Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
These Blueberry Oatmeal Bars are wise teachers in the beauty of simplicity in cooking and baking. I am often tempted by the idea that the more ingredients I add to a recipe, the better the dish will taste. These easy blueberry oatmeal bars prove me wrong with every bite. They couldn’t be easier to make, I’d wager you have all the ingredients you need to make them in your pantry right now, and the only thing I could possibly add to make them taste even better is a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
This idea that simple is often better in cooking is a lesson I know I’m going to keep learning over and over. I might even have to eat a few extra blueberry oat bars to continually refresh my memory. It’s a hard order, but life lessons are life lessons, and it’s important that I stay sharp.
I adapted these Blueberry Oatmeal Bars from one of the all-time most popular recipes on my site, these healthy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars. Both are fresh, fruity, and showered in buttery crumble topping. Both need only one bowl to prepare. Both even clock in at approximately 100 calories. Swap that ice cream I mentioned earlier for a scoop of Greek yogurt, and you can be eating baked strawberry or baked blueberry bars at breakfast.
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Although I’m not going to be committing myself to a single fruit bar recipe for the rest of my life anytime soon (particularly with such delights as Caramel Apple Bars and Cherry Bars to consider), these Blueberry Oatmeal Bars do have a serious advantage over any other oatmeal crumble bar I’ve ever baked: blueberries take exactly zero prep work.
Blueberries don’t need to be sliced like strawberries, pitted like cherries, or peeled like apples. In fact, you don’t need to do another blessed thing, other than prevent yourself from eating them all before you’ve finished the recipe.
It feels especially appropriate to be sharing this Blueberry Oatmeal Bar recipe today, because I’m currently in a place that does simplicity perhaps better than any other: Italy. In case you missed Tuesday’s update, I’m spending five days in Verona learning all about how fresh pasta is made, then heading to Paris for a few days to revisit all of my favorite Parisian bakeries and chocolate shops. 😍 Be sure to follow my Instagram (I’ll be sharing both posts and stories), and I’ll eventually be sharing a recap of my trip here too.
Wishing you all a sweet weekend, with a pan of Blueberry Oatmeal Bars to go along with it!
Tools I used to make this recipe:
- Favorite 8×8 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper (I love these pre-cut sheets)
If you’d like to make these Blueberry Oatmeal Bars gluten free:
- Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats like these.
- Swap the white whole wheat flour for a 1:1 baking blend (I’ve had good luck with this one).
Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Bars with brown sugar crumble. Only 105 calories each! Great for breakfast or dessert. Includes gluten free and vegan option.
Yield: 16 bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes (plus time to cool)
Ingredients:
FOR THE BLUEBERRY OATMEAL BARS:
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten free if needed)
- 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (or substitute all-purpose flour or, to make gluten free, 1:1 baking flour)
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or substitute melted coconut oil to make vegan/dairy free)
- 2 cups fresh blueberries* (about 10 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1/2 small lemon)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
FOR THE VANILLA GLAZE (OPTIONAL BUT DELICIOUS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU PREFER A SWEETER BAR):
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk (any kind you like)
Directions:
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 375 degrees F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs two sides like handles.
- In a medium bowl, combine the oats, white whole wheat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until it forms clumps and the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture, then press the rest into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Scatter half of the blueberries over the crust. Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the top, then sprinkle on the lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar. Scatter on the remaining berries, then the remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the top. You will have some fruit showing through.
- Bake the bars for 30 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crumb topping smells toasty and looks golden. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely (you can speed this process along in the refrigerator).
- While the bars cool, prepare the glaze: in a medium bowl, briskly whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Feel free to add more milk if a thinner consistency is desired. Using the parchment paper handles, lift the bars from the pan. Drizzle with the glaze, slice, and serve.
- *I have not tried this recipe with frozen, thawed blueberries, but I think that it would work. Be sure to thaw the blueberries completely first.
- The recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch baking pan. The bars will be a bit thicker but still delicious.
