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These Cherry Oatmeal Bars are a lighter take on the classic, made without butter, flour, and refined sugar, with only 157 calories each. Instead of a cornstarch filling, they’re layered with a homemade cherry chia jam that adds fiber while it thickens, all tucked between a chewy oat base and crumble topping.
Most cherry bar recipes start with a stick of butter and a cup or two of sugar. As a nutritionist, the thing I hear most from my weight loss clients is “I don’t want to give up dessert” and with desserts like this one, you don’t have to.
After losing 80 pounds myself, I learned the treats that work are the ones that satisfy a craving and keep you full, not the ones that send you back to the pantry an hour later.
That’s where the cherry chia jam comes in. It’s just cherries, chia seeds and monkfruit simmered until thick and jammy. no cornstarch, no canned pie filling and it’s honestly the best part of these bars. The oat layer is bound with applesauce, olive oil and a little maple syrup, so every ingredient is pulling its weight.
They come together with one bowl and one saucepan, and happen to be gluten-free and dairy-free too. For another fruit-filled dessert, try these raspberry crumb bars next.
If you love easy fruit bars like these, my healthy lemon bars and key lime pie bars are delicious and healthier too!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- A real dessert at 157 calories. Each bar delivers actual cherry-pie flavor for about half the calories of a traditional cherry oat bar.
- Fiber that keeps you satisfied. With 3 grams of fiber per bar from the oats, cherries and chia seeds, one bar actually holds you over. That fiber helps steady your blood sugar so you’re not fighting cravings all afternoon.
- No butter, flour or refined sugar. The bars are naturally sweetened with maple syrup, applesauce and monkfruit, and they’re gluten-free and dairy-free without any special ingredients.
- Simple and meal-prep friendly. One bowl, one saucepan, one 8×8 pan, and about 15 minutes of hands-on time then bake once and have a healthy low-calorie dessert ready all week in the fridge or freezer for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make the BEST gluten-free cherry oatmeal bars. You will also need an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish, saucepan and mixing bowl for this recipe.
- Cherries: I use thawed, frozen sweet cherries so you can make these year-round. Fresh cherries work too! Just pit them and add a splash of water to the saucepan; they may need an extra minute or two to break down into jam. And if you’re stocked up on frozen cherries, don’t miss my healthy cherry smoothie!
- Chia Seeds: Don’t skip these! Chia is what thickens the cherry jam, so there’s no cornstarch needed. And they add fiber and omega-3s!
- Monkfruit: One of my favorite zero-calorie sweeteners for keeping the jam low sugar. Any granular zero-calorie sweetener works as a 1:1 swap, or use coconut sugar if you prefer, though it will add calories.
- Oat Flour: This is the only flour I’ve tested in this recipe. It keeps the bars naturally gluten-free with a soft, tender crumb. You can make your own oat flour by blending rolled oats until fine. Do not use coconut flour; it absorbs far too much liquid.
- Rolled Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats give the base and topping their chewy texture. If gluten-free matters for you, make sure they’re certified gluten-free oats.
- Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce replaces most of the fat you’d find in a traditional bar while keeping everything moist.
- Maple Syrup: This gives the bars stickiness to hold together. Honey or a zero-calorie liquid sweetener works too.
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Swap the fruit. Frozen raspberries, blueberries, or mixed berries all make a beautiful chia jam. Berries break down faster than cherries, so start checking the jam a few minutes early. I also use frozen berries to make this protein baked oatmeal.
- Cherry almond bars. Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract to the jam and sprinkle sliced almonds over the crumble topping before baking.
- Chocolate cherry. Scatter 2–3 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips over the jam layer before adding the topping. It adds a few calories per bar, but wow.
- Brighten it up. A little lemon zest stirred into the cherry jam gives it a fresh, tart edge if your cherries are extra sweet.
- Spice it. Swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice or add a pinch of cardamom to the oat mixture.
How To Make Oatmeal Cherry Bars
Making cherry oatmeal bars is easy. Start by preheating the oven to 325° F and preparing an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Step 1: Make the cherry chia jam. Cook the cherries, monkfruit and chia seeds in a saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minutes, mashing the cherries as they soften. You’ll know it’s ready when it’s thick enough to mound on a spoon instead of running off. Set it aside to cool as the warm jam will melt into the base layer.
- Step 2: Start the oat base. Combine the oats, oat flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
- Step 3: Finish the crust. Add the applesauce, olive oil, and maple syrup and stir until the dry ingredients are fully absorbed. The mixture should stick together when you press it between your fingers. If it’s crumbly, add water one teaspoon at a time until it holds. Set aside ½ cup of the oat mixture for the crumble topping. Do this before pressing; it’s easy to forget!
