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These Starbucks copycat oat bars have been on xoxoBella since 2015, and they’re still one of my favorite homemade versions of a coffee shop treat. They’re dense and chewy with lightly crisp edges and that buttery, caramelized flavor I remember from Starbucks oat bars. I’ve made these plenty of times over the years, and pressing the mixture firmly into the pan and letting the bars cool completely makes such a difference in how well they hold together. They’re also known as British flapjacks, which are quite different from the pancakes we call flapjacks in North America.
Why You’ll Love It
Starbucks oat bars, aka British flapjacks, are a perfect treat for a rainy afternoon, a school snack or a sweet breakfast option. They are easy to make and to eat.
That chewy texture: These are dense and chewy in the middle with lightly crisp, caramelized edges. Several readers have told me they think they’re even better than the Starbucks version.
Only 7 ingredients: The basic recipe is just oats, butter, two sugars, golden syrup, salt and cinnamon, and everything comes together in one saucepan before baking.
Great for making ahead: I love having a batch around for an easy grab-and-go snack, and one reader actually found hers held together even better the next day.
Easy to change up: I’ve had readers add dates, cranberries, pumpkin seeds and chocolate over the years, so there’s plenty of room to make them your own.
Also try these lemon almond scones, some chocolate coconut magic bars or these heavenly tropical pineapple scones.
Starbucks Copycat Oat Bars Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Quick-cooking rolled oats: The type of oats matters here. Quick oats are thinner and smaller than regular rolled oats, which helps give these bars their dense, chewy texture. I’ve found that different brands of oats can affect the consistency a little too.
Salted butter: Butter gives the bars their rich flavor and helps bind the oats together with the sugars and syrup.
Turbinado and brown sugar: Using both gives you sweetness along with some caramel and molasses notes. The turbinado won’t completely dissolve when you heat the mixture, and that’s okay.
Golden syrup: This thick, caramel-like syrup adds sweetness and helps hold the bars together. Honey or dark corn syrup can work if you can’t find it.
Cinnamon: There’s only a small amount, so it adds warmth without making these taste like cinnamon oat bars.
How to Make Starbucks Copycat Oat Bars
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make the oat mixture: Melt the butter with both sugars, golden syrup, salt and cinnamon. Remove it from the heat and stir in the quick oats until they’re completely coated.
Press into the pan: Transfer the mixture to the parchment-lined baking pan and use a spatula to press it down very firmly and evenly.
Bake: Bake until the edges are lightly golden, keeping an eye on them so the bars stay chewy in the middle.
Cut and cool: Cut the bars while they’re still hot and in the pan, then leave them there to cool completely. Once cooled, lift them out and cut along the same lines again.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free quick-cooking oats. Since I have celiac disease, I always check that oats are specifically labeled gluten-free rather than assuming regular oats are safe.
Golden syrup: Honey or dark corn syrup can be used if you can’t find golden syrup. The flavor will be slightly different, but both help bind the oats together.
No quick oats: Pulse regular rolled oats briefly in a food processor to break them down. Don’t process them into oat flour; you’re just looking for a finer texture.
Add-ins: Try dried cranberries, raisins, chopped dates, nuts, seeds or chocolate chips. If you’re adding chocolate, let the oat mixture cool slightly first so the chips don’t immediately melt.
Less sweet: You can reduce the turbinado sugar, brown sugar and golden syrup from ⅓ Cup each to ¼ Cup each. I wouldn’t eliminate the golden syrup completely because it also helps the bars hold together.
Serving Suggestions
As a snack: Cut the traditional flapjack oat bars into squares and serve them as a snack. They are a great alternative to store-bought snacks and can be enjoyed on-the-go.
As a dessert: Serve the Starbucks oat bars warm with a scoop of vanilla or pumpkin spice latte ice cream, or a dollop of whipped cream.
With tea or coffee: As we all know, these copycat Starbucks oat bars are a great accompaniment to a cup of tea, Starbucks copycat pink drink or a Starbucks copycat cinnamon dolce latte.
As a breakfast: Serve with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup and a cup of yogurt for a sweet breakfast option.
How to Store Starbucks Oat Bars
Store: Keep the oat bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I actually find the texture gets even better after they’ve had time to completely cool and set.
