9 Absolute Best Store-Bought Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Who doesn't appreciate the convenience of a ready-made bar for breakfast? There are many occasions when you might need one, such as when you're running late, you need a grocery restock, or you want to take it easy with a quick, nourishing bite — because, sometimes, it simply isn't feasible to make homemade no-bake oat bars, delicious as they may be. There are many iterations of a breakfast bar, but I wanted to hone in specifically on oat-based ones.

To my surprise, there are a lot of brands selling this type of product on the market. But not only that, there are even more flavors to pick from. Whether you're in the mood for something fruity or chocolatey, you won't have difficulty finding a flavor that sounds appealing. Together, we'll try out a few brands and flavors to determine the most satisfactory. I ate 12 different offerings, but not all of them were deemed the best. It's not that anything was unpleasant or disgusting (thankfully); they were just okay, and this isn't a write-up on mediocre bars. Get ready to oat your heart out with these mouth-watering options!

Kind has many products under its belt, including a few oat breakfast bars. I tried the Honey Oat version of the protein breakfast bar, but preferred the richness of the Chocolate Cocoa as it was more flavorful and interesting. The product itself is dense, firm, and crunchy thanks to ingredients such as amaranth, buckwheat, millet, and quinoa, so it's one of the more durable items on this list. It holds up well if you want to dunk it in a cup of coffee — or if your kid loses it in a glass of milk and you have to fish it out.

The texture is unlike anything else on this list, so if you want something softer, then this isn't for you. You can really feel the amaranth, millet, and quinoa crunching on your teeth. It would be a durable option if you're someone who often rummages your bag or backpack for a snack. Two bars (one pack) contain 8 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber for some added nutrients. If you smash it into crumbles, you could use it as granola to top Greek yogurt for added protein and sustenance. I like the versatility this product offers, and the chocolate flavor is appealing yet not overly sweet or dessert-like.

Olyra Foods offers something slightly different than your standard oat bar, as the whole grain flour base is a combination of spelt, lupine, barley, and oat. This doesn't have any visible oats like some of the other bars on this list, giving it a smoother texture on the palate. I've tried many Olyra products and can safely recommend any of the brand's breakfast biscuits as they are all tasty and delightfully fruity — whether you want strawberry, blueberry, or apple cinnamon (a popular oat breakfast bar flavor, as it turns out). They're somewhat cookie-shaped, kind of like Newtons if they were round.

These are convenient and utterly delectable, making it quite feasible to eat a pack. Two of the fruit bites have 4 grams of protein and a whopping 9 grams of fiber, which makes it a great way to get some nutrients early in the morning. My toddler loves the breakfast biscuits because they are small enough for little fingers to grab onto, but also delicious. They're sweet but not cloying; I highly recommend keeping a couple of flavors in the pantry.

We've likely all had a classic Nutri-Grain bar at some point in our lives. In the 1990s, they were marketed as cereal bars that were a perfect way to begin your day and remain ingrained as a convenient snack to this day. Now, Nutri-Grain has a huge range of products in its arsenal, including the Power-Fulls Soft Baked Oat Bites Chocolate Chip Protein Snacks; reviews on the brand's website and Amazon mention it's a quick way to eat breakfast to start your morning, and I agree that it's a fun, tasty pick.

I especially like how soft these bites are; they might as well be soft-baked mini chocolate chip cookies. There are some crunchy bits from the occasional oat, meaning it's not one-note in terms of its consistency, but it's also not too sweet — any sweetness comes from the chocolate chips. While it resembles a cookie, it doesn't have the sugariness of one. They're adorably bite-sized, so you can easily pop one in your mouth. They are marketed as a protein snack with one pouch containing 6 grams of protein. It's certainly not on the same level as other popular protein bars, but it's still a flavorful way to get a few grams in early in the morning.

Like me, you may be most familiar with Nature Valley's Crunchy Oats 'N Honey Granola Bars in the green packaging. It's something I've eaten for well over a decade, and that's why I was keen to try the company's breakfast bars to give something new a shot. The Soft Baked Blueberry Oat Breakfast Bars are impressive and delightfully soft and chewy, unlike the extreme crispness of the granola bars. Rather than a blueberry jam or filling, like other brands, the bars have dried, whole blueberries; this ingredient offers a fun little texture and a burst of mainly sweet but slightly tangy flavors. It brings a unique flavor-texture combo that nothing else I tried could offer. 

There are a few oats on top to give a touch of crunch and added mouthfeel, but the interior is softer — this is also where you'll see the occasional flax or chia seed included. It's easy to take a nibble or break off pieces to eat. However, don't confuse the breakfast bars with the Soft-baked Blueberry Muffin Bars, as they look very similar on the shelf. And if you're ordering via an app, it can be easy to confuse the two when typing in "Nature Valley blueberry bar" or something of that nature.

