These delicious Fruit Mince Oatmeal Bars will be a perfect addition to your festive season celebrations. With an easily made crisp, slightly chewy, oatmeal base, a warmly spiced Fruit Mince centre and a crumble topping, they are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. If you love a delicious, sweet treat that is easy to make, this recipe is for you – the hardest part is waiting for the slice to cool!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- If Christmas isn’t the same without a batch of fruit mince pies, but you just can’t spare the time, you will capture their spirit with these very easy Fruit Mince Oatmeal Bars
- Deliciously aromatic when baking, the bars are full of the flavours that we associate with the festive season. We use the same recipe for Homemade Fruit Mince that we use in our Gluten-Free Mince Pies.
- Like my Lemon Curd Cake, the base and the crumble topping are made from the same mixture. After pressing the base into the tin and covering it with Fruit Mince, you simply crumble the remaining mixture over the top. It doesn’t get much easier!
- This is an extremely versatile recipe; there are so many ways to customise the filling to suit the season, such as my Apple Cheesecake Oatmeal Bars or Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars.
Recipe Inspiration: this is an addition to our very popular range of Oatmeal Bars. Knowing that Christmas is such a busy time, I felt that many of my readers would be grateful to have an easy recipe that tastes and smells of delicious festive baking.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Plain/all-purpose flour – this is a versatile flour that does not contain a raising agent. This recipe has been tested with regular wheat flour and gluten-free all-purpose flour. Both work well!
- Rolled oats – we use old-fashioned rolled oats not instant oats. You can use certified gluten-free if you require.
- Sea salt – a small amount of sea salt helps to boost the flavours.
- Baking/bicarbonate of soda – acts as a raising agent. It is not the same as baking powder.
- Butter – adds richness and flavour. We use unsalted butter, so we can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Light brown sugar – adds a light caramel flavour to the mixture.
- Vanilla extract – for the best flavour, use vanilla naturally extracted, not artificially flavoured.
- Fruit mince meat – I use my Homemade Fruit Mince which I always like to keep on hand in the fridge. Store bought can absolutely be used, but I would recommend tasting first. You may wish to elevate the flavour with some fresh orange zest or warming spices if required.
Variations:
Nuts – our Fruit Mince Oatmeal Bars are naturally nut-free. However, if you wish you could add some chopped almonds or pecans to the topping for extra crunch.
Flavourings – if you are using a store bought fruit mince, you may wish to enhance the flavour with some fresh orange zest or spices. Adjust to your taste.
How To Make Fruit Mince Bars:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Make your base and topping:
In a medium-sized bowl, combine all the dry ingredients except the sugar and mix well. In another bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla and melted butter. Mix well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine.
2 – Press and bake your base:
Press about ¾ of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake in your preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
3 – Top the base with the fruit mince:
Remove the base from the oven and immediately spread the Fruit Mince over the top.
4 – Crumble over the topping:
Crumble the remaining oatmeal mixture over the top of the base. Return to the oven and bake for a further 22-25 minutes, or until the crumble on top is a light golden brown and cooked through.
Set the bars aside to cool.
Hint: the Fruit Mince Oatmeal Bars must chill before being cut, otherwise, they will fall apart. I like to cool them on the bench for 30 minutes and then transfer to the fridge for a further 30 minutes. Then, I cut them into squares and enjoy!
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
The bars can be stored for up to three days. Keep them in the fridge in an airtight container; remove them about 10 minutes prior to serving.
Yes, they freeze well. Allow the bars to cool completely, and then put them in an airtight container. If storing them in layers, place a sheet of baking paper between the layers so that they don’t stick. Thaw them at room temperature. They can be stored in the freezer for up to two months.
I have made the Oatmeal Bars using gluten-free flour and oats on many occasions. However, there are differing views regarding oats. For Australian residents, Coeliac Australia provides a great resource on this topic. Always be sure to read the labels and consult with a health professional if you are unsure.
Top Tip:
For the best result, always ensure that your ingredients are of good quality. If you haven’t used rolled oats for a while, check that they are in date, as they can become rancid.
