I am a breakfast fixator. When I find a recipe I really love, I can eat it every single morning NONSTOP without ever growing weary. My most recent romance? Blueberry Quinoa Breakfast Bars.
These simple quinoa breakfast bars are packed with protein and whole grains, naturally sweetened, gluten free, and contain zero oil or butter, and the recipe is so flexible, it could own a yoga studio.
Want to use peanut butter instead of almond butter because that’s what you have on hand? Go for it.
Need these to be vegan quinoa breakfast bars? I have you covered.
Want to swap diced strawberries for blueberries or add chocolate chips? Please do. <—Then CALL ME. I’m coming over for a square. Or four.
About These Breakfast Bars
This recipe came about when I realized that I’d been eating a store-bought, shiny-wrapped bar almost every single day, sometimes more than once. While I have no problem relying on store-bought snacks now and then and even have a number of favorites (especially these and sometimes these), good-quality bars are expensive, and eating one every day adds up.
In a moment of especially fierce hanger, I walked to my pantry and discovered that the box of bars I’d purchased earlier that week was already empty. After having a mini meltdown (remedied via gigantic handful of sweet potato chips), I walked myself over to the refrigerator, pulled out a carton of blueberries, and set to work to make myself a more wholesome homemade snack.
My original plan was to add the blueberries to my ever-reliable Oatmeal Breakfast Bars, when I remembered a little leftover quinoa we had from the night before.
I also remembered that several readers have requested a gluten-free oatmeal breakfast bar, and I had yet to deliver. Until now…
Ta-da! Quinoa Breakfast Bars with Blueberries. The answer to afternoon hanger, my latest breakfast obsession, and a handy recipe to keep in your back pocket for on-the-go breakfasts and snacks.
Recipe Adaptations
- To Make with Other Nut Butters. You can use any nut butter here you like, or sun butter. I used the natural, drippy almond butter that is stored in the refrigerator.
- To Make Vegan. Swap a flax egg for the large egg in the recipe; use a nondairy milk and maple syrup.
- To Use Frozen Berries. Thaw the berries and rinse them under cool water until the water runs mostly clear, then add them to the recipe as directed.
- To Use Another Mix-in. You can also replace the blueberries with 1 1/4 cups of any other mix-in. Try a mix of dried fruits and nuts (chopped if large), chocolate chips, or other diced fresh fruit that isn’t overly juicy.
Recommended Tools to Make This Recipe
- Favorite 8×8 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper (I love these precut sheets)
Quinoa Breakfast Bars
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa from about 1/2 cup dry
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup milk any kind you like (I used unsweetened almond milk)
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup or honey
- 3 tablespoons almond butter or nut butter of choice
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8×8 inch square pan with nonstick spray. Line it with parchment paper so that two opposite sides of the paper overhang the edges pan like handles. Spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, quinoa, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (for easiest combining, since the quinoa will be a little bit more moist, I recommend using a rubber spatula and pushing the ingredients around lightly until they are evenly blended). In a separate large bowl, combine the milk, applesauce, maple syrup, almond butter, egg, and vanilla.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir to combine. The batter will be very wet. Fold in the blueberries, then pour into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 38 to 40 minutes or until thickened and deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Using the parchment paper like handles, gently lift the bars out of the pan right away and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely, cut into bars, and serve.
Notes
- Storage: Once cooled, the bars can be wrapped individually in plastic and kept in the refrigerator for 5 days or frozen in a ziptop bag for up to 4 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours before serving. For a larger yield, increase the ingredient quantities by 1.5 and bake in a 9×13 inch pan for 25 to 35 minutes, until deep golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- You can use any nut butter here you like, or sun butter. I used the natural, drippy almond butter that is stored in the refrigerator.
- Make it vegan: Swap a flax egg for the large egg in the recipe; use a nondairy milk and maple syrup.
- Use frozen berries: Thaw the berries and rinse them under cool water until the water runs mostly clear, then add them to the recipe as directed.
- You can also replace the blueberries with 1 1/4 cups of any other mix-in. Try a mix of dried fruits and nuts (chopped if large), chocolate chips, or other diced fresh fruit that isn't overly juicy.
Nutrition
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Definitely pre-cook the quinoa unless you’d like to break your teeth.
Hi Mona! Yes that is a key ingreident: 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa from about 1/2 cup dry.