Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

These delicious blueberry oatmeal bars are bursting with juicy blueberries, sandwiched between a buttery, crunchy oatmeal crumble bar base and topping. Inspired by classic blueberry pie bars, this recipe features bold blueberry flavor in every bite with a handful of basic ingredients.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Canadian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 15

Servings bars

Calories 191kcal

Author Colleen Milne

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour or 1:1 gluten free flour blend
2 cups quick-cooking oats gluten-free if needed
½ cup brown sugar packed
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter melted and cooled
2 cups fresh blueberries
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°. Prepare an 8 inch square baking pan by buttering or spraying with cooking oil, or, lining with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt.
Add the melted and cooled butter and stir until combined and crumbly.
Press half the oat mixture into the prepared pan to form the crust.
In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch.
Spread the blueberry mixture evenly mixture over the crust.
Sprinkle the remainder of the crumble mixture over the blueberries. (It's fine if it doesn't cover the berries completely and there is some fruit still visible.
Bake in the center of the oven for 40-50 minutes, until the filling is set and the topping is golden.
Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into squares

Notes

Use quick-cooking oats. Quick oats are ideal for blueberry oatmeal bars because they blend more smoothly into the dough, resulting in soft, slightly chewy bars with a firm enough texture that isn't too dense.

Make it vegan and dairy-free. Just swap the regular butter with vegan butter or coconut oil.

Add nuts, seeds, or nut or seed butter. Want to add some healthy fats and plant-based proteins to your blueberry oatmeal breakfast bars? Mix in half a cup of chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans with the oatmeal crumble topping. You could even stir in a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter.

Add extracts or spices. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon of almond extract to the blueberry mixture for an extra flavor boost. Warm spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg, would add more depth.

Let the mixture cool to room temperature before slicing. If you slice them too soon, you'll end up with a soft blueberry crumble that falls apart, not blueberry oat bars. Still delicious, but not the right texture for this recipe.

Storage. Store leftover bars in an airtight container for up to a week. Keep them in the refrigerator, since the buttery crumble base will soften at room temperature.

Freezer-friendly. The cooled bars can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. I recommend wrapping each bar individually with plastic wrap and storing them together in a freezer bag or an airtight container. Thaw frozen bars in the fridge overnight before serving.

Nutrition