole – I like to start this one the night before, but that isn’t necessary. It’s a deliciously warm and comforting meal, perfect to start the day.
English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich – When you need something to grab-and-go, try making a breakfast sandwich from Julia’s Simply Southern blog.
Banana Nut Muffins – You can make these delicious banana nut muffins either regular or gluten-free. This is one of our favorite recipes, and it makes the house smell so good!

Grab-N-Go Treat
One of the many things we enjoy about these delicious jam bars is the fact that you can eat them on the run. They’re a delicious breakfast when there isn’t enough time to sit at the kitchen table. Also, I often put a couple of them in a small container and drop them into my bag so I can munch on them later when I need nourishment.
Oatmeal Strawberry Jam Bars Recipe

Oatmeal strawberry jam bars are a delicious breakfast or afternoon sweet treat!
Ingredients
- 1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup of almond flour
- 1/2 cup of melted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of jam or preserves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350˚ F. Spray the bottom of a 7” x 9” or 8” x 8” baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, almond flour, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix it well.
- Add the butter and stir until all of the ingredients are coated.
- Pour 2/3 of the mixture into the pan. With the back of a spoon, press the mixture until it is firm. This is the bottom crust of the bars If the mixture sticks to the spoon, spray the back of the spoon with nonstick spray. Or you can use your hands, but spray them first or dampen them with cold water so the mixture doesn’t stick to your hands.
- Put the preserves in a microwave safe bowl and heat it on high for about 30 seconds or until it is slightly melted and runny.
- Pour the preserves over the bottom crust in the baking pan.
- Pour the remaining oatmeal mixture over the jam. Gently press it down with damp fingertips.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on the countertop for about 15 minutes. Then put it in the refrigerator and allow it to cool for at least an hour before cutting it into either squares or rectangles.
- Enjoy!
Notes
You may use raspberry, blueberry, or any other type of fruit preserves you enjoy.
Store whatever you don’t eat in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 512Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 13gCholesterol 41mgSodium 321mgCarbohydrates 67gFiber 4gSugar 43gProtein 6g
The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.
marg
Thursday 4th of July 2024
hello can these strawberry jam bars be frozen.
southernhomeexpress
Thursday 4th of July 2024
Hi Marg. Yes, you can freeze them. In order to keep them from sticking to each other, wrap individual servings in wax paper and then put all of them (that you want to freeze) in an airtight container. They should be good for several months.
Tammy
Thursday 9th of February 2023
Oh I wish I could grab one from my screen right now! These sound so delicious and look so good too. A perfect breakfast bar!
Darlene
Tuesday 8th of November 2022
Can you use swerve in place of regular sugar and use sugar free jam?
southernhomeexpress
Wednesday 9th of November 2022
Hi Darlene. Thanks for asking. You can use sugar free jam. I'm not sure about the swerve, but I would think so. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
Miz Helen
Thursday 30th of December 2021
We really enjoyed featuring your awesome post at Full Plate Thursday,568! Wishing you a Happy New Year and hope to see you real soon! Miz Helen
Miz Helen
Thursday 17th of June 2021
Your Oatmeal Strawberry Jam Bars will be delicious, I can't wait to try them. I just pinned them to our features board. I am very excited to feature your post on Full Plate Thursday,541 this week. Thanks so much for sharing with us and come back to see us real soon! Miz Helen