These cherry oatmeal bars are great for breakfast or dessert. Easy to prepare with jarred cherries, no need to wait for cherry season to enjoy this sweet treat!
Sour cherries in syrup
I love cherries but fresh cherries are rather expensive and only in season for a short time (also, who wants to spend time pitting them?).
I was happy to come across jarred sour cherries in Lidl and excited to try them in a variety of recipes. Aldi also has a similar product labeled as Selected Dark Morello Cherries.
Although the jar says sour cherries, they are in fact sweetened by the syrup that they’re packed in and not really sour at all.
That being said, they’re not as sickly sweet as cherry pie filling.
Personally, I don’t like super sugary food so the little bit of sweetness from the syrup is the perfect amount for these cherry oatmeal bars. There’s no need to add any more sugar to the filling.
Jarred cherries hold their shape better than frozen cherries, which tend to break down upon thawing.
If you like little bursts of cherries as you bite, then getting your hands on a jar of sour cherries in syrup is the way to go for this cherry oat bar recipe!
Healthy cherry oatmeal bars
A lot of people are looking for a healthy cherry oatmeal bar recipe.
Let’s be real, there’s no such thing as a “healthy” sugar and all cherry oat bar recipes have some sort of sugar in them.
Maple syrup or agave aren’t better for you than white or brown sugar.
So don’t be fooled by other recipes claiming to be “healthy” by replacing granulated sugar with maple syrup!
Plant-based butter, on the other hand, is healthier than dairy butter thanks to it’s lower saturated and trans fat content and zero cholesterol. They are also higher in healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
That being said, plant-based butter is still just as calorie-dense as dairy butter and should be consumed in moderation.
Oats have numerous health benefits and should be consumed regularly. These cherry oatmeal bars are a great way to eat oats if you’re getting tired of plain old oatmeal!
But this recipe is still meant to be an occasional sweet treat because it contains sugar and oils. There really is no such thing as a “healthy” cherry oatmeal bar!
Ingredients
You’ll only need eight basic ingredients for these vegan cherry oat bars.
Cherries: I use jarred sour cherries in syrup. You can find these at Lidl or Aldi but if you can’t find them near you, you can substitute frozen or fresh cherries.
Oats: I use quick oats, which I keep on hand in my pantry because I find them more versatile than rolled oats. I have not tested this recipe with rolled oats but there are similar recipes on the internet calling for rolled oats so I guess they would work too.
Flour: Regular white all-purpose flour is used in this recipe. If you’re celiac, you can substitute with an all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Brown sugar: Dark or light brown sugar will work in this recipe.
Vegan butter: I used Violife when I make this recipe but any hard vegan butter will work. Use your favorite brand.
Baking powder: Adding baking powder to the crumble layer makes it more tender.
Cornstarch: This is to thicken the cherry filling. You can substitute it for arrowroot starch or chia seeds.
Salt: A little bit of salt makes a good balance to the sweetness of the sugar.
Equipment needed
To get started, you’ll need the following tools:
- A small pot
- An 8 x 8-inch square pan or a 9-inch round pan
- Parchment paper for lining the pan
- A medium-large bowl
- A measuring cup and measuring spoons
- Two spoons
How to make cherry oatmeal bars
Oat cherry bars are easy to make and involve just three steps: 1. make the filling, 2. make the crumble, 3. assemble and bake.
Make the cherry filling: Start by draining the jarred cherries over a bowl to reserve the syrup.
I use just one cup (250 ml) of the syrup because using all the syrup in the jar is a bit too much.
Of that one cup of syrup, measure out 3 tablespoons transfer it a small bowl or cup. Add the cornstarch and mix well to dissolve. Set this aside for now.
Add the cherries and remaining one cup (minus 3 tablespoons) of syrup to a small pot and heat until gently simmering. I like to use my spoon to break apart some of the cherries and keep some of them whole.
Give the syrup-cornstarch mixture another good stir and add it to the pot. Stir continuously until the filling thickens. This should take just a minute or two.
Remove the pot from the heat and let cool. To save time, you can transfer the filling to a bowl and place it in the fridge while you make the oat crumble layer.
Make the oat crumble: To make the crumb mixture, combine all the ingredients except the vegan butter in a bowl and mix.
Cut the butter into small squares and add it to the bowl.
There are several ways you can combine the butter with the dry ingredients: using a pastry cutter, smashing it in with a fork, or cutting it in with two knives.
I find the easiest way is to use my fingers to press and crumble to butter into the dry ingredients until it reaches a crumbly, sand-like texture.
It’s okay if there’s still some pea-sized chunks of butter. They help to add a pie crust-like texture to the crumble. (See photo).
Assemble and bake: Line your pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C.
