Today’s Oatmeal Raisin Bars Recipe are a long-time family favorite homemade oatmeal raisin bars are simple to make plus bake all at one time! Our oatmeal cookie bars are soft and chewy just like oatmeal raisin cookies. 

Why we love Oatmeal Raisin Bars Recipe

I love this recipe because it’s been passed down for a couple of generations in our family. I adored them growing up and I passed the love onto my kiddos! (Bonus…I adapted them to be a little more health conscious as well!) 

Today, we’re so happy to share them with all of you. 

Ingredients in Oatmeal Raisin Bars Recipe

• Eggs- I place my eggs in a small bowl of very warm water while I’m gathering all the other ingredients and prepping to bake then when I’m ready to add them into the batter they have reached the perfect temperature! Add your eggs one at a time and cream for 2 minutes, then scape the bowl down using a rubber spatula, and add the next egg. This is the best way to be sure the eggs are incorporated evenly into the batter. Beating each egg individually is essential because eggs act as a leavener which brings the loft (height) into your baked goods. 
• Oats- I prefer to use whole grain oats because they hold up better that quick oats for baking. Did you know that oats in any form help to lower bad cholesterol, are rich in antioxidants, and a great source of fiber! 
• Applesauce- Helps Promote Good Digestion. Due to a high concentration of pectin, applesauce aids in good digestion and helps remove waste from the body. Simultaneously it promotes the growth of probiotics. Apples contain soluble fiber — the kind that can help lower your blood cholesterol levels. They also contain polyphenols, which have antioxidant effects.
• Raisins- Despite their small size, raisins are packed with energy and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Raisins are naturally sweet and high in sugar and calories, but they’re beneficial to our health when eaten in moderation. In fact, raisins can aid digestion, boost iron levels, and keep your bones strong.
• Flour- Today we using unbleached flour which has been aged naturally after being milled. It has an off-white color, which continues to dull as it ages, and a more dense grain than bleached flour.
•  Leavener- We are using baking soda (as mentioned above eggs and incorporating air are also leaveners) in our Oatmeal Raisin Bars Recipe. Both baking powder and baking soda are chemical leavening agents that cause batters to rise when baked. The leavener enlarges the bubbles which are already present in the batter produced through creaming of ingredients.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
• In a small sauce pan combine raisins and water- bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the water is gone (reserving 1/8 cup) and the raisins are plump. 
• In a large mixing bowl cream butter, add sugar (or drizzle in agave),
• Add eggs one at a time; creaming 2-3 minutes with each addition. 
• Add flour, salt, cinnamon, soda mix; mix to 80% incorporated.
• Add applesauce and oats; mix to incorporate. 
• Add hot raisins with remaining juice and nuts (if desired); gently mix with a wooden spoon.
• Spread evenly into prepared cookie sheet. 
• Bake 375 degrees for 12-17 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Yield: 36

Oatmeal Raisin Bars Recipe

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Our Oatmeal Raisin Bars Recipe are soft and chewy and I adapted them to be a little more health conscious!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups seedless raisins
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 1 1/2 cup sugar or 1 cup agave nectar (if using agave reduce oven to 350 degrees and cook a few minutes longer)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups whole oats
• 1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
3. In a small sauce pan combine raisins and water- bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the water is gone (reserving 1/8 cup) and the raisins are plump. 
4. In a large mixing bowl cream butter, add sugar (or drizzle in agave),
5. Add eggs one at a time; creaming 2-3 minutes with each addition. 
6. Add flour, salt, cinnamon, soda mix; mix to 80% incorporated.
7. Add applesauce and oats; mix to incorporate. 
8. Add hot raisins with remaining juice and nuts (if desired); gently mix with a wooden spoon.
9. Spread evenly into prepared cookie sheet. 
10. Bake 375 degrees for 12-17 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
11. Enjoy your Oatmeal Raisin Bars Recipe!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

36

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 158Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 91mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 2g

More Skinny Desserts

• Skinny Lemon Cheesecake Bars
• Skinny Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts
• Linguini with Skinny White Sauce
• Skinny Cranberry-Orange Scones
• Skinny Banana Chip Cake
• Skinny Gingerbread Doughnuts
• Skinny Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
• Skinny Gingerbread Dip
• Skinny Pumpkin Cream Cheese Loaf
• Orange Yogurt Fruit Dip

Enjoy today’s Oatmeal Raisin Bars Recipe this week!

Thanks for being a part of the CWR blog-family!

All the love,

Ruthie