- To make the bars gluten free, substitute the white whole wheat flour with a 1:1 baking mix like this one.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze, let the bars cool completely and do not glaze. Wrap tightly in plastic before placing in the freezer. Let thaw in the refrigerator and top with glaze before serving. (Bars can be frozen already glazed if needed.)
Adapted from my Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
// All images and text ©/Well Plated.Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1 (of 16), without glaze
- Amount Per Serving:
- Calories: 105 Calories
- Total Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Cholesterol: 11mg
- Sodium: 18mg
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 7g
- Protein: 2g
Did you try this recipe? I want to see! Follow Well Plated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!
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About Erin Clarke
I’m fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food taste incredible. Wearer of plaid, travel enthusiast, and firmly convinced that sweets and veggies both deserve a place at the table. MORE ABOUT ERIN…
These blueberry oatmeal bars look AMAZING! :D I hope you have an amazing rest of your trip in Italy and Paris!! <3
Thanks so much, Sarah!
These look delicious, and would be a great addition to my breakfast bakes rota. Thanks for sharing, Erin!
Lo
http://www.themixtures.com
Thanks, Lo! I hope you love them if you do give the recipe a try!
Could you make these with honey or maple syrup instead of brown sugar?
Hi Megan! I’ve never tried that, and to be honest, I probably wouldn’t recommend it, because honey and maple syrup are both very liquidy and I don’t think that the crumb or crust would set properly. If you want to try a different sweenter, you could experiment with coconut sugar. I’d add one more tablespoon of butter, since coconut sugar can be kind of dry, so you’ll want more moisture. I hope that helps, and if you do try coconut sugar, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I can’t wait to make this. It sounds so good! Thank you!!! ☺ you always surprise us with fun recipes to make.
Hazel, thank YOU for the kind words—they mean a lot, and I hope you love the bars!
This is the kind of thing I need for energy in the morning! (;
hey girl- these look so yummy! Have a great weekend!
Thank you Shawnna! You have a great weekend too :-)
HI Erin! We live and blog in Paris! Hope you’re having an amazing time and enjoying this gorgeous Spring weather we’re having!
Thank you, Alix!!
Baked goods with blueberries in them are awesome. These look so good, and the photography is amazing too! Thanks for the recipe Erin!
Hi Erin, I’m looking forward to trying this recipe with blueberries, and your healthy strawberry oatmeal bars. Since I didn’t have strawberries or blueberries on-hand, I did make this recipe as written, except used a cup of diced apple (with a touch of cinnamon) and a cup of thawed cranberries in place of the blueberries/strawberries. It was delicious. This is such an easy, versatile, and tasty recipe; one we plan to enjoy often. Thank you for sharing your recipes (love the flourless peanut butter oatmeal bars with chocolate chips too!). PS I also enjoyed the post you shared with the healthy strawberry oatmeal bars recipe.
Becky, I’m so glad you enjoyed the bars! The apple/cranberry version sounds delicious. Thank you for taking the time to leave this nice comment and share your tweaks!
This looks so delicious! Wish I could reach through my screen and eat it now!
I’m new to the realm of baking, and you could even say cooking for that matter! I was a little worried about how this recipe would turn out, but I have to say it was amazing!! Fresh blueberries were a little expensive last week, so I thawed out some frozen ones, and it turned out great :) I also used coconut oil instead of butter like you suggested in the recipe, and it added the perfect subtle hint of coconut to the recipe that felt like it was always supposed to be there. AMAZING. WILL DEFINITELY MAKE AGAIN. I have to say I’m enjoying making many of your recipes throughout the last few months!
Sarah, you are so sweet! Thank you so much for your kind words about my recipes, and I’m so excited to hear that you loved this one! I really appreciate your taking the time to report back and leave this review. :)
Hi! In the recipe you say any milk can be used. Would almond milk work?
Hi Sylvia, yes, almond milk will work!