Add ¾ of the oat crumble to the pan and press it down with your hand.
Now add your cooled cherry filling on top and spread it out to the edges.
Sprinkle over the remaining ¼ of the oat crumble. You can press it down lightly if you want to.
Bake for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and you can see the filling bubbling up around the edges.
You need to let the cherry oatmeal bars cool completely so that they don’t fall apart when you slice and serve them.
Once cooled you can lift them out of the pan by the parchment paper and slice to your desired size.
Substitutions and variations
Cherries: This recipe calls for jarred cherries in light syrup which might not be available where you live. You can use frozen or fresh cherries instead. For reference, the drained weight of the jarred cherries is 12 oz (350 grams). You might need to add a few tablespoons of water to make a syrup and, depending on the sweetness of your cherries, you may want to add some granulated sugar. You can also use prepared cherry pie filling or cherry jam.
Other fruits: Instead of cherries, make this recipe with your favorite fruit. Try blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, apples, peaches, rhubarb, etc.
Chocolate: Chocolate cherry oat bars are delicious. You can add chocolate chips to the oat crumble topping to melt some dark chocolate to drizzle over the baked bars.
Nuts: Try adding slivered almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans to the oat crumble.
FAQs
Yes, you can make these cherry oatmeal bars gluten free by using all-purpose gluten-free flour. Also ensure that the oats you use have not been contaminated with gluten in the processing plant.
Yes, you can make cherry oatmeal bars with frozen cherries. For reference, the weight of the drained jarred cherries is 12 oz (350 grams) so you’ll need an equivalent in frozen cherries. Frozen cherries will release some liquid as they cook and create a syrup but you can also add a few tablespoons of water or lemon juice to make it more syrupy. Depending on the sweetness of your frozen cherries, you may want to add some granulated sugar.
Yes, you can use fresh cherries. Be sure to carefully remove all the pits. See the recommendations for using frozen cherries. You’ll likely need to add water to fresh cherries to make a syrup and sugar to taste.
Yes, you can use cherry pie filling or cherry jam. Keep in mind that they have quite a bit more sugar than the jarred sour cherries in syrup. If you don’t like super sweet desserts, you may want to reduce the amount of brown sugar in the crumble mixture to compensate for the extra sweetness of the filling.
Storage tips
These oatmeal cherry bars keep well in the fridge for 4 - 5 days. Store them in an airtight container.
Chilled cherry oatmeal bars are quite firm because of the vegan butter. For softer bars you can leave them to warm on the counter for a few minutes.
Be careful not to leave them in the sun, though, or the butter will melt and they’ll fall apart easily!
How to serve cherry oatmeal bars
The best way to eat these cherry bars is served on a plate with a fork since the cherry filling is quite sticky.
I like to take them for breakfast but they also make a nice afternoon snack or a dessert.
You can dress them up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top or a drizzle of melted dark chocolate.
Cherry Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
- 1 jar (680 grams / 24 oz) sour cherries in light syrup
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups (215 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (130 grams) quick oats
- ¾ cup (155 grams) lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (185 grams) vegan butter
Instructions
- Drain the cherries over a bowl. Measure out one cup (250 ml) of the syrup. From that one cup of syrup, measure out 3 tablespoons and place in a small bowl with the cornstarch. Stir well to dissolve the cornstarch.
- Place the drained cherries and remaining one cup of syrup (minus the 3 tablespoon syrup-cornstarch mixture) in a small pot. Heat over medium heat until gently simmering. Break apart some of the cherries with your spoon. Give the syrup-cornstarch mixture another stir and add it to the pot. Stir continuously until the filling thickens - just one or two minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let cool. You can transfer it to a bowl and place it in the fridge to cool more quickly.
- In a medium-large bowl combine all the remaining ingredients except the vegan butter. Stir to mix well.
- Cut the butter into small cubes and add it to the crumble mix. There are several different ways you can cut in the butter: with a pastry cutter, smash it with a fork, cut it in with two knives, or use your hands. I find using my fingers to be the easiest. Just press and crumble to butter and flour-oat mixture together until it has a sandy texture with some pea-sized butter chunks (see photo for reference).
- Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C and line an 8 x 8-inch (20 cm) square or 9-inch (23 cm) round pan with parchment paper.
- Add ¾ of the oat-flour mixture to the prepared pan and press it down with your hands. Pour over the cooled cherry filling and spread it evenly. Sprinkle over the remaining ¼ oat-flour topping and lightly press it down.
- Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges.
- Let cool completely before slicing.
Mary Brown says
I would like to try this recipe with strawberries or apples. How would I prepare the fruits?
Colette says
I see you note that there’s no such thing as a “healthy” sugar. What are your thoughts on monk fruit? Would that work in a recipe like this?