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.
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 it, 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!
Recipe Adaptations
- To Make Gluten Free. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats like these and swap the white whole wheat flour for a 1:1 baking blend (I’ve had good luck with this one).
- To Use Frozen Blueberries. 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.
- To Double the Recipe. The recipe can be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch baking pan. The bars will be a bit thicker but still delicious.
More Blueberry Recipes
Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe
- Favorite 8×8 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper (I love these pre-cut sheets)
Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
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Ingredients
FOR THE BLUEBERRY OATMEAL BARS:
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats gluten free if needed
- ¾ cup white whole wheat flour or substitute all-purpose flour or, to make gluten free, 1:1 baking flour
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ 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):
- ½ cup powdered sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk any kind you like
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 375 degrees F. Line an 8x8-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. REALLY press in the crust so that it holds together (you can also use the back of a measuring cup).
- 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.
Notes
- *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 9x13-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.)
Nutrition
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These were so good! I used coconut oil instead of the butter, and no glaze. It was just sweet enough to compliment the tartness of the blueberries. I did bake them a bit longer. I wonder if the people having trouble with it being too crumbly weren’t pressing the “crust” onto the parchment firmly enough?
Glad to hear you enjoyed them, Bernadette!
It come out as a crumble! If your in need of dry crumble with Blueberries this is for you. This is far from simple as well as the 1st sentence of the article suggested. It was made and we we will enjoy it some compacity to let it not go to waste.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Augie. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
Made this today. Had two helpings! The flavor was delicious. I made a 9X13 recipe and was quite generous with the ingredients. Used a blueberry, strawberry, cherry mix. Just the right flavors. Not too sweet but still satisfying. This recipe is a keeper!
Thank you Mary!
Flavor is wonderful, but came out very crumbly. I suppose I expected more of a bar firmness, & I followed recipe exactly but baked an extra 10 minutes.
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe, Dal. I really don’t know why others have their bars crumble but then the majority of other readers don’t, including myself. The only thing that comes to mind is maybe they need to be cooked a little longer. Everyone’s ovens bake different so that could be the issue. Since you did that, the other option is to add an additional 1 tablespoon butter to the mix. Other readers have done that with success.
Yum! Think I’ll add lemon zest or extract to the glaze next time.
Let me know how it goes!
Made this the first time last week to use up some fresh blueberries. Was so good my wife wanted it again yesterday. Let them cool, then glazed them. The only change I made was to use bread flour. I also added some extra blueberries as we love them. Ate them later by warming them up in the microwave and topping with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. These bars are delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
YUM! So happy you enjoyed them Tom, thanks for sharing!
The best – and EASY – healthier oat bar I’ve found! Everyone from kids to co-workers love it and ask me to make it often. I use whatever berries I have (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or a blend), and have also used frozen when I don’t have fresh on hand. Never fails, always turns out perfectly! The only change I make is to stir all the granulated sugar and cornstarch together, stir that into the berries to coat, then stir in the lemon juice. Pour on top of the crust and spread out to cover. Thank you for a(nother) fantastic recipe!
So happy to hear, thank you C!
I have made this recipe several times. It is definitely in my rotation. I’ve used frozen berries without thawing and I think it turns out great. I also stir the berries, lemon juice, cornstarch and sugar in a bowl before layering over the crust. Not sure if that makes much of a difference though. Thanks Erin for another great recipe❤️
Great to hear, thank you for the feedback Leslie!
I have always wanted to bake something using blueberries. In the end, I usually opted for chocolate. This time I actually made a blueberry recipe! These blueberry oatmeal bars are so good. The recipe is super simple and oh-so-good! The recipe is a keeper!
Thank you so much.
So glad you enjoyed it, Toni! Thank you!
Made the bars as described and the blueberries for whatever reason did not ever leak or get bubbly/ gooey. They stayed whole and maybe just shriveled up a bit. I used fresh blueberries. Not sure what happened but I will not be trying this again.
Looks like a great recipe though and wish everyone else better luck.
I’m sorry to hear you had problems with the recipe, Marlette. It has worked well for myself (and others) and I wished it would have been a hit for you too. I’d suggest baking a little longer next time to see if that helps.
Fantastic!! Pulled them out at 35 minutes and they were soooooo delicious. Just the right amount of crusty chew and goopy goodness. Thanks for sharing — daughter has already asked when I’m making them again! ;-)
Yay! Thank you Dawn!
This was nothing more than a blueberry crumble with a crunchy bottom. The name was incredibly deceiving. I was hoping for a “bar” so I can cut them up so my partner can take them to work. I spread the cornstarch evenly over the berries but it still showed up after I baked it?? I think the blueberry mixture should be all mixed up together and then maybe mashed a little bit. The flavour was good for being a Blueberry Crumble.
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe, Matt. Tips on cutting the bars. Make sure they are completely cooled. If not they will crumble. You can refrigerate the bars if you are finding they are not holding together for you. For the cornstarch, you could always try gently mixing half the blueberries with the lemon juice, cornstarch, and sugar before topping it on your bars. No need to mash, you want to bake until the blueberries start to burst and it gets bubbly. Hope this helps!
Same issue as others…came out more like a crumble than a “bar”. Followed recipe to a tee. Calibrated oven to assure proper temp. Although it is yummy…I would not market it as a bar type bake.
I’m sorry to hear you had an issue with the recipe, Maria. A few tips: you want to lightly fluff the flour before scooping or it will be too much for the mixture. You’re mixture is going to feel a little wet after adding the butter. If it doesn’t, there was too much flour. Next, make sure to press them into the pan really well, I often times use the back of a measuring cup to help with this. Lastly, you want to make sure they are completely cooled before cutting or they will crumble. Hope this helps!
Definitely will be adding this to my favorites! The crust came out perfect. Nice and crisp, and the blueberries were plump and juicy. My only (slight) modification, was to add the cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice/zest to the bowl to coat the blueberries. I let them sit for a few minutes before adding to the crust. And because I love cinnamon, I just added an extra pinch. :-) I will be making this again and again. Thank you for sharing!
Great to hear, thank you Linda!
A fab dessert served warm with a scoop of ice cream. Mine was perfect – thank you for the recipe ❤️ NB: I used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar, and drizzled maple syrup over the top instead of the sugar. Delish!
So glad you enjoyed it, Kate! Thank you!
Added about 1/2 cup each on top before baking: unsweetened shredded coconut, bitter sweet coc chips and slivered almonds. Amazing. Made again a week later with blackberries in place of blueberries. Yes!!!
Love that addition! Thank you Mary!
Made this by the book, and it was tasty!!!!!! Wanted to do something healthy and needed to get rid of blueberries that were not going to be eaten in time. I did use a measuring cup to smash the crust down. Also used coconut sugar instead of granulated, but everything else was spot on the same.
I think next time I will do as some other reviewers said and mix the sugar cornstarch and berries together then squeeze the lemon juice on top. Just to see if it changes anything.
Either way totally making this again! What do you prefer storage wise for these bars?Thank you Erin!
They look great, Kelli! So glad you enjoyed them! I just keep them in a storage container in the fridge, glass or plastic.
Hey there, could I use frozen blueberries?
Hi Danielle! 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. Also, other readers have reported backing using frozen (thawed) and it worked great! Hope this helps!
Delicious! I preferred more crumb topping so I mixed up a bit more and added chopped walnuts and lemon zest. These are jammy, pretty, and oh so tasty.
Very easy, too.
So glad you enjoyed it, April! Looks fantastic!