I made this with “brown” whole wheat flour and frozen berries since that’s all I had in the house, and it turned delicious. But I overlooked them a little since I used a 9×13 and it was hard to tell when they were done with the brown whole wheat. Next time I will definitely use an 8×8. I’m a huge fan of all your recipes, as much as your sense of style and humor. Thanks for the cooking inspiration!
I’m so happy you loved the bars Anne! I think once you use the 8×8 like in the recipe, it will go really smoothly. Thanks for trying the recipe and taking time to report back!
These were delicious! I used frozen blueberries, which I defrosted on paper towel to absorb the excess moisture. The only problem I had was with printing the recipe. The document was six pages long. The recipe itself was only on one of these pages, but the font was so small that I could barely read it. I had to transfer the information to a Word document and fix it. No matter, the recipe is worth it!
Hi Jocelyn! I am so happy to hear that you loved the recipe! I’m sorry about the printing issue—I haven’t heard that before, but I am going to look into it right away.
hey girl- these bars look so yummy!
Amazing. These are easy to make and difficult to stop eating!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this review, Donna! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the bars.
This recipe was super easy & unbelievably delicous!. I left off the glaze and used blueberrys i had frozen earlier in the season. This is my new go to blueberry dessert
YAY I’m so excited to hear this was a winner! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this awesome review. :)
WOW! is all I can say.. So easy and delicious..
Thank you so much, Liz!
These are delicious! I am a tough judge, but I have made these twice already! This recipe is the perfect use for the blueberries that we have been getting in our CSA box. Not to mention, a great balance of healthy and yummy! I like bigger sized bars so they are a little higher calories, but not crazy! I use coconut oil, which pairs nicely with the blueberries. The most recent batch I made, I threw some in the freezer for a late night treat. I can say enough about these! Try them for yourself! Thank you SOOOOO much for sharing! They are in the regular routine!
YAY Abbi! I’m so glad to hear these bars are a winner for you! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this awesome review. :)
I was looking for a dessert to bring to my mom’s for a family dinner last week, and these were perfectly received by everyone! I served them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as suggested, and you’re right Erin, it took them over the top! I also love that they don’t have a ton of added sugar. Thanks for such a fab recipe.
YAY Sarah, I’m so happy to hear this recipe was a winner with your family! Thank you so much for giving it a try and taking the time to report back. :)
I’ve made these bars numerous times in the past couple of months, we look love them! I always use double the berries. Very simple to make.
Beth, doubling the berries sounds like an excellent idea. I’m so glad to hear this recipe is a winner for you!
Could I use quick oats for this recipe?
Hi, I haven’t made it that way, so you’d be experimenting, but I think you could. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Delicious and easy! Loved them. Lots of blueberries and not too sweet. Definitely a recipe I will use again.
YAY Lara, I’m so happy to hear you loved the bars. Thanks for giving them a try and sharing how it went!
These are so pretty, but I have to admit, my family thought they could be a bit sweeter. Especially when eating for dessert. Will just adjust that next time.
Kelly, these are definitely not super sweet (we eat them for breakfast), so I think more honey or maple syrup next time would do the trick!
Kelly, these are definitely not super super sweet, so feel free to adjust to your taste. Did you make the icing? That definitely sweetens them up too!
Made this recipe and loved it . I did add one egg as was concerned it may not hold together .The icing on top provided the extra sweetness that my husband and guests like . For me it is perfect without it . Quick question – we need to avoid saturated fat and the jury is out on coconut oil (I did use it this time) & wondered whether light olive oil would work ok & not effect the flavour ? Or do you know of other good oil alternatives – perhaps Macadamia Nut oil – bit exxy though.
Linda, I am SO GLAD this was a hit! The texture of coconut oil in baking is different than olive oil, and its properties are different in baking, so this would definitely be an experiment on your part. My guess is the bars may turn out more soft/crumbly. That said, if it’s really important to you to use olive oil, you could experiment—I just can’t promise the results since I’ve never tried the recipe that way. If you do play around with the recipe, I’d love to hear how it comes out!!!