Freeze: Freeze the bars in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Place parchment between layers so they’re easy to separate.
Thaw: Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat: You can warm a bar briefly in the microwave if you like it soft and warm. For crisper edges, warm it for a few minutes in the oven instead.
Top Tips
Press them down firmly: This is one of the most important steps. I use a spatula to really compact the oat mixture in the pan before baking, which helps the finished bars hold together.
Use the right oats: Quick-cooking rolled oats give these bars their characteristic texture. Different oat types and even different brands can change how wet or dry the mixture seems.
Don’t overbake: Take the bars out when the edges are lightly golden if you want that chewy middle. A few extra minutes will give you a firmer, crisper bar.
Cut them twice: Score the bars into 16 pieces while they’re still hot, but leave them in the pan to cool completely. Once they’re cool, go over the cuts again with a sharp knife.
Let them cool completely: This really matters. The bars firm up considerably as they cool, so don’t judge their final texture while they’re still warm.
Just Like Starbuck’s Oat Bars FAQs
Turbinado sugar is made from sugar cane juice and is also known as raw sugar. You’ll find turbinado sugar has a slightly coarser texture than white granulated sugar and it has a subtle, natural molasses flavor. It’s often used as a sweetener in baking and cooking, as a topping for oatmeal, cereals, and fruits, and as a sweetener in coffee and tea.
Golden syrup is a thick amber-colored syrup with a buttery caramel flavor that’s commonly used in British baking. It adds sweetness to these bars but also helps bind the oat mixture together. If you can’t find it, honey or dark corn syrup can work instead.
The bars need to be pressed very firmly into the pan and then cooled completely before you remove them. They’ll still be quite soft when they first come out of the oven and firm up considerably as they cool. The type of oats can also affect the texture, so I recommend sticking with quick-cooking rolled oats.
Quick-cooking rolled oats work best because they’re smaller and thinner. If regular rolled oats are all you have, pulse them 2 or 3 times in a food processor to break them down slightly before using them.
Best Starbucks Oat Bar Recipe
Starbucks Copycat Oat Bars
Equipment
- Baking Dish 9-Inch Square
- Saucepan Medium
Ingredients
- 10 Tablespoons salted butter, ¾ Cup or 1 ¼ Sticks
- ⅓ Cup turbinado sugar
- ⅓ Cup brown sugar
- ⅓ Cup golden syrup
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- ¼ Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ¾ Cups quick-cooking rolled oats
Instructions
- Prepare a 9-inch square baking dish by lining the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium saucepan combine the butter, turbinado sugar, brown sugar, golden syrup, salt, and cinnamon.
- Melt the mixture together over medium heat until the butter has melted and the brown sugar has mostly dissolved, the turbinado sugar will remain crystallized. Remove from the heat.
- Add the oats to the saucepan and mix into the butter sugar mixture until the oats are fully coated.
- Press the oat mixture into the prepared baking dish. Pat the mixture down with a spatula so that the top is a flat and even surface.
- Place the bars into the oven and close the door, immediately reduce heat to 325°F. Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Remove the bars from the oven. While they are still hot and in the pan, cut the flapjacks into 16 pieces. Leave the flapjacks in the pan to cool.
- Once the oat bars are completely cooled, carefully lift them out of the baking dish and put them on a cutting board.
- Use a sharp knife to re-cut the 16 pieces. Separate the pieces and either serve immediately or store in an airtight container.
Notes
Use the right oats: Quick-cooking rolled oats give these bars their characteristic texture. Different oat types and even different brands can change how wet or dry the mixture seems.
Don’t overbake: Take the bars out when the edges are lightly golden if you want that chewy middle. A few extra minutes will give you a firmer, crisper bar.
Cut them twice: Score the bars into 16 pieces while they’re still hot, but leave them in the pan to cool completely. Once they’re cool, go over the cuts again with a sharp knife.
Let them cool completely: This really matters. The bars firm up considerably as they cool, so don’t judge their final texture while they’re still warm.
