Easy Blueberry Oatmeal Bars Recipe
These Blueberry Oatmeal Bars are the perfect way to enjoy a delicious breakfast or snack this blueberry season! With just a few simple ingredients and some fresh blueberries, you can quickly whip up these healthy oatmeal bars.
If you love sweet blueberry recipes like this one then next time you may want to give this Blueberry Coffee Cake recipe a try!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These amazing blueberry bars are a great way to use up fresh berries when they are in season and at the peak of flavor.
- You can enjoy them as a snack or even savor one in the morning while you sip on your first cup of coffee.
- The crust is sweetened with maple syrup, a natural sweetener.
- They have a sweet and tangy blueberry flavor along with a slight nutty flavor from the oats. It’s the perfect combination.
Ingredients Needed
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to help you make this recipe. One great thing about this recipe is that all of these ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store so you don’t have to worry about tracking down costly ingredients.
Blueberry Sauce
- fresh blueberries
- granulated sugar or a sugar-free alternative like Swerve
- water
- cornstarch
- You can also use this Homemade Blueberry Sauce Topping or this Sugar-free Cinnamon Blueberry Sauce.
Oatmeal Bars
- all-purpose flour – You can use whole wheat flour or half wheat and all-purpose flour. You can also use gluten-free 1:1 flour.
- old-fashioned oatmeal – Don’t substitute for steel-cut oats.
- baking powder – check the expiration date! This gives the flour mix a little lift.
- ground cinnamon
- salt
- large egg
- pure maple syrup – Out of maple syrup? You can also use honey or granulated sugar as well.
- unsalted butter
- vanilla extract
How to Make These Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
Making this delicious recipe is so simple. Just follow these instructions or check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post to find out how easy it is to make this great recipe.
Step 1: Start the sauce
In a small saucepan add 2 cups of blueberries, water, and sweetener. Bring ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until the blueberries begin to soften.
Step 2: Thicken the sauce
In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Add to the blueberry sauce and cook until the sauce thickens.
Step 3: Add the vanilla and cool the sauce
Remove from the heat and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Set blueberry sauce aside.
Step 4: Preheat the oven and prepare your baking dish
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8″ x 8″ baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 5: Mix the dry ingredients
In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Step 6: Combine the wet ingredients
In a separate large mixing bowl add the egg, maple syrup, butter, and vanilla together. Mix until well blended.
Step 7: Finish the dough
Combine the wet and dry ingredients together forming a dough. Remove 1/2 cup of the dough for the topping.
Step 8: Make the bottom crust
Place the remaining dough on the bottom of the prepared baking pan, and with your hands press the dough evenly on the surface forming a solid crust.
Step 9: Add the blueberry filling
Top the dough with 1 cup of the prepared blueberry sauce, then top the sauce with 1 cup of fresh blueberries.
Step 10: Bake the bars
Crumble the remaining dough over the blueberries and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
Step 11: Cool before slicing
Cool and slice into 12 squares.
What To Serve With This Dish
These delicious blueberry oat bars are great on their own, however, you could also pair them with a cup of coffee made with homemade coffee creamer or even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top for an indulgent dessert.
Substitutions and Additions
- Lemon Blueberry Bars: You can add some lemon zest or a small amount of lemon juice to the blueberry filling to add some citrus.
- Strawberry Oatmeal Bars: If you prefer strawberry instead of blueberry, swap out the blueberries in this recipe for sliced strawberries.
- Sweeteners: The good news about this recipe is that it is pretty flexible and you can use the sweetener of your choice, coconut sugar, sugar-free options, or even light brown sugar for a hint of molasses taste.
- Chia Seeds: Fold in a couple of tables of chia seeds to the crust mixture if you want to add a little more protein and fiber to the crust.
- In a rush? Use pre-made blueberry jam as your filling.
How To Store
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
Freezing: You can also freeze the bars for up to three months. I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then store them in a freezer bag.
Sandra’s Pro Tips
Here are a few tips that you can use to ensure that the oatmeal blueberry bars turn out perfectly for you when you make them.
- Old-fashioned oats give the crust the best texture. You can use quick oats if you are in a pinch and want to avoid a trip to the store. But, I recommend whole oats instead.
- Make sure that you allow the melted butter to cool a little before you add it to the crust batter.
- Don’t pack the crunchy oatmeal crumble topping down. You want it to act like a crumble topping.
- Fresh fruit works best for this recipe, however, you can use frozen I just recommend that you thaw it first.
FAQs
Do you have questions about these blueberry pie bars? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions for this recipe.
Yes, you can freeze these bars. Simply wrap them individually in plastic and store them in a freezer bag for up to three months.
No, steel cut oats take too long to cook and require more liquid than this recipe calls for. Stick with the old-fashioned for best results.
The best way to tell if the oat bars are done baking is to look for a golden brown hue on top. The crust will turn golden brown when they are done.
Other Delicious Blueberry Recipes That You May Enjoy
Easy Blueberry Oatmeal Bars Recipe
Equipment
- small saucepan
- small bowl
- whisk
- 8×8 baking dish
- Parchment Paper
- medium bowl
- Large bowl
Ingredients
Blueberry Sauce
- 3 cups fresh blueberries divided
- 2 tablespoons or granulated sugar or a sugar free alternative like Swerve
- 1/2 cup water plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Oatmeal Bars
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract divided
Instructions
Blueberry Sauce Filling
- In a small saucepan add 2 cups of blueberries, water, sweetener. Bring ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until the blueberries begin to soften.
- In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Add to the blueberry sauce and cook until the sauce thickens.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Set blueberry sauce aside to cool.
Oatmeal Bars Base and Topping
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and line a 8″ x 8″ baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate large bowl add the egg, maple syrup, butter, and vanilla together. Mix until well blended.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients together forming a dough. Remove 1/2 cup of the dough for the topping.
- Place the remaining dough on the bottom of the prepared baking pan, and with your hands press the dough evenly on the surface forming a solid crust.
- Top the dough with 1 cup of the prepared blueberry sauce, then top the sauce with 1 cup of fresh blueberries.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the blueberries and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
- Cool and slice into 12 squares.
Notes
- Lemon Blueberry Bars: You can add some lemon zest or a small amount of lemon juice to the blueberry filling to add some citrus.
- Strawberry Oatmeal Bars: If you prefer strawberry instead of blueberry, swap out the blueberries in this recipe for sliced strawberries.
- Sweeteners: The good news about this recipe is that it is pretty flexible and you can use the sweetener of your choice, coconut sugar, sugar-free options, or even light brown sugar for a hint of molasses taste.
- Chia Seeds: Fold in a couple of tables of chia seeds to the crust mixture if you want to add a little more protein and fiber to the crust.
- In a rush? Use pre-made blueberry jam as your filling.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
