My recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Bars is my absolute favorite, can’t-eat-just-one baked good. They’re seriously THE BEST! 
And, pretty much every time I bake a batch, they’re completely gone within 2-3 days with me doing 90% of the damage! 😳 I realize it would be much easier to just not make these delicious treats, so I don’t devour them in less than 72 hours, but not enjoying these goodies would also make me pretty sad. So, what to do? “Skinny” the recipe!
“Skinny” Oatmeal Raisin Bars
Makes 9 bars
Ingredients:
2 cups dry oats
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ingredients until smooth.
3. Spread batter in prepared baking pan, and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes until bars are cooked all the way through.
4. Let bars cool completely in pan before cutting.
Changes: The sweet brown sugar still dominates the bars, which makes me think that the 1/4 cup of sugar in the original recipe probably wasn’t needed at all, so I just nixed it. I reduced the amount of canola oil to 1/4 cup from 1/2 cup, which cut a number of calories from the recipe. I replaced 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour with 1/4 cup of wheat bran for some added fiber, protein, iron, and other nutritional goodies. I also added a tiny amount of vanilla extract for some added sweetness.
My Review: Flavor-wise, the “skinny” version of Oatmeal Raisin Bars is pretty close to the original, but not nearly as sweet. The texture of the “skinny” bars is a tad more chewy and dense compared to the original recipe. If you’re in the mood for a sweet treat, but not necessarily dessert, these “Skinny” Oatmeal Raisins Bars are perfect for satisfying that craving!
Spring it!
63 Comments
Hi Tina! I’m so glad I came across your blog as I am a former Bostonian! I live in Europe now and am often homesick, so reading your blog is very heartwarming! :):):) I love the idea of making a recipe’s ‘skinny’ version, as I am a cookie monster myself, it makes devouring a half batch that much more acceptable 😛 Looking forward to new recipes and trying out your old ones! Have a great summer! -Lena
I have them in the oven now and substituted the Oat Bran the Whey Protein powder to add more protein :0 Let you know how it comes out 🙂
Thanks so happy to find your site !
They came out GREAT !! Using the Whey Protein (22g) for 1/4 cup making the total bar 33g of protein ! Again i used the Whey Protein instead of Wheat Bran 🙂
i know i’m kind of late on the draw here, having only stumbled onto this recipe a few weeks ago, but i have to be honest: the bars i made from this recipe were dry and chalky! i was so disappointed! i read through your recipe again, and saw where you cut out some of the oil, but you didn’t replace it with anything. so i replaced the brown sugar with honey, and i added 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce. they came out super-moist and delicious! i just wanted to tell you that when baking, you can replace a portion (if not all) of the oil with applesauce, and still have moist, low-fat baked goods.
Yum! Oats are my breakfast everyday! I usually use oat bran- it’s so fun to get creative with what you can do with something as bland as this grain- but it’s so delicious and nutritious! I want to try baking these into bars, maybe even add some chocolate chips 🙂 flax meal adds a good nutty flavor as well- plus a added nutrition kick-yummy!
Was searching online for healthier-but-good cookie recipes, and stumbled upon your website. After searching, I found these Skinny Oatmeal Raisin Bars and WOW! Thank you so much for posting these. I soaked the raisins for about 5 minutes first (something my in-laws taught me- so they don’t dry out in the oven) and doubled the recipe, but kept the eggs at 2. After they were done and cooled, I drizzled them very lightly with melted peanut butter and then cut them.
I know they’ll be made a lot in my house, especially since they’re healthier then a lot of other things that I make.
Thanks again!
I realise I’m years late to the party but I was wondering how long these will last if refrigerated? I really want to make them for early mornings on-the-go as they are exactly what I need. Thanks!