Nutrition
These Starbucks oat bars have been on the blog for years, and I love seeing how many of you have made them again and again. The chewy middle and lightly crisp edges are what I remember most about the Starbucks version, and letting the bars cool completely is worth the wait for that dense texture. Keep them plain like I usually do, or try some of the add-ins readers have shared over the years.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
i love anything oatmeal, and i could live on starbucks oatbars, but would like to cut back on the sugar as much as possible. how far can i go with sugar and/or syrup reduction on these and still have them taste good ? i know experimentation is the answer but need a reasonable guess for my first batch (would rather not use artificial sweeteners if i can avoid it, but maybe willing to use a small amount).
anyone tried this using less sugar and if so, how much ?
thank you.
Glad you love oatmeal bars – I do too! You can cut the sugar and syrup slightly while keeping good texture and flavor. Try using ¼ cup each of brown sugar, turbinado sugar and golden syrup instead of ⅓ cup. That way you’re reducing sweetness without losing chew or binding. Keep a little syrup in there though, so the oats stay together. If that’s still too much, you could experiment with artificial sweeteners or something more natural such as stevia, although I have NOT experimented myself so I can’t tell you for definite how they’ll come out.
These were so simple to make and tasted absolutely delicious!
I can’t get enough of these bars. They make the best snack!
Did you change this recipe? I really loved the one that had white corn syrup in it if you have the old recipe before updating it, it didn’t have turbinado sugar in it either. Let me know if you can help!! Thx❤️
Yes, but here is the old recipe. 🙂
NGREDIENTS
3.5 cups oats quick cooking
1/2 cup butter unsalted
1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
1/4 cup corn syrup light
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 F and line a 9 x 9 inch pan with parchment paper.
Grind 2 cups (using a food processor) of the oats until it looks like a fine flour. Pour in a bowl and stir in the other 1.5 cups of un-ground oats.
Melt the butter, sugar and syrup over medium heat until the butter is completely melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in the milk and vanilla extract.
Pour the butter mixture over the oats and stir until combined. Spoon the mixture into the pan and press the oats into the pan firmly and evenly. I used a metal spatula and pressed as hard as I could. Use cooking spray on the spatula if it is sticking.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the edges are slightly golden. Cool before slicing.
Thank you so much!!! I made the new version last night and it’s delicious too, I am happy to have the old version again though! Love it❤️
Dare I say- I think these are BETTER than Starbucks!! So yummy!! Thanks for the recipe.
I thought these tasted just amazing, flavorful and sweet and so enjoyable!
I can’t believe how easy these were to make! Delicious! I did sub in honey, but they still came out amazing!
What did you take out (sub) for the honey?
There is no honey in this recipe. There is golden syrup. You could use honey instead of the golden syrup though.
These oat bars were thick, gooey and chewy! I love the Starbucks version but yours were better!
These are so great to make ahead for the week so I can have breakfast on the go… and they taste JUST like the Starbucks version
Made these yesterday exactly as written. Taste is excellent..just like Starbucks but texture was crumbly. I covered and put away until today and Lo and behold, they are perfect. Hold together beautifully. Love this!!
I have made these 3 times now and we really love them.
So glad you like the recipe!
Pro-Tip: Use a Tablespoon of Vanilla instead of a Teaspoon. I Frick’n love these…
Thanks for the pro tip! I will try that myself the next time I make them again. 🙂
I am sooooo glad I found this recipe again. I have made so many times and my family loves it. I have no idea how I lost it but I was so disappointed. Making it TODAY!
You are not the only one that loves this recipe. It is always a hit at my house, too. Enjoy!
My hubby and I love Starbucks oat bars but not so much the kings ransom to purchase them. This recipe is the antedote and couldn’t be easier to make! I followed everything to a ‘T’, cooked them for 20 minutes, cooled them liberally in the pan, and got picture perfect results. My husband said the word ‘love’ more than a half dozen times while eating them, all directed to the oat bars! For optimal results, I recommend following the suggestion to flatten the bars with a metal spatula just before baking (I sprayed mine with non-stick cooking spray).
So glad you like them!
I am so glad I found this recipe again. I have made them so many times and then lost my paper I had printed. They are our family favorite!
Glad you love them!
Made ’em! Loved ’em! I used what I had – steel cut oats, 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup brown sugar. I found them a tad dry and wonder if adding some oil would make them chewier. I believe that with some practice, this is a highly adaptable recipe. Thanks for putting a delicious end to my Starbucks craving!!
Made these yesterday as directed, turn out perfectly. I added some dates to the food processor and tamped them well. Will make again, Thank You.