To make it easier to lift the Fruit Mince Oatmeal Bars from the baking tin, I recommend that when lining the tin with baking paper, you leave some overhang. This makes it easier to lift them out of the pan.
Serving Suggestions:
There are so many ways to enjoy these Fruit Mince Oatmeal Bars. Some suggestions are:
- For morning or afternoon tea – delicious with a cup of coffee!
- They are great as an after-school snack.
- As an easy breakfast when time is short.
- For picnics, potlucks or lunch boxes – they travel well.
- They are an ideal addition to a dessert table – serve alongside our Pistachio Truffles or Banana Blondies.
- For a perfect edible gift, take some to a friend or family member. They will be gratefully received!
- They are a delicious dessert. Place the bars on a baking tray in a preheated 180 degrees C (350 F) oven and warm through for about 8 minutes. Serve with our No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream or Fruit Mince Ice Cream.
I do hope that you enjoy our Fruit Mince Oatmeal Bars and look forward to hearing from you in the comments below.
Alex xx
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Fruit Mince Oatmeal Bars
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Base and Crumble Topping:
- 225 g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose/plain flour See Note 1
- 120 g (1 ½ cups) old-fashioned rolled oats See Note 2
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking/bicarb soda
- 185 g (¾ g) butter – melted
- 100 g (½ cup) light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Fruit Mince Filling:
- 2 cups fruit mince meat – I use homemade, but store bought is fine. See Note 3
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175 Degrees C (350F).
- Line a 20 x 20cm (8 x 8 inch) baking dish with non-stick baking paper. (Allow an overhang with the baking paper – it makes it easier when removing the slice!)
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, rolled oats, salt and baking soda. Mix well.
- Melt your butter. Add this to another bowl, and combine with the vanilla and brown sugar.
- Combine the contents of both bowls, and mix well.
- Firmly press about ¾ of the mixture into the tin. (You'll need to reserve about 150 g (5.2 oz) of the mixture).Bake for 12 minutes or until a pale golden colour.
- Once the base is ready, top immediately with the fruit mince, spreading to ensure it is even. Crumble the remaining mixture, using your fingers, over the top of the fruit mince.
- Return to the oven, and bake for a further 22-25 minutes or until the topping is cooked through and a light golden brown.
- Remove the bars from the oven, and allow them to cool for 30 minutes on your bench.
- Put the slice in the fridge, and chill for a further 30 minutes or until completely cool. Cutting the bars while too warm will cause them to fall apart. Remove the slice from the tin, and cut the slice into squares. Serve on their own or with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.
Notes
- Flour: use a gluten-free all-purpose/plain flour if you require it- this has been tested and works perfectly.
- Rolled oats: use gluten-free oats if required.
- Fruit mince meat: I use one batch of my Homemade Fruit Mince. It is the perfect quantity for this recipe, and tastes absolutely delicious. Store bought can be used, but make sure it tastes delicious, to your liking. You may wish to jazz up store bought with some fresh orange zest or warm spices if required. This is one of the few occasions where a volume measurement is more accurate than weight.
- Measurements: for the most accurate measurements when baking, we suggest you weigh your ingredients.
- Chill the bars: the Fruit Mince Oatmeal Bars really need to chill before cutting, otherwise, they will fall apart.
- Storage: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Remove them about 10 minutes prior to serving.
- Freezing: allow the bars to cool completely, and then put them in an airtight container before placing them in the freezer. If storing them in layers, place a sheet of baking paper between the layers so they don’t stick. Thaw them at room temperature. Freeze for up to two months.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Vicki
thanks Alex. This slice is absolutely delicious. I used my homemade fruit mince but I’m sure it is just as good with the commercial variety. Next Christmas, I will be replacing the mince tarts with your slice. It also lasted well (only because I hid some though!).
Alexandra Cook
Hi Vicki! 🙂
Thanks so much for this! Great to hear it was enjoyed.. definitely a nice change from mince tarts, I agree 🙂
Appreciate you taking the time to comment! Alex xo
Dina Miller
Such a delicious treat.
Alexandra Cook
Thank you so much, Dina!
Alex xo