If you're looking for a vegan, gluten-free, and tree nut-free bite-sized snack for your toddler, the Happy Tot Organics Super Foods Oat Bar is a great pick. The one I got is the blueberry flavor, but there's also a banana, strawberries, and sunflower butter one, as well as other oat bar options. Each bar is small but dense and has a pleasant fruity taste. It has real blueberries to give a berry flavor, but you can still taste the oats, too. 

It's not very sweet at all, making it a fantastic choice for the kids in your life. While you can see blueberry bits, there aren't any large pieces or chunks for toddlers to bite into. The oats offer a chewy texture, but overall, they're pretty soft to bite into or tear apart. It has 7 grams of total sugar, but zero added sugar — all of the sugar comes from ingredients like the date paste, pear puree, and blueberry puree. My toddler enjoyed it, and I also liked the mild, palatable flavor and the soft yet chewy texture. There are many wonderful snacks for toddlers, and this is a tasty option to add to the list.

I tried two flavors from the Nature's Bakery Oatmeal Crumble line, and they both impressed me enough to make it on this list. The presentation looks like a pastry, almost like something that you get at a continental breakfast at a hotel. The visual element is unlike anything else that I tried, giving it a leg up in the aesthetics department. You could open a few to put on a plate and serve to guests, and nobody would be the wiser about where it came from.

It's got oats on the top to give it a crumble-like appearance. The sweet middle is made of the filling that's somewhat jammy, similar in taste to a classic strawberry Pop-Tart. So, this is an easy pick if you're a strawberry Pop-Tart fan. The exterior is strong enough that hold up as you bite into it, but not overly chewy or crisp. The range of textures — from the smooth jam to the crunch of the crumble topping to the soft baked base — offers a different mouthfeel in each bite. The oats are enhanced by the sweetness of the strawberry puree center. All around, this is a fantastic option to look out for the next time you're grocery shopping.

If you're someone who enjoys an apple crumb, then you will appreciate this oat-y option. The Nature's Bakery Oatmeal Crumble Apple flavor has the same texture and appearance as the previous one I just mentioned, so there's no need to rehash that here. However, I thoroughly enjoy the warmth of the apple flavor. Instead of a Pop-Tart-like taste of the strawberry version, this apple one is like eating a piece of autumn in a handy-dandy snack. It feels comforting and satisfying with hints of apple, cinnamon, and brown sugar. 

You get the taste of an apple without having to physically bite into a crisp, fresh one. Although it doesn't specify what kind of apple(s) are included, the photo shows a Granny Smith (can't be sure that's what's actually included), but at least the ingredients list apple puree as an ingredient. As a bonus, both Nature's Bakery options are vegan and nut-free, allowing more people with food sensitivities to eat them.

I've tried many Bobo's items, but this was my first time trying something from the Dipp'd line. These gluten-free oat bars are dunked in dark chocolate, so the underside has a tasty, rich chocolate layer. This offered a unique flavor and appearance that none of the other chocolatey options on this list have. The dark chocolate component also provides a more bittersweet flavor if you prefer something beyond your basic milk chocolate. The bar isn't too sweet despite being dipped in chocolate. It has a mild coconutty essence because it contains coconut oil, but it's not overwhelming.

The only qualm is that it is subject to being messy if you eat it as it melts at warmer temperatures or under the heat of your fingers. This bar is chewy, slightly firm, and dense, so it feels like a hearty food as you bite into it. If you prefer other flavors, though, there's also a peanut butter or a chocolate version.

Kodiak Power Cakes flapjack mix made it onto our list of the best pancake mixes, so I was fascinated to test out the brand's breakfast bars to see how they held up. I tried the blueberry oat as well as the apple cinnamon and oat, but preferred the former. The apple cinnamon was fine — nothing wrong with it — but the apple flavor was barely there. So, seeing as this is all about the best breakfast bar options, the blueberry takes the cake. 

It has a berry flavor with the addition of both almond and peanut butter, making this bar almost like a PBJ sandwich of sorts. The combination is different compared to any other bar I tried, as nothing else had the nutty twist. The bar is super soft, perfect for toddlers or kids with missing teeth. The filling is in the center and remains exposed on the outer edges, which I thought was interesting and unusual — but don't worry, it's firm enough that it's set and won't ooze out or anything. This bar packs 10 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber if you want some protein added to your brekkie.

I tried out 12 different flavors of oat breakfast bars and selected the best based on taste and texture. Each of the ones on this list is flavorful, with every bite offering a tasty morsel. I wanted to include different flavors to give readers more to pick from, whether you want fruits like apple or blueberry, or prefer something more chocolatey. I also selected varied textures from soft baked to crunchy or firm to offer a medley. The ones that didn't cut were not bad per se, but they weren't particularly memorable or flavorful.