Dates would be a great addition. I will have to try this! Thanks, Rick
These were really yummy – but I got there the hard way. I was probably a little generous with the butter. So I added more brown sugar and corn syrup. Once mixed with the oats, I decided to add mini chocolate chips. But my chips kept disappearing. Then I realized that the mixture was too hot and my mini chips had melted! My mixture was now chocolate oats!! All good – I put it in a pan prepped with cooking spray and a parchment lifting sleeve. I tried pressing it down, but my mixture was too wet. At this point, I should have taken it out and added more oats for the extra liquid. But, I just threw it in the oven at CONVECT BAKE 325 for 20 minutes. I wasn’t sure if these would turn out (given my modifications) – so I mixed up some muffins too and put those in for Convection 385. I pressed down on the bars some more (after 20 minutes of baking it had dried out and I was able to finally press it). I put them back in the oven with the muffins at the higher temp for 10 minutes. I took them out, gave them a good press, and let them cool. Anyone who is not getting good results, has either made too much butter mixture (by not measuring properly), has not added enough oats, or has not allowed these to cool. I will make again next time making sure the mixture cools before adding the chocolate chips and making sure if the mixture is too wet, that I add more oats. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you figured it out! I think the type/brand of oats can make a difference in the consistency and cooking time.
I have used this recipe twice with great results. I made the following changes: substituted maple syrup instead of corn syrup; used honey instead of sugar; added whipping cream instead of milk; added half a cup (maybe more) of dried cranberries; added a handful of raw pumpkin seeds and a good handful of flax seeds; I also added a large pinch of flake salt to the dry ingredients (they were made as nutrition bars for cycling so the salt was added as an electrolyte). I found that they needed 10 mins more baking time in my oven. They are delicious.
I will have to try your version! Thanks for coming back to share. 🙂
Husband loves it. I used 1/2 c. Of apple sauce, 1T.of butter, used maple syrup instead of golden syrup, used reg. Oatmeal, pulsed it for few min. Baked it for 25 min. Perfect! I will Make it again. Omit the brown sugar, plenty sweet.
can you clarify this for me … are you saying that you substituted apple sauce for all but 1tablespoon of butter ? if so, was the apple sauce sweetened at all ?
thank you.
I’m curious to know too!
Hi, just wondering if I could substitute honey for the corn syrup?
I haven’t tried. Let me know if you ended up testing that variation out. 🙂
Great recipe, however I think credit should be given to the company who supplied Starbucks with the oatbars until they decided to make their own copy of the original. Cakes etc. In Victoria, BC was the supplier for Starbucks until the coffee company decided to make their own (inferior) version. Its frustrating to see a corporate giant take credit for someone else’s work.
Awesome recipe! Thanks for posting it! I had absolutely no, zero, nadda issues as people post below, and basically found the recipe simple, straight forward, completely as you describe, and delicious! Thanks again – this recipe is now a staple in my household!
I made these and followed your directions to the letter. Mine were very dry and I had to cook them longer because they were not drowning up like Starbucks . When I tasted one it was very gross tasted like I was eating raw oats the inside looked nothing like Starbucks either. Most comments below were submitted by people saying they looked yummy or they looked easy to make but very few made them and then commented. Any suggestions ?
Oh no! I am not sure what to suggest. I have made them several times and not had what you described. Maybe you made them too thick? Did you press them down super hard? I literally use every bit of strength I have to compress them.
Taste different, perhaps my version was wrong. Tasted like there was less sugar, IDK? A bit on the dry side as well. I think Starbucks uses a sugar glaze on theirs as well; “Whole Oats”.
These do seem to taste very similar to the starbucks ones, which i love, but my first attempt seems that they just fall apart. i didn’t get it to come out in one piece so i could cut it, very crumbly. have you maybe had this happen on your early attempts and might know what to adjust? Thanks.
This hasn’t happened. I do press them down firmly…maybe you need to press them down to compact them more?
hmm, okay, i thought i did with the spatula as i was spreading it out. will try differently next time. the taste is good though so i’ll try again sometime.
I’ve tried a bunch of recipes and these were by far the closest to the starbucks version, and I actually like these more in comparison. I let them cool overnight before cutting and did not have any issues with the bars falling apart. Great recipe.