• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

An Oregon Cottage logo

  • Recipes
    • Best Desserts
    • Easy Salads
    • Easy Side Dishes
    • Homemade Breads
    • Sourdough
    • Homemade Soups
    • Pantry Basics Recipes
    • Simple Dinner Recipes
    • Simple Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Simple Snacks
  • Canning & Preserving
    • Canning Recipes
    • Dehydrator Recipes
    • Freezing Produce
    • Fermented Food Recipes
  • Gardening
    • Yard & Garden Tour
    • Vegetable Garden
    • Flowers, Beds & Borders
    • Gardening Tips
    • Ultimate Vegetable & Fruit Guides
  • DIY & Remodeling
    • 1900 Farmhouse
    • 1982 Ranch-turned-Cottage
    • Easy Handmade Gifts
  • Shop
    • Flexible Planner, Cookbooks, Ebooks & More
    • An Oregon Cottage's Amazon Shop
    • Shopping and Gift Guides
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Organic Gardening
  • DIY & Remodeling
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Get my newsletters + access to a library full of printables!

    Home » Whole Food Recipes » Best Desserts » Simple Cookies

    October 20, 2016 | By Jami

    Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars

    Jump to Recipe

    Lightly sweetened whole grain apple butter bars are made with whole oats, whole wheat flour, and delicious apple butter, making them a healthy snack. Check out the Simple Cookie Recipes page for more easy recipes!

    Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars stack

    Easy whole grain apple butter bars are full of good-for-you ingredients but still taste like you're eating a cookie, which is the best kind of a win-win, isn't it?

    We like these for desserts (especially paired with a scoop of vanilla), snacks with afternoon tea, and even occasionally for Saturday breakfast. Hey, they're way better than a doughnut!

    Healthy Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars

    Of course fruit-in-the-middle crumb bar cookies can be made with any fruit jams or spreads. I've made them with strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry jams and even a version with rhubarb butter and they're equally good.

    But using homemade thick and spicy apple butter that is sweetened only with maple syrup is really one of my favorite ways to make these. And they're just about perfection in the fall!

    Make Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars

    Making whole grain apple butter bars

    It's super easy to just add all the ingredients - except the apple butter - to a mixing bowl and then stir it together until all the butter pieces are incorporated.

    Press about half of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan and evenly spread the apple butter (or jam) onto the unbaked crust.

    Baked Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars

    Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the top, covering completely and pressing down lightly, before baking and cooling.

    Easy Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars

    Even though these are typically considered a cookie I think they make a great homemade substitute for all those "fruity" (I use the word loosely here) granola bars sold in the stores because they are made with much better ingredients (like you can pronounce them all…). This is a truly healthy snack right here.

    Make-Ahead Tip

    You can even wrap them individually and freeze them and if you put them in the kid's lunches in the morning, they will be thawed by the time lunch rolls around.

    Delicious Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars

    And you will know every good ingredient in them and feel good about serving them any time.

    Healthy Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars

    Whole Grain Apple Butter Bars are so easy and so delicious - they're equally good as a dessert or a perfect healthy snack. Lovely in the fall or any time of the year!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time35 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course: Cookies
    Cuisine: American
    Yield: 16 bars
    Author: Jami Boys

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups rolled oats
    • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
    • 3/4 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 3/4 cup butter
    • 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans optional
    • 1½ cups apple butter*

    Instructions

    • Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 8 or 9-inch square pan or line with parchment for easy lifting and cutting.
    • In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, salt, soda, cinnamon, and nuts, if using. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or electric mixer until thoroughly combined.
    • Press half of the mixture (about 2-1/2 cups) into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the apple butter evenly over the top and then sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the apple butter, pressing down gently.
    • Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until lightly browned.
    • Cool in pan on a wire rack before cutting into 16 bars (or 12 bars for a granola bar size).

    Notes

    *Variations: use the base with another type of butter or jam, for blackberry bars, pear butter bars and more.
    NOTE: Nutrition facts calculated with optional walnuts.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1bar | Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 137mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 272IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @anoregoncottage or tag #anoregoncottage!

    Note: This was originally published in 2010 and has been updated with all new photos, formatting and printable recipe for your convenience.

     Other Healthy Recipes to Try:

    Healthy No-Bake Fudge Oatmeal Bars

    Healthy No-Bake Fudge Oatmeal Bars

     

    Flourless Coconut-Almond Bars with Chocolate Drizzle - An Oregon Cottage

    Flourless Coconut-Almond Bars

     

    Whole Wheat Skillet Blackberry Cobbler

    Whole Wheat Skillet Blackberry Cobbler (a 10-minute prep recipe)

     

     

    About Jami

    Since 2009 Jami Boys has been helping readers live a simple homemade life through whole food recipes, doable gardening, and easy DIY projects on An Oregon Cottage. From baking bread, to creating a floor from paper, to growing and preserving food, Jami shares the easiest ways to get things done. She's been featured in Cottages and Bungalows, Old House Journal, and First for Women magazines as well as numerous sites like Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, and Apartment Therapy.

    Primary Sidebar

    Jami Boys headshot

    Hi, I'm Jami and I'm so glad you're here! My goal is to help you live a simple homemade life on your terms: cooking delicious real food, painless gardening, and making easy things that are totally worth your time. 

    Read More →

    Popular Posts

    • Roasted Cabbage Wedges with Onion Dijon Sauce
    • Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe (Ready in 1 Day)
    • Original Brown Paper Floor Tutorial: A DIY Alternative to Wood Floors
    • How To Freeze Green Beans The Easy Way Without Blanching
    • 5 Reasons To Grow Cucumbers On A Trellis (And Taking Up Less Space Isn't One Of Them)
    • Quick Honey Sweetened Homemade Ketchup Recipe

    ALL OUR CATEGORIES

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Terms of Use & Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Collaboration & Advertising

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Disclaimer: All Content Provided On An Oregon Cottage Is For Informational Purposes Only. The Owner Of This Blog Makes No Representations As To The Accuracy Or Completeness Of Any Information On This Site Or Found By Following Any Link On This Site.

    Copyright © 2022 An Oregon Cottage | No Content On This Site, Including Text And Photos, May Be Reused In Any Fashion Without Written Permission.