- Step 4: Assemble. Transfer the rest of the crust mixture to your pan and press it into a firm, even layer. Really compact it; a firmly pressed base is the secret to bars that don’t fall apart. Spread the cooled cherry jam evenly over the base, then crumble the reserved oat mixture over the top. Some jam peeking through is exactly what you want.
- Step 5: Bake. Bake until the topping is set and lightly golden. Let the bars cool completely in the pan before slicing. They firm up as they cool, and cutting too soon is the number one reason bars crumble.
Expert Tips
- Press the base with a flat-bottomed cup or measuring cup. You’ll get a firmer, more even layer than fingers alone. This helps make cleaner slices and keeps the cherry oatmeal bars from falling apart.
- Taste your jam before assembling. Cherries vary a lot in sweetness. If yours are tart, stir in a bit more monkfruit while the jam is still warm.
- Chill before slicing. After the bars cool to room temperature, 30 minutes in the fridge gives you the cleanest, bakery-style cuts. Wipe your knife between slices.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the whole slab out of the pan and slice on a cutting board. It’s so much easier than cutting in the pan.
- Storage: Store leftover cherry oatmeal bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Chilling them is my preference, since the jam layer stays fresher and the bars slice cleaner cold. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. For better portion control, wrap bars individually before freezing. Thaw them at room temperature or microwave for 15–20 seconds.
Healthy Cherry Oatmeal Bars Recipe FAQs
Yes! Pit them, add them to a saucepan with a small splash of water. Cook a minute or two longer until the cherries break down into a jam texture. Fresh cherries release less liquid than thawed frozen ones, so the water helps them along.
I don’t recommend it. Canned pie filling is loaded with added sugar and thickeners, and it would undo the low-sugar benefit of this recipe. The homemade chia jam takes 10 minutes and is the whole reason these bars are lighter.
There are three usual suspects: the oat mixture was too dry, the base wasn’t pressed firmly enough, or the bars were sliced before cooling completely. To prevent this, make sure the crust mixture sticks together when pressed. If not, add water a teaspoon at a time until it comes together. Also, be sure to cool fully, or even chill them to set the structure.
Rolled oats are best for chewy texture, but quick oats will work in a pinch; the bars will just be softer and less textured. Note that steel-cut oats will not work in this recipe.
Serving Suggestions
These cherry oatmeal bars are just as at home on a Tuesday afternoon as they are at a summer cookout. Pack them for road trips and picnics, tuck one into a lunchbox for an after-school treat, or set out a platter for a brunch or potluck along with other easy desserts, like these healthy rice krispie treats and chocolate pecan pie bars.
They’re also a great make-ahead option for cherry season, when you’ve got extra fresh cherries on hand and want something beyond pie.
Enjoy a bar with a scoop of plain Greek yogurt to add protein and turn it into a balanced snack, or crumble one over protein overnight oats or yogurt like a fruit-and-oat parfait topping.
More Healthy Fruit Dessert Recipes
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Healthy Raspberry Oatmeal Cookies
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Gluten Free Apple Crisp
Desserts
Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
If you tried this Cherry Oatmeal Bars recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Cherry Oatmeal Bars
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 1 cup Oat Flour, gluten free if needed
- 1 ½ cups Rolled Oats, gluten free if needed
- ¼ cup Olive Oil, or oil of choice
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- ½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
For the cherry layer:
- 1 ½ cups Cherries, frozen and thawed
- 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds
- 2 tablespoons Monkfruit, or zero calorie sweetener of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the cherries, monkfruit and chia seeds. Cook 10 minutes, stirring and breaking down the cherries to mash them until they become a jam like texture. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the gluten free oats, gluten free flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
- Add the maple syrup, applesauce and extra virgin olive oil and stir to combine. The mixture should stick together. If you need more liquid, add a bit of water until it combines fully.
- Set aside a 1/2 cup of the mixture. Transfer the remaining mixture to the prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer. Top the mixture with the cherry jam then drop the 1/2 cup of reserved oat mixture on top of the jam like a crumble.
- Bake for 30 minutes then cool completely before slicing into 12 bars.
Video
Notes
- Press firmly. Use a flat-bottomed cup to pack the base. It makes cleaner slices and sturdier bars than pressing with your fingers.
- Taste the jam. Cherries vary in sweetness. Stir in extra monkfruit while it’s still warm if yours are tart.
- Chill before cutting. 30 minutes in the fridge after cooling gives the cleanest slices. Wipe your knife between cuts.
- Lift, don’t cut in the pan. Use the parchment overhang to lift the whole slab out, then slice on a cutting board.
- Storage. Store the bars in the refrigerator up to 7 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made these for a potluck along with brownies that ALWAYS get wiped out first. These cherry bars were wiped out first as those who ate one also took one or 2 home! I actually had brownies left over. Brownies left over!!
Can’t wait to try these. I missed the top directions when I read this. Thought you should know that the monk fruit is not listed in the cooking instructions under the ingredient section. Thanks.