We FINALLY moved into our house last week and the first thing I baked was this Gluten Free Cherry Oat Bars recipe! These babies are rich and decadent with a crisp, buttery crumb that we just cannot get enough of around here.
{{These Gluten Free Cherry Oat Bars are the seventh recipe in our year long partnership with Stemilt! We received compensation and product in exchange for it. Opinions are always our own. If we don’t love it, you don’t hear about it. Thanks for your continued support!}}
Nothing says 'welcome home' like a pan of freshly baked cherry oat bars! Trust me, we know!
We've been on the road since Father's Day relocating from sunny Southern California to Atlanta, Ga and all I could think about on our journey was what I was going to cook first in our new home. I pondered a lot of different dishes over the past 6 weeks, but ultimately this gluten free cherry oat bars recipe won out over everything else because it seemed like a buttery oat bar would be the ultimate "welcome home" treat to give my family after such a long haul on the road.
I actually should give my daughter credit for these bars coming into existence. You see, she was OBSESSED with Starbuck's Michigan Cherry Oat Bars last year and once they discontinued them she began begging me to make a homemade version.  So, during our cross country road trip  I did a bit of research on those cherry oat bars Starbucks served and realized that the ingredients in the bars were actually pretty straightforward. All I needed was lots of butter, a heaping mound of oats, gluten free flour, brown sugar and a rich cherry studded pie filling made with fresh Stemilt cherries.
Why do we love Stemilt cherries more than any other?
Stemilt’s founding family, the Mathisons, have been growing cherries for over 100 years and as far as we’re concerned they’re the best. They grow both California and Washington varieties of cherries ensuring perfectly fresh cherries all summer long! YES, you can even find Stemilt's cherries right now in August, but you better hurry because the season is growing short.  Stemilt’s succulent cherries literally explode with flavor – sweetness, acids, and aromatics – in every bite you take! Their cherries are basically heaven for your taste buds.
I've made 3 batches of these bars since we moved in because my family literally cannot get enough of them! Todd and I have been indulging in a bar with our coffee in the mornings, our kid's have been taking them in their lunch boxes to school all week, and we even made a batch to share with our friends here in Atlanta that have helped us so much during this move. I'm just going to go ahead and declare this recipe a total winner that you need to act on while there is still a bit of cherry season left!Â
If you’ve tried this Gluten Free Cherry Oat Bars Recipe I would be so grateful if you would rate the recipe. Let me know what you think in the comments below. I just love hearing from you and your reviews and comments really help others that visit This Mess is Ours!
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What are the health benefits of cherries?
The multitude of nutrients in cherries, especially the fiber, potassium, and Vitamin C, makes it a very nutritious food. Cherries help to promote gut and skin health, moderates blood sugar levels, and improve nerve function. The high antioxidant content fights free radicals and helps the overall immune system.
Click here for information on the health benefits of cherries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Becky Ackroyd says
Made these last night- they were so good! (Though I cheated and used reduced sugar strawberry jam as the fruit filling, since it was already my usual bedtime when I put them in the oven). Thanks for such a simple and awesome recipe.
thismess says
OMG Becky that is a BRILLIANT idea! I love kitchen hacks that make easy recipes even EASIER. I am totally taking your version asap!
Do Engelmann says
I made a batch of these delicious treats for my co-workers with varied diets and everyone went crazy over them. I made sure there were big chunks of chewy cherries, and that put them over the edge! I was curious about freezing these for winter enjoyment after the cherry season. We are coming to the end of cherry season and I plan on trying to freeze a batch with fingers crossed. I bet they'll be great. I'll report back. But thanks for the great recipe!
thismess says
Hooray! I am so glad that you and your co-workers loved them! I am hoping to get my hands on more cherries for a batch or two to fill my freezer too. Can't wait hear how they turn out for you.
Do says
Followed the recipe and these delicious fruit bars are now my new favorite thing! They taste healthy, crunchy and crumbly but the best part is that delicious cherry filling. I wonder if these would freeze well - it would be nice to have them on hand when the mood strikes and the cherry season is over.
thismess says
Yay!!! I am so glad that you love them too. What a great idea to freeze them!! I have never tried it, but I bet you could. If I get the chance to make them again this season I will make a double batch and freeze one to see what happens. 🙂 You let me know if you give it a try first!
Josie Exner says
Made these last night. So delicious!!! I dont think I used quite enough butter, mine were uber crumbly. Loved the flavor. We could use blueberries I bet. Awesome job, keep it up
thismess says
Hey Josie!! I am so glad you enjoyed these and we are super glad to be back here! I hope we can catch up at some point soon, are you still harvesting honey? If you press the bottom layer of the crust in the pan very firmly it should all stick together. The top will still be a bit crumbly, due to the fact that you aren't compressing it, but even thee crumbles are pretty tasty. 😉 I think blueberries would be amazing. So would raspberries or blackberries!
Josie Exner says
Any suggestions for this when cherries are out of season?
meg@thismessisours says
You could use most stone fruits I would think.
Josie Exner says
So happy y'all are on this side of the world.
Abby @ Heart of a Baker says
Omggg cherry oat bars are LIFE! I'm so glad to hear you guys are settling in, what an adventure! Good vibes and cheers to your family making this big adventure!
thismess says
Awww thanks Abby!! It definitely has been quite the adventure. I so wish I could share some of these cherry oat bars with you!!